Kelsey was born and raised near Seattle, WA and she moved to the bay area so that her husband could do his graduate work at Stanford. Finding her passion for animals at a young age, she grew up in a household busy with pets, and her family never went without at least one dog. She volunteered as an adoption counselor for the largest cat sanctuary in Washington, and then worked as an attendant at a self-service dog wash, where she discovered that she highly enjoys working with dogs professionally.

Kelsey received her B.A. in English: Creative Writing at the University of Washington, and writing is her “other” passion; she always has a novel, a collection of poetry, or a children’s book in the making. In her spare time, she makes and sells handmade greeting cards, and also loves to hike and photograph wildlife.

Currently, Kelsey shares her house with two cats: Mufasa, an older cat, who has fallen in love with the California sun, and Ze Beast, a crazy little kitten who has lived up to his name. Her two lazy Russian Tortoises are named Anastasia and Tsar. Kelsey wishes she could have a dog of her own because she says dogs are, “so unconditionally happy; there's nothing better than a doggie smile and a big, bouncing tail!” In the meantime, Kelsey gets her fill of canine charm from all of the wonderful dogs that come in to A DOG'S LIFE!

Kelsey is an Advanced Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association and has completed a course in Pet First Aid and CPR.

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Mika was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in Yuba City, California. She has since lived in Nagano, Japan; San Francisco, CA, and a handful of other Bay Area cities. After finishing college at UC Davis and leaping into the busy working schedule of her adult life, she found that her childhood dogs, Peko and IG, have never been far from her mind. Having worked many different jobs, she often wondered if she would ever find a job that combined her love of dogs and working with people.

Now that A Dog’s Life is part of her life, she’s looking forward to having a puppy of her own to add to her happy home, and getting to know all of the dogs of the A Dog’s Life extended family!

In her spare time, she enjoys riding around on her Vespa and watching nature documentaries, especially those narrated by David Attenborough, as well as playing bocce ball and board games.

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Emily is definitely one of those "animal people", as she cannot remember a time when she didn't have and love animals. Born and raised in the bay area, she has always had pets and has been involved in animal raising clubs and volunteering at animal-related organizations since before she went to high school. Over the years she has owned, trained, or worked with not only dogs and cats, but horses (full and miniature), cows, sheep, pigs, goats, geese, chickens, rabbits, rodents, fish, birds, reptiles, and even llamas! When she finished high school she attended Modesto JC and later UC Davis in order to study animals and animal behavior academically. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior. Even today if you ask her Emily will tell you she still constantly studies animal behavior and is always reading at least one book on the subject in her spare time.

Out of college Emily worked at a couple of different animal jobs before she took one at a major pet supply chain as a dog training instructor where she successfully taught training classes and helped many dog families with behavior issues find understanding and an improved harmony and quality of life. She has also trained and consulted on the training of assistance dogs for the physically disabled. Emily passionately loves training people and pets and came to ADL looking for a smaller more family like company to work with which she most definitely found. She is currently taking a break from training to hone her skills as a Playgroup Leader, but she looks forward to getting back into the training arena in the future.

Though she has lived with many more animals in the past, she currently has a mere 2 dogs (German Shepherd and a Boxer), one cat, one horse, three chickens, and a handful of guppy fish. When she isn't working she can be found hiking in the forests and county parks with either her dogs or riding on her horse. Once in a blue moon, she can even be found out sailing with her father on his 22ft Catalina boat in the bay.

Emily is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, a member of the APDT, and has completed a course in Pet First Aid and CPR .

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Danielle grew up in the bay area and recently moved back to the area after living in southern California for over two years. While in Southern California, Danielle was going to school pursue a career in special effect make up, but decided that it was not what she wanted to do. So now she is back home, where she is attending West Valley College to complete her general education. While she is not certain what her future career goals are, she would love to eventually work with wildlife.

Danielle grew up with all sorts of animals and currently has three cats, named Charlie, Poof and Dozer, and a chinchilla named Chimi. While she does not have a dog right now, she and her family are planning on getting a Great Pyrenees soon. Danielle loves dogs "because they are always happy to see you and are always by your side!! They are like a Best Friend!!"

Danielle is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association and has completed a course in Pet First Aid and CPR.

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A Mountain View native, Shay is currently studying at Foothill Community College. While he hasn’t yet selected a major, he keeps high aspirations for his professional career; when asked about his future career goals, he responds that he wants “to become a millionaire.” Outside of school, Shay enjoys skating, hanging out with his friends, and scoping out new hiking trails.

Shay comes to A DOG’S LIFE with a love for animals, and he currently has two cats and a dwarf hamster of his own. After gaining experience at another doggie daycare, Shay has found that he really enjoys working with animals, dogs especially. He is very interested in discovering the differences between the dog breeds, but there is one thing he says he loves about all pups: “their soft ears!”

Joanna hails from Union City, CA. Prior to working at ADL, she volunteered at Sulfur Creek Nature Center during the summers where she took care of resident mammals. She also worked for an emergency/general practice veterinary hospital and volunteered with the Montana Spay & Neuter Task Force. Joanna also has worked for veterinary ophthalmologists before joining the ADL team. She is currently going to Foothill College and would like to get into the Veterinary Technology Program. Her future career goals would be to either work for a zoo or The Coco Foundation.

When off the clock, Joanna enjoys movies, dancing and karaoke! Sadly, she is currently without pets though she had her cat, Bandit, for nearly 15 years. When working, she enjoys playing with the dogs. She particularly enjoys teaching them tricks and learning how to encourage good behavior.

Joanna is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association and has completed a course in Pet First Aid and CPR.

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Born in Poland, Matylda moved to the United States in 1991 and has since lived in Palo Alto. Currently, she is finishing up her general education requirements at Foothill College and she hopes to soon be admitted to the Architecture department at CalPoly. When she isn’t busy with work and school, she enjoys hiking, visiting art exhibitions, and taking off on weekend destination trips around California. Also, she has spent every summer since she was seven riding horses and working at a stable.

After living with dogs and cats her entire life, Matylda recently adopted Gaja, a German Shepherd puppy with big ears and a sweet disposition! Matylda has worked at another doggie daycare, and throughout all of her experiences interacting with dogs, she has found that she truly enjoys their compassionate nature; she describes: “You could be having your worst day and dogs are as happy with you as on your best day.” When asked about her favorite part of working at A DOG’S LIFE, Matylda exclaims that she loves “being greeted everyday with wagging tails and happy faces!”

Matylda is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association

Guoda hails all the way from Kaunas, Lithuania! She grew up on a farm with chickens, pigs and dogs. Guoda is currently attending Penn Foster and majoring in vet tech courses. She hopes to one day open her own multi-functional pet care facility.

Prior to working at ADL, Guoda was a pet care supervisor at another daycare for over 2 years. When she’s not working, Guoda has a number of hobbies which include listening to music, knitting and other crafts. “I love the outdoors and go camping, hiking and boating.” She currently shares her life with 2 dogs- a 1year old husky/heeler mix named Azriel and Sasha, a 3 year old staffy. “Sasha is my lucky puppy because she was born on St. Patrick’s Day!” An aspect Guoda enjoys about working at ADL is the way the playgroups are designed to help dogs in their everyday life.

Guoda is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Ally is a dog lover through and through! She has quite the family of dogs at home- Aries, a 3 year old Pitbull/Mcnab mix. Aries is the 2009 Splash Dogs World Champion and the co-world record holder with a jump of 27’8”!! Vandal is a 5 year old Border Collie/Jack Russell mix who is in his own right the 2009 Splash Dogs Lap Dog World Champion. Last but not least, Lulu is a 10 year old mix that Ally’s family found in a garbage can when she was 3 months old.

Ally is working towards saving her money and getting her K9 massage therapy certification. When she’s not at work, she often enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends and doing dog sports such as flyball and dock jumping. She enjoys working at ADL because everyone is so friendly and is working for the love of dogs! When asked what she loves about dogs, Ally says, “I love everything about the dogs, they’re all so different and have their own personalities.”

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Ashleigh grew up not too far away from here in Menlo Park, CA. She has been involved in animals one way or another most of her life. When Ashleigh was in high school she was an assistant vet tech. In college, several of Ashleigh’s projects for her major centered around animals. “I got a chance to work with the veterinary staff of the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans and the Louisiana SPCA.”

Ashleigh graduated from school with a BA in Communications-Photojournalism with a minor in Sociology. She hopes to one day be able to combine her love of animals, photography and travel into a successful and fulfilling career. When Ashleigh is not working, she is practicing with her roller derby team! She shares her life with her cat Loki. “When I get a place with a yard, I hope to move my Bull Mastiff Abbey.”

What is her favorite part of working at ADL? “I love that I get to hang out with the coolest dogs in the Silicon Valley area all day!”

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Born in Fremont, CA, Rachael has been in the same house her whole life. As a child, she was always surrounded by various animals, some of which included dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds and fish. Currently, Rachael shares her home with a red eared slider turtle named Scruffy and two dogs- an austrailian cattledog named Heidi and Dakota, a black lab.

Before ADL, Rachael had several interesting jobs. One of her first jobs was at a dog kennel. She also lived in Tahoe for a year and a half teaching snowboarding! She is currently going to school at Mission College. She just became an EMT and hopes to become a paramedic and possibly a firefighter. “Eventually I want to go to school to get a degree in animal sciences or marine biology. I’m also interested in joining the coast guard.”

When not at work, Rachael loves listening to music and spending time outdoors. She enjoys playing with her dog, swimming, hiking and playing softball and soccer. A fan of reading, she says she’s not one for much TV.

One of her favorite things about ADL is being surrounded by dogs. “I would have a bazillion dogs at home if I could. I enjoy learning their behaviors. My favorite dog here is Marley P.!!”

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Emily enjoys hiking, backpacking, and camping, especially when her two-year-old Mastiff mix, Ishi, can keep her company! Emily also loves training her pup and taking her swimming, and Ishi has a great time socializing with the large dog group at A DOG’S LIFE Sunnyvale. Emily and Ishi also share their home with a fifteen-year-old kitty named Rocko. Currently, Emily is working to obtain her degree in Economics.

Emily has experience training both horses and dogs, and she hopes one day to open a horse boarding and training facility. She has worked extensively in the veterinary field, as both a veterinary technician and office manger. In addition, she boards and fosters dogs with severe behavioral or medical issues. Emily has a certain affinity for the bigger pooches, and she runs a local Giant Breed rescue organization. Combining her love of dogs and outdoor activities, she has also started a large breed socialization group, where owners and their dogs meet for weekly fun activities, such as hiking, swimming, and visiting dog-friendly restaurants. Emily loves dogs so much because, she says, “No matter what adventure you want to go on, your dog will be right their with you!”

The A DOG’S LIFE philosophy aligns well with Emily’s own personal beliefs about dogs and how they should be treated; she describes, “Everyone at ADL loves their dogs like their own and it is our mission to entirely enhance the dogs’ lives through socialization and training. Nothing feels better than to watch them develop into happier, more balanced dogs by coming to ADL.”

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Amy grew up in Oakland, CA with a group of dogs and cats. As a kid she would pet sit for her neighbors and eventually began working for the Peninsula Humane Society and the SPCA as an animal care technician. She is currently going to school for her EMT certification and hopes to become a paramedic.

When she’s not at ADL, she can be found hiking, camping and reading. She hopes to do those things with her very own dog someday soon! Her favorite part of the day while at working at ADL? Getting to play with all the dogs all day!

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A south San Jose native, Tara is currently a student at Evergreen Valley. She plans to next attend Foothill College, where she’ll begin studying to become a licensed veterinary technician. In preparation for her career working with animals, Tara has surrounded herself with dogs; she has done a great deal of dog-sitting and dog walking, especially for one very special cancer survivor named Harley.

Outside of her work with animals, Tara is interested in art, in many different forms. She enjoys aerosol art, graphic design, and she claims she is “addicted” to body art. Also, Tara gives her attention to her houseful of pets: Wilson, the Cocker Spaniel mix, Sasha, the Golden Retriever mix, Bunson, the bunny, and all of the fish in her koi pond.

Working at a doggie daycare and studying to become a veterinary technician complement each other well, and Tara is enjoying her place on the A DOG’S LIFE team. She loves meeting all of the new dogs and learning their personalities; in particular, Tara says she looks forward to “getting to play and bond with each dog differently.” One of the things she likes most about dogs is their loyalty, and she describes, “no matter what, they will always be right next to you and it’s impossible to stay mad at them.” Of course, she also admits that “puppy eyes” are pretty much irresistible!

Tara is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Although she did quite a bit of moving around, April spent most of her years in Winston-Salem, NC. April hopes to soon be attending the Elementary Education program at San Jose State University. Eventually, she would like to be teaching kindergarten through third grade, and spending her summers off working as a dog breeder. She shares her life with three dogs—a Doberman Pinscher named Winston, a French Bulldog named Lennox, and a Pitt Bull Terrier named Silas, who has made many friends at ADL—as well as a Leopard Gecko named Lady Gaga. In her spare time, April loves exploring the Bay Area with her boyfriend and friends: visiting San Francisco, going on hikes with her dogs, taking horseback riding trips, and going to see Sharks hockey games.

April grew up around animals—horses, cats, a rabbit, a parakeet, and an adopted goat—and she got her first dog, a Dalmatian named Dottie, when she was ten. She began working with animals professionally in 2007, when she was able to learn about basic dog behavior and training at a doggie daycare. She continued on the same career path and worked at another doggie daycare when she returned to North Carolina for school.

Now that she has found a place at A DOG’S LIFE, April is able to continue interacting with dogs. When asked what she likes most about her experience, she answers, “I think all the free doggie kisses I get might be my favorite part of the job!” She really strives to create a special bond with each of the dogs she meets and she is very interested in learning each dog’s unique personality. She explains, “I love when the dogs know they did something right and that they are going to get a treat. The smile on their faces and the excitement that vibrates through their little bodies is just too cute!”

April is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Todd recently relocated back to northern California after many years living and working in Southern California. He has been grooming dogs (and a variety of other animals!) for over 20 years. He is very knowledgeable in all styles of grooms for pure bred dogs, and is skilled and talented in custom “personality” haircuts for mixed breeds, and well as special needs animals, including senior and handicapped pets.

Todd is a Certified Animal Hygenist, also a master class hand scissorer, and in the course of his grooming career, his regular clients have included Steven Spielberg, Frank Sinatra, Kevin Costner, and Bette Midler, among many others. Todd prides himself on his cruelty-free grooming techniques, and providing his clients with home grooming instruction to make trips to the groomer easier for your dog.


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Katelyn Filipps
Playgroup Leader in Training, CPCT

Growing up in Santa Rosa, CA, Katelyn began working with animals when she volunteered at the Sonoma County Animal Shelter. She studied psychology for two years and will be going back to school this coming Fall as an English major. Her future career goal? “To be my own boss!”

When she’s not at working, she enjoys a myriad of hobbies. Reading, writing, hiking, yoga and finding new sci-fi shows to become obsessed with are some of her favorite things. She shares her life and love of sci-fi with her 16 week old border collie/austrailian shepherd mix, Ender. Her favorite part of working at ADL is getting to play with the puppies all day long.

Katelyn is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Amanda Shepherd
Playgroup Leader in Training

Born in Bakersfield, CA, Amanda grew up in the bay area including Almaden, San Jose and now Sunnyvale. A self-proclaimed country girl, Amanda has always had lots of animals in her life some of which includes horses, dogs, cows, reptiles, fish and other small animals. “While on summer breaks in high school I would compete in horse shows and barrel races. My love and passion remains in horses and dogs!”

Before moving to Sunnyvale and working at ADL, Amanda worked as a pet care lead at Pet Smart in Shawnee, KS for a year. After moving back to California in January 2010, she briefly worked at Petco and took care of all the animals in which she expanded her animal experience in small animals, reptiles, birds and fish!

While not currently in school, Amanda hopes to either go into nursing school or major in equine or canine medicine. During her free time she enjoys hanging out with family, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, going to beaches and lakes, horseback riding, working out, hanging out with friends, and movies.

Her family pets include 2 black labs, both named Tule. Love of animals run deep in her family. “My brother-in-law has had his dog since high school graduation and she is now 15! Though sadly she has cancer and tumors, she is still kicking and loves to play and still hunts. Tule 2 (as we call her) was a dog a friend no longer wanted so my sister took her in and she is now 7! We also have 2 ducks- a wood duck Darby and a Cinnamon Teal hen named Tilly, and 1 male betta fish (no name)!”

When asked what her favorite part of working at ADL, Amanda says, “Favorite part...... that is a hard one ....I love my job. Management is the best I’ve worked with, the employees are nice, friendly and always willing to help. The clients are friendly and appreciative of what we do. I have taken in a wealth of knowledge since I’ve started and still am. As an animal lover, to me this is the best job. It all makes for why I love waking up wanting to go to work every day.”

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Robin Powers
Playgroup Leader in Training, CPCT

Robin grew up on a farm and has been around animals her whole life. “When I was young my family bred Boxers. I always knew that my life and career would revolve around animals. I shadowed our family vet for a few summers, assisting her on calls. I spent two summers doing various duties around a horse boarding barn. I also volunteered for 3 years at a canine rescue.”

Although she doesn’t have a doggie in her life right now Robin claims to have the coolest cat in the world! A 5 year old half Maine Coon cat named Pikachu, Robin has had him since the day he was born. “Despite being born with an incurable heart condition he is still rowdy, playful, and going strong! He is a big boy weighing 17 pounds!” Robin also has 2 horses. One is a chestnut half Arabian named Sparky. He just turned 9 this year and is the sweetest little guy! The other is an older pony mare that Robin recently rescued named Ellie. She was neglected for many years but has become a very sweet, friendly girl.

Robin is enrolled at Foothill college and will be starting in the fall. She will be studying to be a veterinary technician and hopes to specialize in large animal medicine. “I am also interested in the dog training programs offered through ADL and hope to pursue that as well.” When not at ADL, Robin loves to go horseback riding with her friends, go hiking in the beautiful Redwoods near her house, and go to the beach (especially to Santa Cruz). She also enjoys writing poetry and is a moderator on an online equestrian forum.

She loves the fun atmosphere at ADL! “The dogs are having a good time and so is the staff. I love being part of a team of other people who love animals as much as I do. It is very rewarding being a part of so many people's lives through their dogs.”

As an animal lover, what Robin loves most about dogs is their openness. “A dog can make a best friend in a matter of minutes. They can play for hours with a dog they just met. They accept people in the same ready fashion, I love how a minute or two of petting from a stranger can so quickly have a dog on its back asking for a belly rub! They are just so accepting of us and each other, it's beautiful."

Robin is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Emily Read
Playgroup Leader in Training





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Deztiney Woods
Playgroup Leader in Training





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Gavin McCarthy
Playgroup Leader in Training





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Canh Ha
Overnight Attendant





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Tyler Fox
Playgroup Leader in Training





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Shannon Dutra
Playgroup Leader in Training





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Cassandra Jenecke
Playgroup Leader, CPCT

Cassandra has quite the history with animals! Currently, her family counts among its numbers a former shelter cat (human-in-a-former-life) named Mama Daisy who loves to have her head rubbed! Cassandra says, “While we are only bit actors in her varied and hectic life, she remains a loyal and loving member of our clan.” Unfortunately, she and her family are currently without a canine presence in their home, but that is something she soon hopes to change! Beyond her own family’s multitude of pets, Cassandra worked all four years of high school at a dog and cat grooming shop, as a receptionist, bather/brusher, and eventual apprentice groomer. ”It was there that I had my first real-world experience working with animals and I have been hooked ever since!”

She is a very recent Political Science and American History graduate of Boston University. She comes to work with the dogs every summer (this is her third summer with ADL as a Playgroup Leader!) and in the fall, she will begin her juris doctorate studies at the University of San Francisco. Her future goals are to complete her law studies, pass the California Bar Exam and be a lawyer who specializes in juvenile/family and animal cruelty law. A position on the bench is my ultimate career goal. Outside of ADL, Cassandra is a dedicated writer and reader. ” Studying normally takes up the largest portion of my time, but I am also a newly avid gym goer.”

What does she enjoy about ADL and working with dogs? “I am particularly partial to our training staff and the training of employees. I believe that we have one of, if not the best, trained daycare staff in the Bay Area. I have complete confidence in all of my coworker’s abilities to go above and beyond what is required of them to take care of the dogs and to make sure the dogs have fun and love daycare! There are so many reasons I can think of why I love dogs. However, I think the simplest but most profound answer is unconditional love. They never judge and they love to see you every morning! Dogs, without a doubt, are the biggest pick-me-up of any bad day!”

Cassandra is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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Jeff Huguenor
Playgroup Leader, CPCT

Growing up in San Jose, Jeff now attends Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts and is in his senior year. He is currently majoring in Sociology, with a minor in Criminal Justice. Once he has graduated from WNEC, Jeff hopes to continue onto grad school for Sociology with a focus on sociological research methods. “I would like to get a job in the social research field with the Humane Society or the World Wildlife Fund.”

Prior to working at ADL, Jeff didn’t have too much animal experience professionally other than his own pets. “I had 2 German Shepherds, 4 hamsters and a rat.” In his spare time, Jeff enjoys hanging out with his friends, reading, and watching a ton of movies, as well as playing baseball, running, and boxing, He is also interested in following science stories related to space and physics. Jeff’s eight-year-old schnauzer, Margot, is his constant side-kick.

Jeff really enjoys working at A DOG’S LIFE, and he says, “I love being around so many different types of dogs and getting to know their individual personalities. Nothing feels better than having a dog that’s nervous at daycare eventually becoming really comfortable with you.”

Jeff is a Certified Pet Care Technician through the Pet Care Services Association.

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