OUR TEAM

Luke and Kerry both grew up with pets and love keeping dogs at the center of their daily lives. They have three of their own dogs, who range in size from 25lbs to 60lbs. They also foster dogs and tend to foster the hardest to place dogs that need special care. Before purchasing BLDHTX, they gained a lot of knowledge in the pet industry through their other business Boon Pet Care (booncare.com) where they do in-home dog walking. Kerry is also the founder of Houston Cares Animal Rescue, a 501c3 animal rescue in Houston (houstoncaresrescue.org). Kerry and Luke became the owners of The Best Little Dog House in Texas in 2015 and love the small dog boarding and daycare environment, all the dogs, and making a safe and loving place for your little ones.

Cristina grew up with all kinds of animals in her home and when she became a mother herself she made sure to raise her children around animals also. She was a stay at home mom when her kids were young but later looked for part time work. In 2010 her love of animals brought her to Petsmart where she started as a bather in their grooming department- a job that she really liked that eventually turned into full time work and which she did for two years. A year into her work there, she continued to pursue her passion at the next level and went to the grooming academy. At BLDHTX, she loves that the dogs are cage free and happier. She loves making the pet parents happy by grooming the dogs so they go home looking beautiful. When not at work, she is a homebody and enjoys relaxing at home with her kids and dogs.

Sabrina found her love of dog grooming through her love of rescue and helping animals. She grew up in a home full of rescue animals- her mom was always bringing stray dogs and cats home and now Sabrina does the same. She currently lives with her pit mix, 5 foster cats, and 3 foster dogs! She started grooming by being self-taught and helping very matted rescue dogs in need. She says she loved seeing how the dogs were transformed and how you could tell they felt better afterwards- this led her to seek a career in grooming. In 2018 she attended PetSmart Grooming Academy and then became a full time groomer at PetSmart. She says she feels like she definitely found her career path- she’s doing something she loves, working with animals, and making a difference for the dogs. She loves the quiet and friendly environment of BLDHTX and says that it is conducive to really focusing on connecting with the dogs and perfecting each groom. When she is not at work she likes to walk her dogs, hike, and help with emergency animal rescue situations.

Alyssa has always loved dogs and grew up wanting to bring home all the strays she saw but not being allowed to have a dog. She eventually got a Boxer when she was in middle school and she says that dog was her baby. She currently has two cats of her own and lives with and enjoys her roommate’s many dogs. Alyssa is a very creative person and wanted to pair her creativity with her love of dogs which brought her to grooming. She worked at PetSmart as a bather for 2 years before attending grooming academy and then groomed there for a year before joining us at BLDHTX. She says she loves to see the transformation that happens through grooming- both the before and after photos and how excited or happy dogs seem after their groom. When she is not at BLDHTX, she loves to spend time at the gym, trying new restaurants, or doing creative intricate baking (she used to work at specialty chocolate shop).

Tailer comes to BLDHTX with a love for dogs and a lot of training experience. Tailer grew up on a ranch with working dogs, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks, and peacocks. He now lives in the city and has 4 dogs of his own- seniors ranging in size from 8 lbs- 90 lbs. He has volunteered and fostered in rescue for almost 10 years and, through rescue and later in a training capacity, has developed a lot of skill in working with reactive dogs. He has a degree in business management and global marketing and after college he worked as a clinical educator (training medical clinicians to stay current in their field) but his heart has always been with animals and he quickly found a way to combine his teaching and animals into a training career. In the animal world he  worked as a vet tech and has worked in many wonderful daycare and training facilities. There he has been in charge of departments, trained apprentice trainers, been an operations manager, been the lead trainer, worked with dogs in daycare, group training classes, puppy school, and one-on-one in-home lessons. He has developed training curriculums and worked with dogs on basic obedience, confidence building, socialization, enrichment, reactivity, leash work, and puppy training. Tailer fits right in with our BLDHTX Team and says that he loves that BLDHTX is strictly positive reinforcement, that he gets to know dogs outside of training and bond with them in new ways, and the interconnectedness of our offerings- helping daycare dogs through training and seeing training dogs thrive in daycare. His favorite thing about training is building a bridge of understanding and communication between people and their dogs. When he is not at BLDHTX, he enjoys spending time at his beach house in Galveston and attending concerts and soccer matches.   

Jessica lives with and grew up with German Shepherds. She loves animals and also has snakes and a hedgehog. She has been working in doggie daycares since 2016 and loves having a job where she enjoys going to work each day and can play with dogs. She says that she particularly likes BLDHTX because of the positive teamwork environment and ongoing learning about working with the dogs. When she’s not at work you can find her skateboarding at the park, taking care of her animals, or working on her car- she plans to go to school to become a mechanic.

Joey has experience in customer service and front desk work- at BLDHTX he enjoys combining that with his love for animals. At BLDHTX he enjoys interacting with lots of different types of dogs and seeing their personalities shine through. He says his favorite thing is "seeing their little tails wag when they walk through the door". His love for animals has been life long- growing up he loved both dogs and amphibians. At home, he enjoys spending time with his partner and with their miniature schnauzer mix named Bowser. 

Matt grew up around dogs, lots of dogs. His first dog was a large street rescue but his parents also bred labs so there were always a lot of dogs to play with. He loves that being at BLDHTX keeps him on his feet and busy and the fact that every dog is really different and he gets a chance to learn each dog's personality. When he is not at BLDHTX, he enjoys cooking and playing with other people's dogs. Matt has recently started studying to be a dog trainer and looks forward to continuing to work with dogs in daycare while also adding training in the future. 

Eric has been with us since April 2016. He has 3 little dogs of his own and loves being at BLDHTX where he gets to spend time with more little ones. In his free time Eric enjoys photography- his dogs and the dogs at BLDHTX are some of his favorite models! Eric is also a foster parent for Houston Cares Animal Rescue because he loves making a difference and loves dogs. 

Mauricio first fell in love with dogs at the early age of 4 when his family got a Rottweiler who quickly became his friend. Throughout his life he’s lived with everything from Chihuahuas to 90 lb German Shepherds and usually both at once! He has volunteered in animal rescue and likes to give back to animals because they bring him so much joy. He loves how the dogs each have unique personalities. When not at BLDHTX you can find him as a referee for soccer, bringing the family dogs to the dog park in one big pack, or spending time with his wife and their young son.
 

Although Parker grew up with cats, she always knew she was a dog person. She always wanted a dog and loved spending time with friends’ dogs. As adults, her sister got a dog and Parker was able to spend more time and develop a deeper bond with the dog. This led her to realize she wanted to spend more time with dogs and she joined the BLDHTX team- where her sister’s dog attends daycare. She loves being around dogs every day and says it is impossible to have a bad day when the dogs come in and are so excited to see you. When not at BLDHTX, she enjoys hanging out with friends, family, and her roommate’s dog. She likes going to Galveston, binge watching shows, and going to restaurants.

Brittanie grew up with dogs and has always loved them. Once in college, she got a Labrador of her own and she’s been adding more animals ever since. She currently owns 4 dogs and also fosters dogs and cats. She loves coming to work and seeing the dogs she knows and having the chance to meet new ones and make new relationships. She says she also just loves coming to work and playing with dogs - it’s so fun. Brittanie works part-time at BLDHTX year around but you will see her there a lot more during the summers because she is also the head of the math department at a local private school. When she isn’t working, she enjoys crocheting and hanging out with her dogs and family.   

Angel has had all kinds of pets- dogs, rabbits, hamsters, rats, and guinea pigs. She currently has 4 dogs and an aquarium of fish. Her current dogs are a German Shepherd, a Chiweenie, a doodle mix, and a Chihuahua Terrier mix. Angel worked at a dog daycare before BLDHTX and also worked at a shop that did sugar glider retail and breeding. She loves working with animals and says she loves that dogs are always happy to see you and loves how quick they are to trust you even when they don’t know you. When not at BLDHTX, she enjoys reading novels of all genres and watching Criminal Minds.

Kyla grew up in the Philippines and moved to Texas with family in 2015. She lived in California for a bit but considers Texas home (though she hopes to have the chance to do long visits to the Philippines in the future!). Kyla is in school for nursing and hopes to pursue veterinary medicine after she finishes her bachelor’s degree. She grew up with lots of animals and currently has a turtle (she even ran a small turtle rescue when she lived in California). She loves being at BLDHTX because she feels that the dogs that come are living their best lives- playing with other dogs, surrounded by love- and she gets to be part of it. When she is not at BLDHTX she enjoys reading, writing, and binge watching movies and TV shows.

Moises had dogs from an early age- he started with a Mini Poodle who is still alive and enjoying his senior years with his family. As a kid he would often feed and play with the local stray dogs and throughout his life he and his family would get dogs off the streets and enrolled in rescues. He currently has 8 dogs - both big and small. At BLDHTX, he loves getting to know each dog's unique personality and enjoys building bonds with them. When not at BLDHTX, he enjoys going to the gym, playing soccer, being a ref for soccer games, and playing video games. He plans to go back to school to pursue a career in the medical field- starting with nursing and then maybe becoming a family physician. 

Kyrsten grew up with dogs of all sizes and currently lives with her mini schnauzer named Walter. Kyrsten is currently in school for nursing and says that she was drawn to nursing because of the compassion that she feels towards all people and animals and because she loves the science in her studies. She loves working at BLDHTX because she loves the team of people and her time bonding with the dogs and developing those relationships. She says that the BLDHTX environment makes her happy and she misses the dogs the days she is in school. When not at BLDHTX or at school, she enjoys driving around, hiking, playing with her dog, listening to music, and going to art museums. 

Andrew was born and raised in Houston. He has always had dogs- both big and small. He currently has a little scruffy terrier. Besides caring for his own dogs, he has always loved helping the stray dogs and cats in his neighborhood. Although he doesn't work directly with the dogs at BLDHTX, he loves seeing them around, brief hellos in the hallway, and being in an animal friendly environment. He is currently in school and studying psychology. When he's not at BLDHTX, he enjoys photography, playing guitar, and playing piano. 

Kat grew up in Houston and was always with dogs of all sizes- from chihuahuas to a mastiff. Her family also fostered dogs and she says that they are big supporters of rescue. She currently lives with 3 rescue dogs. She says she likes working at BLDHTX because it is a happy job and she loves connecting with the dogs. When she is not at BLDHTX or school, you can find her spending time with her family, painting, or writing poetry. She plans to study architecture.

Gina grew up around lots of dogs as her mom ran a dog sanctuary. She enjoyed helping at the sanctuary and loved seeing fearful dogs or dogs with a hard past come out of their shell and learn to trust. She currently lives with her small mixed bred dog named Simba. At BLDHTX she loves meeting so many different types of small dogs and getting to know each dog’s personality. She is currently in school to be a histotechnician (making slides for pathologists to view under a microscope) and has an internship in that field. When she isn’t working or in school, she enjoys playing video games (especially League of Legends), knitting, painting, and playing the piano.

Emilio grew up with dogs of all kinds and with a lot of senior dogs. His mom worked as a vet tech at the SPCA and would often bring home senior dogs who needed a foster or a forever home. He currently has three dogs- a pitbull, a yorkie, and a jack russell / chihuahua mix. Before coming to work at BLDHTX he worked as a kennel tech at an animal hospital and at another dog daycare. He enjoys working with animals and says he likes getting to know each dog individually and seeing the funny things they do. When not at BLDHTX he enjoys writing (poetry and rap), playing video games, and going on walks with his dogs.

Nayeli has grown up with dogs and currently has a boxer and a chihuahua. She loves working with dogs and is currently in school to be a vet tech. She says she chose vet tech as her career because of her love for animals and her desire to help them. At BLDHTX she says she loves spending time with the dogs and says she learns a lot. When she is not at BLDHTX, you can find her working on school work or enjoying one of her hobbies- reading, embroidery, painting, and cooking.

Alekz has had dogs her whole life and has had dogs of all sizes. Currently she has two Old English Bulldogs and a bearded dragon. She has always loved being with dogs and enjoys coming to BLDHTX because she says the work is fun. She plans to go to school to be an esthetician and is excited to pursue this passion. When not at BLDHTX, she loves to binge watch crime shows.

Surprisingly, Max grew up with cats and was afraid of dogs at a young age. After spending time with a friend’s dog, he quickly learned to love them and got one as soon as he was on his own. He currently has a corgi mix. Max has a degree in illustration and pursued this as a career until he decided it was taking the fun out of the work and now he does illustration as a hobby. Max says he likes how busy and engaging BLDHTX is and how there is always something to do or a dog to pay attention to. When he isn’t at BLDHTX you can find him playing video games with friends, watching movies, or drawing. 

Courtlandt grew up with a cocker spaniel and now lives with two large dogs. She has always loved dogs and is excited to work with them at BLDHTX. She says that she loves working in such a fun environment and enjoys giving the dogs love and cuddles or watching them have fun. She is currently in school studying graphic design. When not at school or work, she enjoys doing computer art, making emotes, designing websites and logos, spending time with her dogs, or swimming. 

​Nick grew up with dogs and currently has 3 big dogs and 1 small dog. Nick has always loved dogs and says that he loves how being with dogs is fun, enjoyable and brings out the kid in people. Besides loving his time with the dogs, Nick likes being at BLDHTX because of the friendly environment where he feels everyone treats each other like family. He is currently in college working on his associates degree and plans to focus on graphic design. When he isn't at BLDHTX or at school, he enjoys watching music videos and youtube, working out, and listening to music.