Hi, my name is Bethany.

I grew up here in North Carolina. Throughout my entire life, my family has always had animals, mainly dogs. Since childhood, I have felt this special connection with animals and feel so lucky to be able to work with them. It constantly makes me laugh to think that I know more dogs by first and last name than I do people.

I currently have two kids of my own, Mariposa and Piglet. I adopted Posa, a sweet black lab mix from Adopt-An-Angel and immediately fell in love with her. I decided that Posa needed a little friend and adopted Piglet, our small, black, curly-tailed, terrier mix from New Hanover Animal Control. She was the perfect match for Posa, spunky and also very sweet. I don’t know what I would do without them.

I started at Pups Play & Stay in 2010. For the past year I have been Apprenticing under Nikki Beall, and have started grooming at Elite Pups Spa.

I believe that working with dogs is my true calling. I feel like each and every one of the dogs here are my kids too, and always treat them as such.

Hi, I’m Lexi

I’ve been with Pups for over 5 years now and professionally working with animals for more than 7 years. The greatest joy of working for Pups is not only seeing all my “kids” come rushing in to play, but seeing how happy they are when “Mom” or “Dad” picks them up.
Being around animals has always been synonymous with my life whether it’s my personal pets or through volunteering and fostering with various animal organizations.

Hi, my name is Christina.

I have been working with Pups since April 2011. I have never loved a job as much as I love working here. Nothing brightens my day more than coming into work and seeing how happy and excited all the dogs get when I walk in the room. Working at Pups has shown me that I plan to work with animals (especially dogs) for the rest of my life. I have two dogs of my own; Sunny, a German shepherd mix, and Hoyt, a Pitbull mix.

Hi! My name is Amanda.

I am originally from the Raleigh area, but have lived in Wilmington for a few years now.  I have always loved animals ever since I was little, and I started working in a grooming shop in Raleigh when I was 15.  My sister was a groomer there, and she taught me how to bathe and prep dogs for her.  Eventually, she taught me how to groom as well and I have been doing it ever since! I have worked both in private, smaller salons as well as large corporate shops.  I grew up with an English Springer Spaniel, and now have two dogs of my own- Sophie and Tank (who require very little grooming!) I am a huge advocate for rescuing and adopting dogs, and I have a special place in my heart for the “bully” breeds.  I love grooming because you get to meet all different types of dogs and people, and every day brings a new challenge.  It’s also fun to make dogs look and feel beautiful!

My name is Holland

and I’ve been with pups for about 3 years. Working here has been a real joy. I feel that I do not only have a great relationship with the pups but with their owners as well. From my experience here, I have realized what I want to accomplish with my life, which is to pursue a career as a veterinarian, not only for house pets but live stock too. I enjoy my job very much and cannot see myself as doing anything other than working with animals. I have 2 dogs of my own; Vegas, a rottie/lab mix and Rocko, a pit-bull terrier.
 

Hi! My name is Alene Houghes.

I was trained through PetSmart grooming school and have been professionally grooming all Breeds for the last 6 years. I love my job, no two days or dogs are alike. Every day is an opportunity to learn new things about grooming and about dogs. I have four wonderful dogs of my own, all of whom were rescued from unfortunate situations. I believe the work I’m most proud of is the dogs I have fostered and eventually found homes for. There is no better feeling then knowing you helped save a dog’s life.

Hi, my name is Nikki,

I was involved in the 4-H program with my Dogs from a young age, and continued on as a Junior leader through my high-school years.

I began my grooming career by training with Jennifer Habel, a well known and respected pet groomer in Washington State. Jennifer has owned and operated her own Grooming Salon, appropriately named “Jennifer’s Pet Grooming” since 1979. She still grooms there to this day.

During my time with Jennifer she shared with me, her grooming knowledge from her previous 15 years as a professional groomer. Under Jennifer’s direction I became proficient in grooming all breeds and cats. I also began to groom dogs in preparation for AKC competition. Along with grooming, I handled dogs in AKC confirmation classes for a Local Breeder.

After my 4 years spent training an working under Jennifer, I moved on to groom independently, followed by several years spent managing a large grooming salon while continuing to groom myself. I then decided to open my own salon and did so in the Raleigh-Durham area. After 3 years of success at that location I chose to relocate to Wilmington in 2006 and began working here at Pups Play & Stay. I now have over 15 years of experience in all aspects of pet grooming.

I feel I stand apart from many other groomers in my willingness and ability to work with pets that have developed behavior issues. I often find that with some patients and a gentle hand, they are able to learn to enjoy the grooming experience once again. I love what I do and truly believe I have the best job in the world!

Hi, my name is Ashley.

From an early age I knew I wanted to work with animals, I started working in Petsmart’s grooming salon on my 16th birthday, 2 years I went to grooming school and was certified in all breeds. I have 8 years experience in a salon, and 6 years of certified grooming experience, working with animals is my passion and I would not be happy doing anything else.

Hi, my name is Christina.

I’ve been with Pups for over a year now. I lived in Raleigh until three years ago when I moved to Wilmington to be closer to my family. I graduated from Meredith College with a degree in Biology and a concentration in Pre-Veterinary medicine. Currently, I’m studying to test for my Pharmacy Technician license with the hopes of returning to school to study genetic engineering or virology in the future. My interests and hobbies include video games, reading, mythology, astrology, cosmology, virology and genetic/bioengineering. I have been working around animals all my life. Much of my experience lies with dogs and cats and extends to horses, avian and reptiles. Presently, I have four pets of my own; Lady Chubbs, my guinea pig, and 3 hermit crabs; Hades, Cerberus, and Hephaestus. Since losing my two cats last year, I have found much joy in caring for all the dogs at Pups.