Meet the team.
As a seasoned storyteller, Judy is always seeking the next great adventure, like telling the fantastic tale of Mizzica, the Dog from the Dumpster. She has collaborated with top television networks and advertising agencies as a director and photographer and specializes in crafting visually exciting stories.
Living authentically and spiritually evolving, she has a lifelong passion for animals and nature. She loves traveling, learning about new cultures and languages, and speaking Italian and French. She also speaks the language of dogs. She and Mizzica communicate energetically and are rarely separated.
Judy Starkman
Bill Lagattuta
Bill worked in television news for more than three decades as a correspondent and anchorman, winning many awards for excellence in journalism. Eager to express his creativity, Bill left the world of news to pursue new adventures as an artist, filmmaker, builder, and olive farmer.
Fluent in the Italian language and an expert in its cultural ways, Bill and Mizzica communicate regularly about life in the Mediterranean, its magical ways, and the incredible series of events that lifted an abandoned dog into a bright new life..
Alex Foster
Alex has created some of the most interesting and amusing maps and drawings for all sorts of projects. There is nothing A.I. about his work—it’s all hand drawn and colored, making it utterly original for a project like Mizzica’s book.
He lives in Margate, England. His dog is named Winnie, and if she could write, she’d be one of Mizzica’s penpals.
Mizzica
Mizzica was born in the small town of Scicli, in the province of Ragusa, Sicily sometime in 2016. She joined the family of Judy and Bill about a year later, and has been living and traveling with them ever since.
Mizzica’s hobbies include eating, thinking about squirrels, and taking long walks in the country. As a writer, Mizzica has trouble using the computer because she has paws, not hands, so she communicates her thoughts telepathically.
