About Align Canine Mold Detection

Our family's journey with environmental illness began in 2017.

At the time, we were renting a home while saving to purchase our first house. Our two-year-old daughter developed lead poisoning from our rental home. 

Thankfully, the source was identified quickly, and we were able to move before permanent harm was done. We believed the worst was behind us.

In October 2017, we purchased what we thought would be our forever home. We worked with a trusted family member who had spent more than fifty years in real estate, hired a licensed home inspector, and found no obvious concerns. The home had been built in the 1990s, eliminating worries about lead paint, and there were no major "red flags."

Within two months, our beloved dog, Bella, suddenly developed a devastating neurological disorder and passed away.

Over the next two years, our family's health steadily declined. Andi became progressively sicker, eventually spending much of her time confined to bed with profound neurological and systemic symptoms. In 2020, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease and multiple co-infections. After spending tens of thousands of dollars pursuing treatment with little improvement, we had exhausted nearly every resource available to us.

Only then did we discover that our home contained significant hidden mold contamination.

Our lives changed overnight.

Forced to live in a tent on our own property during remediation, Andi began studying everything she could find. With little money left and few professionals who understood the connection between indoor environments and human health, she decided to become the professional her own family desperately needed.

She immersed herself in books, scientific literature, industry standards, building science, remediation practices, environmental sampling methodologies, and mold toxicity. What she discovered was deeply concerning. Many well-intentioned professionals excelled within their individual specialties, but very few understood how all the pieces fit together. Homeowners were often left navigating conflicting opinions, incomplete information, and expensive testing without a clear understanding of what questions they were actually trying to answer.

That experience shaped the philosophy that guides Align Canine Mold Detection today.

We believe every tool has strengths, limitations, and an appropriate purpose. A mold dog is an incredible investigative tool—but it is still just one tool. Environmental sampling, moisture investigations, laboratory testing, medical evaluation, and remediation each answer different questions. Knowing when to use each one is just as important as knowing how they work.

Over the past several years, Andi has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between indoor environmental professionals and healthcare providers.

She spent three years working on the front lines of a mold inspection and remediation company, helping homeowners navigate some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives while gaining firsthand experience with investigations, remediation projects, and the questions families ask every day.

Today, she serves as a Laboratory Account Consultant with Respirare Labs, where she educates indoor environmental professionals and healthcare providers throughout the United States and internationally on environmental mycotoxin testing, sampling strategies, and the science behind interpreting environmental data. Her work focuses on helping practitioners understand not only what testing can tell us—but also what it cannot.

Beyond her professional work, Andi founded Minnesota Mold Illness, a community dedicated to educating, empowering, and connecting families affected by environmental illness throughout the state. She is also the founder of the Midwest Policy Reform Coalition, an initiative focused on bringing meaningful policy reform, increasing awareness, and advocating for stronger protections for families facing indoor environmental hazards.

As mold detection dogs became increasingly popular across the country, Andi saw another challenge emerging. Pricing continued to climb, standards varied dramatically, and there was little consistency or oversight within the industry. Families already struggling financially were often left trying to determine who they could trust.

Rather than simply joining the industry, she chose to help raise the standard.

Align Canine Mold Detection was built on the belief that clients deserve honest education, realistic expectations, and guidance rooted in both science and experience. Our goal is never to sell unnecessary services. Our goal is to help families answer the right questions, make informed decisions, and use their resources wisely.

Our canine inspections are only one part of that mission.

Co-founder and handler Peter Hembroff has been Andi's steadfast partner throughout this entire journey. While environmental illness transformed nearly every aspect of their lives, Peter remained a constant source of strength, compassion, and unwavering support. Having lived through the uncertainty of chronic illness, failed treatments, financial hardship, and multiple home remediations alongside his family, Peter understands firsthand the emotional toll these situations place on homeowners. He has a special appreciation for spouses and family members who may be struggling to understand what their loved ones are experiencing, and he brings patience, empathy, and a calm perspective to every inspection.

Peter's role within Align Canine Mold Detection is intentionally focused on one responsibility: handling Willow. Working a detection dog requires complete concentration, consistency, and trust between handler and canine. By dedicating himself entirely to Willow during every inspection, Peter allows her to perform at her highest level while Andi remains available to educate clients, explain findings, answer questions, and help families understand what the next appropriate steps may be. For us, this has never simply been a business.

It is the mission that grew out of our own family's experience—and our hope that no family has to navigate this journey alone.