Dog Paddle was founded by Marna Stein, RVT. Marna has been in Veterinary Medicine since 1991. Originally from California, her career has included working as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) at a 24-hour emergency hospital, a specialty practice, and several non-profit hospitals located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marna has also done Veterinary Hospital Management.

She was first introduced to Swim Therapy in 2000. After studying the Kern Method with Kathy Kern of the Animal Fitness Center, Marna opened her own facility in San Jose, CA. She relocated to the Atlanta, Georgia area in May 2002.