Mariana de Castro

Mariana de Castro is a Cuban American mother of four children, grandmother of six and mom and dad to two dogs. At 80 years young, she has spent decades caring for ten of her own dogs (so far), and dog-sitting for friends and family. She stays current on New Age animal health remedies and incorporates a holistic approach to her care of pets. She has nursed many strays back to health. During her lifetime she has studied dogs’ habits and has garnered knowledge about them through extensive personal experience. She’s become an expert at preparing their healthy foods and advising other pet owners, bolstering her reputation as “la guru de los perros,” or “the dog guru.”

Way before social media, she created the family newsletter Trastorno, published in print for 15 years in English and Spanish, where she humorously elaborated on all aspects of family including raising children, love triangles, the latest achievements of her beloved dogs, and all the family chismes, or gossip, mailing out 100 monthly copies to relatives and friends.

Born in Havana, Cuba, she earned a college degree in Early Childhood Education and simultaneously received a Bachelor of Arts in Music at the Havana Conservatory. A pianist who was a child prodigy in her day, she performed with the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 16. She left Cuba in 1961 for Miami, where she has lived in exile ever since.

While raising her children Mariana worked for 32 years at the Miami-Dade Public School System as a clerk, secretary, and private secretary to the Assistant Superintendent.

Since retirement she's been documenting her favorite recipes for her dogs. The ones that for years have kept them healthy and their tails wagging.