Mary Jo DiLonardo

DiLonardo is a senior writer and editor who covers pets and animals, health and wellness, nature and sustainability, and all things environmental.

She has written extensively for Treehugger and WebMD, helped launch a website for the Arthritis Foundation, and covered a range of topics for CNN.com. She was a senior contributing editor for Atlanta Magazine for more than a dozen years where her pet and school guides won city and regional magazine association awards.

DiLonardo has written for various national publications including Parents, Family Fun, and Ladies Home Journal magazines. She also has a background in writing and producing national and local news and entertainment radio shows for personalities as diverse as Ryan Seacrest, Ty Pennington, and Paula Abdul.

When she's not writing, DiLonardo fosters special-needs puppies through Speak! Rescue and Sanctuary, a rescue organization that specializes in helping dogs with hearing and vision impairments.

DiLonardo graduated summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor of fine arts in broadcasting (now called e-media) and a certificate in creative writing. She attended on a full academic scholarship.