Deb - Owner
After being a primary school teacher for 10+ years Deb turned her attention to the canine kids and has finally achieved her dream of owning her own dog daycare centre! For many years Deb has had a big interest in dog behaviour & training and can now use this training every day. Deb has completed many courses over the years, attended conferences & worked/trained in other daycare centres. The training never ends though, always open to new methods to make the day better for the dogs. Deb is strong advocate of force free methods & ensures that all staff follow these guidelines so that dogs in our care always feel comfortable & safe to have fun. Deb currently has 2 dogs of her own, a 6 year old special needs Blue Heeler called Diesel and a mischievous young Border Collie called Hugh.
Cate - Owner
Cate has had an avid interest in business since high school & continued on to study International Business at Uni. Cate's experience in business spans back over the last 15 years from starting as a casual employee and within 18 months progressing to operations manager of 8 businesses and being responsible for 100 employees. Cate is also a passionate animal lover & believes in treating animals with love & respect. Cate along with her mum, Deb, had wanted to open their own doggy daycare for a few years and after a few setbacks, the opportunity to purchase Pooch Play Care came along & they knew they couldn't let it pass them by! Cate has 2 rescue dogs - Asha, a Am Staff x and Jack, a Greyhound x (pictured).
Tonks - Day Care Team Leader
Tonks joined our team in late November 2018 as our new Day Care Team Leader. Tonks has been working in different day cares around Adelaide for over a decade and he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with him. While working different jobs in between the day cares Tonks has always returned to working with animals as it is his passion. Tonks is now our very own dog crackerjack who is proficient in reading dogs body language and signals and understanding behaviour traits. Tonks is never short on energy and will always be ready to tell you who your pups 'best mate' was for the day. Tonks has 2 dogs at home, a Staffy called Buakhaw & a Labradoodle called Maya who are always up for adventures at the beach!
Angus - Play Care Attendant
This is Angus! One of our Pooch Play Care Attendants! He studied Animal Science at Uni, learning to interact and handle both companion animals and livestock, as well as the physiological and anatomy of these animals. He's been surrounded by dogs his entire life! Angus has now moved on to study Teaching but he still says 'Dogs are my favourite animal to not only be around, but also to work with'. Angus has a Blue Heeler and Border Collie X Malamute at home and says one of the funniest things about them is they play life guard whenever someone is swimming in the pool. As soon as someone jumps in they are straight in to save them! We are thrilled to have Angus as our very own life guard at Pooch Play Care! He's a hit with our Pooches!
Sean - Play Care Attendant
Meet Sean, our gentle giant! Sean has an aura of calm around him that the dogs can sense. Sean has loved animals his entire life & being able to work with dogs every day is a dream come true. Sean has a natural instinct for being able to read canine body language and knowing which dogs will suit each other in our group. Sean is a wonderful addition to the Pooch Play Care group & we look forward to seeing him developing his skills, training & knowledge even further through our constant training sessions. Sean has grown up with a mixture of dogs including a Sheepdog, Kelpie, Border Collie, Newfoundland & a Blue Heeler!
Kezia - Play Care Attendant & Groomer In Training
This is Kezia! Kezia has a strong background in work relating to animals due to having completed her Bachelor of Animal Science at the University of Adelaide. She has a strong understanding of animal behaviour & effective handling skills and will be a tremendous asset to our team. Kezia also has extensive volunteer experience including Cleland Wildlife Park, RSPCA & even a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Thailand! In January 2019 Kezia took on the challenge of being trained as a groomer and it has been great to see her confidence grow in this new field. After only a few months the standard of grooms that Kezia is producing is excellent. In December 2018 Kezia committed to a new puppy - Tarot, the Swiss Shepherd and he is just divine!
Samantha - Play Care Attendant
Our newest team member is Samantha! Sam has degrees in Bachelors of Science & Health Science and is now in her second year of studying Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine! While not currently able to have any pets she has had chickens, ducks, fish, rabbits, 2 frogs, 2 sheep & a cat! With that list of animals though she hasn't had a dog before but has always wanted one - spending her days with our visiting pooches though is a pretty great substitute!
Carol - Groomer
Carol is joining our team as our centres very first groomer! Carol has over 30 years in the industry and her work speaks for itself! Your pooch will be in good hands whether it be for just a wash & dry or a full groom! Carol has also been training Kezia to be able to groom when she is not here and she has done a brilliant job. Carol has many dogs at home - she breeds Keeshonds!