Wendy – Owner and Alpha female

I was born and raised in northern New Jersey. At age 14, I told my mother it was a nice place to grow up, but I never wanted to live there again. After attending a small liberal arts college in Virginia I taught elementary education in the rural Piedmont of the state. After over 12 years of teaching I was burned out so I worked at a local dog daycare facility. I discovered that the techniques for managing children and dogs are similar so I made a relatively easy transition from teacher to doggie daycare worker. Shortly thereafter I decided to move to Raleigh to be closer to family and open a doggie daycare center. My former experience with canines includes raising two Seeing Eye dogs plus multiple pets. Currently my family includes three mixed breed canines. They are named Baxter, Darwin and Lady. I am glad to own a small family oriented business. My favorite part of YLD, besides working with the dogs, is building relationships with my staff and clients.

Meg – Office Manager and Owner’s Sister

I was born in an Englewood, New Jersey hospital and was raised in northern New Jersey. I moved to Raleigh in 1985 because it was more economically stable than Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I am a CPA but have also worked in information services and as a tax preparer. I am not experienced with dogs but my younger sister wanted to open You Lucky Dog, so I thought I’d assist her with the financial side of the business. I have one dog, Violet, who is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and acts more like a cat than a dog. The best part of working at YLD is being with my sweet loveable sister, having a staff that is like an extended family and knowing all our wonderful clients.

Mike – Manager & Trainer

I was born in Hartford, Connecticut. I arrived in Raleigh about four years ago after living in Florida for a number of years. I’ve had a variety of jobs including Christmas tree salesman, forklift driver and tattoo artist. I’ve always loved dogs, and was looking for a new career. I’d realized I found working with people too frustrating and wanted a change. You Lucky Dog provided that for me. I now have my dog training certificate from Animal Behavior College. I personally own two dogs: Hennah, aka the Blue Dog, and Miles, aka Little Blue. Hennah is an Australian Cattle dog (ACD) while Miles is an Irish Pointer. Hennah came to me from a friend in exchange for a tattoo. When I saw Miles, I thought he was another cute ACD but I was tricked. He turned out to be nothing like Hennah in the personality department. I thoroughly enjoy helping people understand and communicate better with their canine companions. I love everything about my job at YLD but especially not owning my own business anymore!

Jim S. – Pack Supervisor

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania thousands of years before the dawn of man was we know him today. I moved to Raleigh to find better employment. I’ve always had dogs but haven’t always worked with them. I spent some time working in restaurant kitchens and grocery stores. I wanted a change because I was tired of dealing with obnoxious humans. I now own seven dogs of various breed and personalities. They are all rescues – sometimes I need to be rescued from them! There are many things I enjoy at You Lucky Dog but my absolute favorites include washing grooming towels, giving tours and harassing the rest of the staff. I am also a part-time student at UNC Chapel Hill where I am attempting to secure an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Archeology.

Emma – Pack Supervisor

I was born and raised here in Raleigh. My Aunt Wendy owns You Lucky Dog, and I have helped with the business since it opened. Along with being great with dogs, Aunt Wendy was an elementary school teacher, so she homeschooled me through my middle school years. Because of this, I was at YLD every weekday for school, and I also got to work with the dogs. This has been my first job. I do own a dog named Zander. I think he is a beagle/Australian shepherd mix. Of course, he hangs out with his older “sister” Violet who is my mom’s dog. One of the best things about working at YLD is hanging out with the staff and dogs. I’m in high school now, but I work as much as I can.

Kristy – Cleaning Coordinator

I was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania and moved to Raleigh when my parents acquired better jobs. I am well known in my neighborhood as an exceptional babysitter and, because I am not allowed to have a dog at home, decided to find a job working with dogs. One of my favorite parts of being at You Lucky Dog is meeting new canine clients. I am a Leesville High School graduate and am now taking classes at Wake Technical. I ultimately want to become a nurse and look forward to transferring to ECU or UNC in the future. Until then I will continue to keep You Lucky Dog sparkling clean.

Jim B. – Office Coordinator

I was born in Hartford, Connecticut more than a few years ago. I moved to Raleigh to be closer to my son, Mike. I have had a varied work background, but most recently I worked as a tattoo artist and a watercolor painter. I became interested in dogs after I adopted Carly, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was rescued by the staff at You Lucky Dog. Carly began daycare, and I fell in love with the staff and family atmosphere, so I began working in the front office checking dogs in and out of daycare. This is by far my favorite job!

Aaron

I was born and raised right here in Raleigh. I used to cut lawns and work at a pool, but I like the dogs and by crazy co-workers much better. My dog is a male golden retriever named Buddy. I am off to college in Roxboro, NC this fall to get a gunsmithing degree, but hope to be around on weekends to see all my canine friends. There is not one particular thing I like best about YLD, I love it all!

Cari

I was born and raised in Bay Village, Ohio and arrived in Raleigh in February. I was attending college in Ohio but decided to get away for awhile and ended up here. You Lucky Dog was my last resort for a job before heading back home! I am still here and enjoying learning about dog behavior.