About
Doggy Haven Resort was established in 2002 to serve the boarding needs of our daycare clients. There was a search for property in south Snohomish County that would enable our daycare clients to not go too far out of their way to see us. Doggy Haven Resort sits on nearly five acres in a quiet valley next to a horse ranch. David and Donnell Boyd purchased Doggy Haven from the founder in 2006 and live nearby in Mill Creek. David and Donnell are lifelong animal lovers who both have a variety of business experience in technology, construction and business services. It is our mission to always do what is best for the dog, because your dog deserves the very best!
Becca
Becca started working at Doggy Haven in July of 2017. She’s grown up with dogs and is an avid animal lover! Her golden retriever, Wilson, has been coming here since he was a pup so as soon as she was old enough she applied for a job. When she graduates from Jackson high school in 2019, Becca plans on going to college in hopes of becoming a veterinarian! Ideally she would like to be a wildlife or zoo veterinarian so she can be with animals of all kinds. Her favorite kind of days are days spent at the beach sunbathing with Wilson or throwing him a tennis ball. She loves Wilson even more than he loves playing fetch, which is a lot! Dogs are always in the center of her heart and she loves coming to work to spend time cuddling and playing with furry friends!
Christa
Christa’s dream job is an appraiser on Antiques Road Show, but for now she’s happy to spend her time as a part of the Doggy Haven Team (since July 2013). Christa’s hard work and dedication earned her a promotion to Lead in August of 2015. Growing up in New York, Christa was always the neighborhood pet sitter. She has done a year and a half of volunteering at Homeward Pet Adoption Center, is certified in Pet CPR and First Aid, and took a trip to Thailand in 2014 in volunteer with Elephants. Her spare time is spent obsessively knitting, camping and hiking with her husband and dog (goofball Shepard mix – Otis), traveling, and eating fancy food. She loves the dogs at Doggy Haven; they make her smile every day. Working with other dog people is a plus too – we understand each other!
Danielle
Danielle joined the Doggy Haven team in January of 2018. With a background in shelter work and Veterinary care, she’s spent most of her working life with pets. As a certified Veterinary Assistant, she’s fascinated about all things medical, and hopes to someday earn her Veterinary Technician degree & work with wild animals in a sanctuary or rehabilitation setting. For now, she’s content with spending her time with her dog and best friend Maximus, and her wonderful work dogs. Her favorite part about Doggy Haven is how diverse in personality both the dogs and the staff are, as it always makes for a fun day! When she isn’t working she loves to take Max hiking, or to any body of water they can find!
Debbie
Debbie has been grooming professionally since 1995, and she joined the Doggy Haven team October of 2013. Puppies are her passion; she’s so excited to build trusting relationships with dogs and parents resulting in life long clients. The most rewarding grooms for her are the ones where she gets to transform a dog completely. Debbie was born and raised here, and now she’s watching her kids grow up here too. Her kids are always number one. When not grooming, she likes to read, watch movies, and hang out with her four kids (they especially love to be outdoors camping, boating, fishing, and swimming), and all things Seahawks. There has always been a dog in her home, currently a Shih Tzu and an English Cream Golden Retriever. Debbie loves working at Doggy Haven, and likens coming to work every day to coming home. She says the Doggy Haven family is “way too fun!”
Ellen
Ellen started at Doggy Haven in May of 2017, drawn in by the opportunity to work with dogs, started working on the website in October, and was promoted to lead in January of 2018. Although not yet able to have any pets of her own, she has always tried to be around and work with animals and would like to continue the trend. Going forward she would like to continue putting her degree to work managing or creating websites, and be able to foster animals of all kinds. When not at work she loves reading, writing, gaming, and baking. Her favorite part about Doggy Haven is feeling like there are no bad days because the dogs are always happy to see you and ready to have fun.
Holly
Holly has an extensive background in pet care. In addition to being part of the Doggy Haven team since March of 2010, she has worked at 3 other daycares, 2 vet clinics, and 2 pet supply stores. She did pet sitting and dog walking as a teen, was certified in pet first aid and CPR, spent a year volunteering a couple days at HPAC, fostered ferrets, has been a loving mom to chinchillas, birds, a hedgehog, cats, and dogs. She is currently mom to 1 dog (Finley) and 3 little humans. Holly loves Irish music, and played the bag pipes for 15 years—she would love to pick it up again. Some day she’d like to run a marathon, and climb Mt. Rainier. In the meantime she spends her time playing with her kids and husband, going to the dog park, hiking, traveling, and reading. Holly and Finley love coming to DH, especially when they get to run, play, and watch dogs being dogs! Holly would be happy to spend the rest of her days as part of Doggy Haven.
Jennifer
Jennifer joined the Doggy Haven team in July of 2017. She currently serves as a Resort Companion and works closely with trainer Kim in the dog training apprenticeship. Jennifer has spent all of her life around athletics and because of that spent time coaching. She decided to take her passions for teaching and dogs to the next level by entering the apprentice program. Her favorite dogs are black labradors because of their loyalty, young spirit, and active nature. She is pictured here with her 13 year old first love, Pointer, who passed away December of 2016.
Jess
Jess started at Doggy Haven in February of 2017 as a Resort Companion, and is now currently a Lead. She has an extensive background in retail, as well as experience working at a vet clinic. Jess has been an animal lover all her life, and spent 10 years in 4-H in her home state of Minnesota raising sheep, goats, and llamas on her grandfather’s farm, as well as hanging out with the various exotic animals he had, including a yak and camel. She also trained and showed her Mini Schnauzer in the 4-H dog training program with great success.
Nowadays, Jess enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend and dog (super shelter mutt PJ) and enjoying hikes and nature walks. She also shares her home with two rats (Archie and Billy). Her hobbies include pretty much any craft or art project that strikes her fancy, (crochet, drawing, painting, sewing, taxidermy, cosplay, etc…) going to thrift stores, and playing video games.
Her favorite part of working at Doggy Haven is how well everyone gets along, and how much the dogs love it there. She comes home smelling like dog every day, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. 😉
Kellie
Kellie started working at Doggy Haven September of 2017 as a full-time Resort Companion. When she was young, her automatic reply to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was, “A veterinarian!” Animals have always been and will continue to be, a big part of her life. Since the age 13, has been a pet sitter and dog walker for her neighbors and family. She volunteered at PAWS for two years where her duties included: dog walking, cat room cleaning, and being on the Clinic Call Team. For her senior project when in high school, she spent 45 hours job shadowing at VCA Silver Lake Animal Hospital. Throughout her life she has had four cats and one dog. Sadly, about a week after she started at Doggy Haven, her dog of 15 years, Skip, passed away from cancer. She thought it would be difficult to come in and see dogs the next day, but it ended up helping immensely. Different quirks, and physicalities that these dogs have, remind her of Skip and it helps keep the memories alive!
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing with her cat, and listening to music. She hopes one day to travel the world — first on her list… Europe!
Kim
Kim is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), an AKC CGC Evaluator and a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She has been at Doggy Haven since March of 2003 and worked her way through the ranks to become Training Manager as of July 2013.
From the time she was a little girl, dogs have been Kim’s life! Her first job was at a dog boarding facility at age 17. A couple years later she rescued a Neapolitan Mastiff named Crash. Due to past abuse, Crash was fear aggressive towards people. Kim worked with him for months and soon he began to trust people. Over time, Crash became a model citizen and accompanied Kim wherever she went.
Kim helps train the employees about dog body language and behavior as part of Doggy Haven Resort’s continuing education program for employees. She is also one of the instructors for group classes, works with board & trains, daycare & trains and also offers private lessons at Doggy Haven Resort. She loves to attend training conferences and seminars as part of her continuing education.
Outside of work, Kim enjoys hiking with her dogs, yoga, jogging and snowboarding. She and her husband live in the Mill Creek area with their three dogs – Angus (Mastiff), Aloha (Shar Pei mix) and Hula (Terrier mix).
Kim’s students are lucky to have the best of both worlds: a savvy and motivated dog trainer as well as a kind, supportive, humorous people person.
Laura
Laura started at Doggy Haven as a Resort Companion in March of 2014, and was promoted to a Lead position in July of 2015. She has been a dog lover since birth, and has had a dog all of her life. Her background is in Retail Management and she would like to continue working with dogs in some way for the rest of her life. Laura is passionate about rescuing and can’t wait to save more. Laura currently has 2 rescues, a pug named Arlo and a boxer named Mia. Spending time with her husband, two kids and the rest of the family is a favorite past time. Some of her other loves are cooking, antiquing and vintage cars.
Leah
Leah has been grooming for over 10 years. she started at Doggy Haven Resort in June of 2016, and loves the passionate, family atmosphere. Dog grooming basically fell into her lap, and she has been drawn in ever since. Working with dogs is therapeutic for her, and her favorite part of the day is all the love and kisses I get from them. She has two dogs, a Blue Heeler who is almost six, and a Lab who is almost ten that are Leah’s whole world. She says you can’t have a bad day when dogs are in your life!
Lindsay
Lindsay joined Doggy Haven in June, 2016.
Mary
Mary started as a part time resort companion in July of 2008, and has worked her way up to Assistant Manager as of July 2015. She is the nighttime caretaker, and gives our boarding dogs that need it a past-bedtime potty-break. Mary loves being around and working with animals, especially dogs. She is pet CPR and First Aid certified, and has taken most of the training classes Doggy Haven has to offer with her own dogs. The most dogs she owned at one time is 8 when she lived on a farm in Granite Falls. She currently has 2 dogs. Licorice, her black lab, helps run the barn next door at Ride N Shine Farm. Cedrick her Min Pin, thinks he runs everything. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Nate, and 2 adult children, catching big salmon, the Seahawks, reading mystery novels, and watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Mary is looking forward to someday being a final refuge home for Old Dog Haven dogs.
Melissa
Melissa has been part of the team at Doggy Haven since August 2017, and was promoted to lead in January of 2018. Melissa grew up in Whatcom County and has spent time in other states following her passions. She has had a passion for all animals for her entire life, starting her animal career at Cat Tales Zoo School in Spokane. Since that time she has worked in different animal care positions with a focus on dogs. She previously worked at a dog daycare in Bellingham for 5 years and was the lead of behavior at Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina for 2 years. Being able to care and love on dogs will always bring her joy. Though she currently does not have a pet of her own, the dogs here at Doggy Haven help fill that void.
Michael
Michael has been a groomer for over 11 years, getting his start in Kansas, running his own salon in West LA, and joining Doggy Haven in June of 2018. At his salon in California, Michael specialized in grooming rare breeds, celebrity dogs, and rescues from very tough situations that could be extremely difficult to groom. When not grooming, Michael enjoys learning everything he can, and going out into nature, specifically whale watching whenever he can. At home Michael has two dogs, Charlie a standard poodle, and a recently adopted Australian shepherd & terrier mix named Jax. While Michael greatly enjoys grooming all kinds of dogs, his favorites are definitely terriers, for their great personalities and challenging, interesting breed cuts.
Nikki
Nikki joined Doggy Haven in March 2017 after graduating from Karen Pryor Trainer Foundation and since gone on to become certified in Pet First-Aid and CPR. Ever since Nikki was young, animals have been her passion, growing up as an only child the family dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, frogs, etc. were all the siblings she ever needed. It quickly became obvious to everyone around her that working with dogs would be her dream career. Nikki is continuing her education in Karen Pryor’s Professional Trainer Program (KPA-CPT) and working towards getting her CPDT.
Nikki loves to spend all of her spare time with her two Siberian Huskies, Koda and Meika; she lives in the Mill Creek area with her husband, they enjoy traveling all over the world, but most of all hiking along side their huskies.
Rachel
Rachel came to us in January of 2017 after being a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. However, before deciding to stay home she worked in the veterinary field for 7 yrs. She’s had animals since the age of 8 when she acquired a male cat she promptly named Maria Snow White Fluffy. She’s passed her love of animals onto her two daughters. Her girls personally own a corn snake, stick bugs and a beta fish. She and her family currently have two dogs, a Labradoodle named Birdie and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Josie, and two cats, Finn & Rue. In the past she and her family have owned dogs, cats, fish, gerbils, leaf bugs, stick bugs, frogs and chickens. When not at Doggy Haven, Rachel enjoys photography, making jewelry, water-coloring, baking, and reading.
Rebecca
Rebecca joined the doggy haven team in July of 2017 as a Resort companion and grooming assistant. She’s currently a senior in high school and a full time running start student. After finishing at EvCC, she plans on going to medical school. Rebecca has always been an animal lover. Here she is pictured with her “fur family,” Ella, Daisy, and Genevieve.
Sam
Sam been part of the team since June of 2017 and loves every day of it. She could not think of a better place to work. Working with dogs is what she’s always wanted to do. It can be a challenge but it is also very rewarding. She has had many different jobs in the past but this is her absolute favorite. In her spare time Sam loves to go to concerts and just hang out with her husband and their dogs. She has always had dogs and life wouldn’t be the same without them. Sam’s favorite part of working at Doggy Haven is getting to meet new dogs everyday.
Sammi
Sammi started working with the team in February of 2017, in addition to her role as a Resort Companion she is also a grooming assistant here at Doggy Haven. Sammi LOVES puppies and if she could, she would love have at least 3 dogs! She is currently putting herself through graduate school where she will complete her Masters of Science in Nutrition and aspires to be a registered dietitian one day. Sammi is pictured with her dog Lukee!
Sarah
Sarah joined the team at Doggy Haven in May of 2017 and she absolutely loves it. Sarah moved here from Michigan at the beginning of the year and misses her dogs like crazy (German Shepherd, black Labrador Retriever, and Labrador/Pitt Bull mix), but luckily she has the best job in the world where she gets to see dogs everyday! Working with animals has always been Sarah’s passion, and she would not trade this job for anything. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, relaxing, and especially baking. Currently she does not have a dog of her own, but she’s planning to change that by the end of this year!
Seth
Seth became part of the team June of 2017.
Tasha
Tasha was part of the Doggy Haven team from May of 2006 to May of 2007. After that she moved to Spokane where she worked at another dog daycare for a year. She missed all things Doggy Haven so much during that year that she ran back, and worked her way up to the general manager position (which she has held since July 2013). Tasha’s fine work as the GM includes (but is not limited to): Hiring, training, scheduling, care of the dogs and facility, and helping our 2 legged clients. She is pet CPR and First Aid certified. Tasha loves her job more than just about anyone ever could, and feels so lucky to be able to say that.
When she’s not at Doggy Haven you can find her spending time with her daughter, hanging out with friends and family (furry or not), and enthusiastically pointing out every dog on the street. She is a huge Mariners fan and goes to as many games as she can, goes to movies and concerts, watches The Walking Dead, is an avid reader and totally crazy for books (it’s more of a sickness really). Writing is as much a passion as reading, and she spends the rest of her time writing for children and young adults. Tasha meets regularly with an amazing writing group since 2012. She’s also a member of SCBWI and AWP, and attends writing conferences and retreats several times a year.
