After earning her degree in Sociology from Boston University Daphne Melillo began her career in Massachusetts with horses rather than dogs, where she rode hunters and jumpers and taught riding lessons.

After moving to Alabama, Daphne discovered the sport of nosework in 2012 when her reactive Australian Cattle Dog, Kotah, needed a job. Although she had never planned to compete, the pair traveled to Texas in 2014 to earn their NW1—and they were hooked! Daphne and Kotah continued competing together, earning their Elite Championship title in 2019 and participating in the very first Summit in Georgia in 2021.

Daphne has been teaching nosework since 2016, and is the owner of By A Nose Nosework in Deatsville, Alabama, where she teaches full-time. She currently trials with NACSW with all four of her dogs: ACD Bandit, who competes in Summit League; Happy, a terrier mix working toward their ELT3; Omen, an ACD/Border Collie mix working toward their ELT2; and her youngest, Sin, an ACD/Husky mix who recently earned her NW1.

Daphne shares her home with her partner, Summer, and her two Dobermans, Ani and Pneuma. With Summer's help, Daphne also hosts NACSW trials and ORTs and works to bring as many talented instructors as possible to the area for workshops and other learning opportunities. Outside of nosework, she competes in Dock Diving with Omen during the summer months and stays active as a judge for other scent work organizations.