As a women-owned and operated company, we know how much value our female colleagues bring to the workplace. We’re proud to celebrate International Women’s Day by highlighting some of the women who play an integral role in our business.
The pet care industry is an exception to the often male-dominated workplace. According to the Boston Globe, women account for approximately 79% of “nonfarm animal caretakers” compared to men at 23% (other genders not accounted for). While this data is a few years old, you can see the huge margin of a difference there.
So here’s to celebrating the majority of people caring for our “furiends”!
Andrea, Co-Founder & CEO
It all started with Andrea’s vision to elevate the dog daycare scene in Los Angeles. After moving to the West Coast from New York, Andrea combined her business acumen and love for dogs to create Fitdog. Her goal was to create a space where dogs could live healthy and active lifestyles, doing what they do best: be dogs! Ever since Fitdog opened its doors in 2010, she has continually evolved the business for the best interest of our members and employees. After a decade of providing the best quality care for our members, she feels like she’s just getting started.
Brandy, Co-Founder
Brandy is the co-founder of Fitdog and leads the Women’s Network at City National Bank and is now the Head at Capital Markets. She got Brecken as a young puppy and he later became the inspiration behind Fitdog!
TRAINERS
Rhonda, Partner Trainer
Rhonda has been integral in forming our Sports and Training programs! She has over ten years of experience specializing in reward-based and clicker friendly dog training methods. She leads several of our popular training and sports classes, including Fun & Fit Agility, Swim and Play, and Chase & Capture along with training programs like Obedience Plus: Leash Pulling, Puppy Essentials and Foundational Obedience. We love Rhonda!
Sylvia, Partner Trainer
Sylvia came to us in the fall of 2109 with her idea for our Scent Works class. Since then, she’s brought invaluable insight, presence, and innovation to our sports classes and training programs! Sylvia always brings her best energy to all of her classes and provides owners with thorough feedback on all their dog’s activity. She leads several of our training programs and sports classes such as Trainer led Hikes, Pack Obedience, Puppy Preschool, Obedience Plus: Canine Good Citizen, Board & Train, and much more! She is leading dog training into the next era and we’re excited to be a part of it!
Susan, Training Assistant
We are lucky enough to have Susan on our training team. Her passion for dogs and positive reinforcement training methods is so evident in her work and her training knowledge is an invaluable addition to our programs and classes. She joined Fitdog as a member of Sylvia’s training squad and she helps lead multiple classes and programs through the week such as Reliable Recall, Foundational Obedience, Leash Manners and Scent Works. In her free time she continues to push the discussion of force-free and ethical training methods on her podcast, Doggy Dojo.
Caroline, Training Assistant
One of our first training assistants to join the team, Caroline has been one of our training assistants since we launched our new programs during the pandemic. Her quiet demeanor and variety of training experience is a valuable asset to our team and we don’t know what we’d do without her. She has lended her helping hand in almost all of our programs and classes, but on most days you can find her guiding dogs in Reliable Recall, Foundational Obedience, Leash Manners and Scent Works. She enjoys her free time off-roading in her truck or spending time with her adorable German Shepherd, Chiron.
Amanda, Training Assistant
If there’s one thing that we know is true, it’s that Amanda’s love for the dogs she trains is tried and true. Her bubbly personality and radiating passion for all things dogs shines through in her work and we are so lucky to have her on our team. She joined Fitdog as an integral addition to Rhonda’s squad and helps out in a multitude of classes and programs including but not limited to Leash Manners, Fun & Fit Agility, Chase & Capture, Trainer Lead Hikes and Swim & Play. She is a lover of all things Disney and loves cosplay and her dog Hondo.
Ivonne, Partner Trainer
Ivonne joined Fitdog over a year ago as a training assistant for Rhonda, but now she is one of partner trainers and leads one of our Trainer Led Hike classes every week. When she’s not on the trail, she offers her valuable experience in a variety of our classes and programs such as Fun & Fit Agility, Chase & Capture, Swim & Play, Foundational Obedience and more. She is always looking to learn more and gain more experience and her commitment to dog training is really proven in her work. In her down time she loves dancing and choreography and going on adventures with her two dogs, Mochi and Nala.
Amber, Partner Trainer
Amber started out at Fitdog when Sylvia needed an extra hand on the trail. She now leads her own Trainer Led Hike classes every week and we are so lucky to have someone of her value and experience on our team. Her passion for all things dogs and training really makes an impact in our packs’ lives. Not to mention that she is an incredible mother to her children, both two-legged and four-legged.
Andrea, Training Assistant
Andrea is the puppy whisperer and is an integral part of our Puppy Preschool and Puppy Essentials programs. From potty breaks, training sessions, socialization and everything in between, Andrea manages all things puppies. She excels at what she does and although she gets lots of puppy kisses and cuddles, she is not afraid to do the dirty work. Not only is she an amazing trainer, but she is also a very gifted artist. You can check out her work at Groovy Earth Princess Art.
DOG CARE
Ashley, Senior Team Lead
Ashley has been with us for 10 years! A badass mom of two, Ashley strategizes her daily routine to maximize efficiency and flow for everyone. We could liken her to Snow White because she has several dogs who wait by her side to “help” her with daily tasks, and try to protect her if anyone gets too close.
Chris, Team Lead and Dog Handler
We’ve been lucky to have Chris on our team for two and a half years! Her true passion for dogs shines through and she will do anything to make sure our dogs receive the best care possible. She toggles between Team Lead and Dog Handler and always brings her A-game to whatever she does. She knows each dog like the back of her hand and truly cares about every single one of them. Her dog, Shia La Pup, is also an integral part of our pack.
Allie, Team Lead
For the past three years we’ve been lucky to have Allie on our team. Her gentle spirit and kind demeanor really shine through when she is taking care of our pack. Whether she’s on the yard patrolling the dogs or in the team lead office making sure every dog gets fed, she puts 100% in all she does. Although her middle name is “Cat,” don’t be fooled. She is a dog person through and through!
Yenis, Customer Service Coordinator
If you’re dropping off or picking your dog up from Fitdog, chances are you’ve seen Yenis’ bright smile as you walk through our lobby doors. Yenis is the first point of contact when bringing your dog to Fitdog and she makes sure all your needs are met and all your questions or concerns are answered. Her unwavering patience and diligent work has landed her a role where she trains and guides incoming Customer Coordinators and we couldn’t trust her more in the role. Outside of Fitdog she takes care of her own dog, Lily, and studies Psychology at school.
ON THE TRAIL
Marcela, Sports Assistant
Marcela has been a part of our team for over five years now! She is currently an Excursion Leader in training, but she has lots of experience on the trail and being a dog handler at our club. She is always enthusiastic and is truly passionate about each and every dog in our pack, including her own dog, Pepper! We are so thankful to have had her on our team for so long and we can’t wait to see her excel as a leader.
Halle, Sports Assistant
Although Halle has only been a part of the Fitdog team for a little under a year, she has quickly proved her capability for the job and has done a fantastic job assisting our adventure hikes. She is already in training to be an Excursion Leader and we already know she is going to do an amazing job leading our pack. She is a caretaker through and through and in the future she hopes to be a nurse.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Kariann, HR Administrator
Kariann has been with Fitdog for over a year now and is the backbone of our office. She makes sure everything runs smoothly and that our employees stay informed and happy. She always has a positive attitude and her genuine care for our employees is evident in her work and conversations. And although being an HR Administrator requires her to balance a lot of different roles at once, she still makes sure to give all the dogs some love in moments of downtime.
Meghan, Digital Marketing Specialist
The person behind the scenes, Meghan is responsible for all of our social media accounts! From content creation, digital strategy, blogs, events and everything in between, Meghan is always super stoked to bring you Fitdog greatness in all forms. She especially loves taking pictures of all of our pups and capturing their unique personalities!
Thank you to all of the awesome people working towards a more equitable workplace for ALL women! Happy International Women’s Day!
Last updated March 8, 2022.