Team

Hi, I’m Kaitlyn!
I’ve been with Pooch At Play since early 2019 and in March 2026, I officially became the owner! Something that still feels surreal in the best way.

Animals have always been a huge part of my life. I spent 10 years in 4-H dog obedience, and that experience taught me so much and really shaped my passion for working with them. 

At home, I’m surrounded by a full house of pets—five dogs (Minnie, Revan, Stella, Nala, and Shelby), 2 cats, and a bearded dragon.  My husband is just as big of a dog lover as I am, and he's often around helping out with maintenance or giving extra love to the pups. 

Working here has genuinely been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I'll always be grateful to the founder, Holly, for giving me that opportunity years ago. This journey has taught me so much about patience, compassion, and the importance of always striving to do better—for both people and their dogs. We take pride in operating with a small-business, family-style mindset, focusing on building real relationships and providing individualized care rather than taking a corporate approach.  I’m incredibly proud of the passionate team we’ve built—each person brings genuine love, attention, and dedication to every dog who walks through our doors.

I love building relationships with our clients and watching their dogs grow and gain confidence over time. I’ve shared both laughs and tears with many of our clients, and being part of their lives is something I never take for granted.  

Thank you for checking us out!

I can’t wait to meet you and your pup!

Hello I'm Sam, and I'm the groomer here at Pooch at Play!

I started working at Pooch in August 2021 as a pet care technician and was taught by our previous groomer and owner, Holly, how to groom dogs. I started learning how to groom in the summer of 2023, and started grooming on my own a few months into 2024. I have one dog at home, Billy, and even though he has shorter hair I have fun giving him cute designs and colors with dog dye! I also have a cat at home, Pumpkin, I love getting to come home to him everyday
I've always loved animals since I was little. I grew up on a farm, worked at a cattle farm in high school, and originally went to school to become a veterinarian before I discovered my passion for dog grooming. I also enjoyed the years I spent working as a pet care technician, it would always make me smile walking into the daycare room and having all the pups run to greet me.
A lot of my free time is spent looking into dog grooming, I love finding little tips and tricks online to improve my grooms. I also love researching different haircuts for different breeds, it's always so fun to try out new looks and work at making them look better and better every time I can! The rest of my free time I spend gaming and watching different TV shows, along with making cute dog accessories to add the final touch to the end of my grooms.

Learning how to groom was one of the best decisions I've made, I look forward to coming into work every day and I never mind how late I have to stay to make sure every dog goes home happy and looking their best!  It's taught me to be patient, compassionate, and to work with every dog to make their experience comfortable and as stress-free as possible!

Hello my name is Hannah, I’ve been with Pooch At Play since Oct. 2020. I only have one pup right now, Benny(he’s a pit/husky/Aussie mix). I adopted him from Almost Home in 2022 and he’s been my partner in crime ever since.
I used to dog sit for people that needed some help when they were away, and trained a lot of my own pups. Breeds I’m experienced with the most are Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, German Shepherds, Dobermans, and Great
Pyrenees.
During my free time, I love to work on my art, watch crime documentaries, and learn different techniques on Adobe Illustrator to further my creative journey.
Since working here, I’ve loved getting to bond with other crazy dog lovers, dress the dogs up in silly costumes, and get to know and love all of these happy go lucky pups.

After starting with Pooch in 2020, I knew dogs were going to be my life's passion. Training became my love and obsession, as I found joy in shaping dogs to be their best versions and creating a stronger bond and communication between owners and their pets. I received my dog training certification through the Animal Behavior College and started my own training business. Over the last handful of years I've become more confident in my skills working with a variety of breeds, large and small, working and companion breeds. It's my life's joy helping dogs and their owners through rough spots in their journey's together. I'm honored to start a training program here at Pooch and to start living my dream of making your canine companion their best self!

Hi, I'm Helen. I've been at Pooch since Aug of 2022. I've always been around animals my whole life and knew I always wanted to work with them. Growing up I always had some type of pet from hamsters to lizards, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even a hermit crab. Even though I didn't have a dog, everyone else I knew did and I pet sit for a lot of my family and friends as well!

In my 4 years of being here I've learned so much and am always ready for new experiences and opportunities to grow. I love getting to watch the pups grow, make friends, and create bonds with them!

Hello, I’m Erin!

I began working at Pooch at Play in February of 2024. I have no dogs at home, just a very spoiled tabby cat named Alcina, but I am hoping to adopt a senior cat at some point in the near future!

I’ve always held a love for animals, and working at Pooch has only strengthened that! My absolute favorite thing is when a dog decides to sit on my lap or give me a big hug! Outside of work, I prefer to spend my time playing games or doing jigsaw puzzles while listening to documentaries and podcasts!

Thank you so much for allowing me to meet and cuddle with your pooches!

Hi! I’m Julianna! I’ve worked at Pooch at Play since June 2025 and have loved every single minute of it! I love animals, so this is my absolute dream job. I actually planned on studying Vetmed before switching gears and deciding to study Funeral Science.

I currently have three dogs: Lola, Chula, and Molly, and all kinds of bugs (snails, isopods, and millipedes). I’ve owned many animals in the past, including hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, fish, jumping spiders, and rats (my favorites)!

I spend most of my free time with my dogs, whether that’s going out or staying in and lazing on the couch. Some of my hobbies include playing minecraft, roblox, and animal crossing, oil painting, and building terrariums!

Thanks for letting me love on your pooches!

Hi I’m Reagan!! I started working at Pooch at Play in June 2025 and I couldn’t be more lucky to work at a place that lets me form such great relationships with the most incredible pups every day! I’ve got 4 perfect dogs: a terrier doodle (??? we don’t totally know we just love her) Piper, a golden doodle named Millie, a boxer-pit named Benny, and a chocolate lab Max! Outside of work I love to spend time in nature, read, sew, crochet, and hang out with my friends!! I’m so excited for my time at Pooch to be able to love on so many more dogs and attend so many more puppy birthday parties (a clear job highlight)!

Hi, I’m Emily!

I’ve been at Pooch At Play since February of 2026! I’ve always had at least one pet growing up and look forward to having more in the future. Before working here I did lots of pet sitting jobs and walked family dogs when I got the chance! I have a pup at home named Bailey and hope to buy my own over the summer of next year! I’ve only been here for a few months and have already learned so much! Being here has taught me more about patience and being a leader. I’ve also made a ton of friendships here and couldn’t be any more happier! I spend my free time doing art and hope to become a tattoo artist after high-school! Your pups have taught me so much about myself and I couldn’t be more grateful!

Hi I’m Alivia! I started working at Pooch At Play in March of 2026. I am so happy to have the opportunity to be working with all kinds of pups! I have my own zoo at home two dogs Buddy and Bailey, two cats Poi and Stormi, and a Bengal named Cairo. I have loved all things furry for as long as I can remember. Most of my animal care background has involved large animals, specifically horses. I have been thrilled to have the opportunity to further my experience with dogs! In my free time I enjoy hiking with my dogs, reading, spending time in the barn, and spending time with my family. I am hoping to apply this valuable experience I am gaining towards my education, as I pursue my license to become a veterinary technician. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your pup’s care! 

Hi, I’m Liam Samuels! I’m so excited to be back at Pooch at Play—it truly feels like coming home. This isn’t my first time here, and I’m happy to be back spending one day a week with all the pups. Ever since I was a young kid, I knew I was passionate (and a little crazy) about dogs, and I’ve carried that with me into my career path ever since. I’ve worked in and currently work in a veterinary office, along with experience in doggy daycare and boarding, as well as shelters and grooming, so I’ve had the chance to work with dogs of all sizes and personalities. I’m also a Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) and run my own in-home pet sitting business, which keeps me busy doing what I love most—caring for animals.

At home, I have three dogs of my own plus a foster dog who keep life fun and full. My crew includes Maverick, my nine-year-old French Bulldog; Arlo, my four-year-old Aussie; Fancy, my two-year-old Aussie; and my current foster, Gizmo, a senior Min Pin mix. I also have a cat named Marshall, who’s a flame point.

Hey I’m Marissa!! I worked at pooch full time for about 2 years and then when I graduated and became a teacher I come back during the summer time. I love getting to come back to pooch in the summer to see all of my old friends and meet some new ones. I have 2 Australian shepherds and now 3 cats!!! As you can tell I have a special place in my heart for herding breeds, but enjoy all dogs. I absolutely love building relationships with your pups and forever cherish them.

Hi everyone! My name is Katie Rose and I am going into my senior year at Purdue studying animal sciences with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. I started at Pooch at Play in October 2024 but took some time off to focus on getting experience in the veterinary field, but I am so excited to be back!!
My favorite thing at Pooch is giving everyone’s pets a safe and loving environment when their humans are away! I also love watching the dogs form bonds with each other during daycare!
When I am not studying or working, I enjoy exercising, reading, and spending time with my Golden Retriever, Zeus!