Ryan: Hi, my name is Ryan Roberts and I own Dog Days NJ. I’ve been an avid animal lover my entire life which is a trait I inherited from my mom. Growing up, my family always had dogs- Scarlet, Jesse and Summer and we had too many cats to count (albeit not all at once). When my wife and I got married in 2009 we adopted a senior Chihuahua named Taffy and she changed our lives. She was the inspiration for me starting Dog Days NJ. Taffy was sleeping on my chest one day when the light when on and the rest, as they say, is history. We also adopted Molly the Min Pin a year later. She’s got those puppy-dog eyes that allow her to get away with murder…and she does (it’s a Min Pin thing)! To get to be around animals each and every day is such a gift and I could never imagine doing anything else. As corny as it is to say I can never thank each and every one of our clients enough for putting their trust in our team to look after their furry friends when they are not home to do so. It is truly an honor and a responsibility that we do not take lightly! And here is a picture of Taffy sleeping on me in a position that I like to call “The Heartmelter!”
Valerie: My name is Valerie. I live in Keyport and have been working for Dog Days NJ for two years. I have four dogs, two parakeets and am working on some fish. I couldn’t fit them all in one picture so here is one of me with my two brothers, my father and my adorable niece 🙂 I have one daughter and I am expecting my first grandchild in December!! I enjoy the water, traveling, walking, cooking and spending time with family & friends. I attend Community Covenant Church in Laurence Harbor and am currently in a relationship coming up on 8 years this October. I love animals- wild and domestic! Working for Dog Days NJ has become the most rewarding experience both professional and personal. It is everything I could hope for in employment and more! All the clients are awesome, parents and pets! I love going to work everyday!! THANK YOU!!
Tom: Hey there, my name is Tom. I tried getting a picture together with Cody, my 9 year old Shiba Inu, who I’ve had since he was just a puppy, but it turns out he’s camera shy! As I’m sure so many of you can relate to, I hesitate to even call Cody “my dog” as he’s more like a family member. I am a Hazlet resident and my “furry” family also includes two cats, Mokuba & Marco and two hermit crabs, Milo & Loki, in addition to Cody. I’ve been a dog walker for three years and when I’m not out walking dogs (either yours or mine) I also work for RSI which is a fundraising auction company that deals exclusively with the non profit industry. Both jobs are very gratifying and I truly love what I do. I’m also a big movie buff so when I’m not working I enjoy watching Netflix or heading to the Hazlet Library to check out their movie selection.
Michaela: My name is Michaela and I have been walking dogs for just about ten years now. I have never owned a dog, so my love of animals came from volunteering at the MCSPCA animal shelter as a dog walker and cat socializer. I couldn’t wait to get there after school just to see my best buddies and now I get to see dogs all day everyday and it is fantastic! I am also a certified animal control officer and animal cruelty investigator in the state of New Jersey so I have had the privilege of learning about animal behavior from people who are experts in the fields of animal science and behavior. Ever since I started volunteering with homeless animals, the happiness of dogs and cats and even wild animals has become such an important part of my life and I am so grateful to be able to walk all kinds of dogs everyday. They may not be mine but I take care of them and love them as if they were my own. As for my own life, I have been professionally walking dogs for 2 years and I have an awesome fuzzy cat named Willy. I am serious when I say seeing dogs and cats everyday makes my life worthwhile and doing an awesome job is my number one priority in life. People need to know their dogs are safe and loved when they can’t be there and that’s exactly how everyone at Dog Days NJ feels so I am happy to be working for a company whose employees (and owner!) truly love the animals they care for!