Alicia is originally from California, but has been living in the DC Metro area for the past three years. She grew up with dogs and has been a dog lover her entire life, although she does not currently have any pets. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree with the University of Maryland University College, and enjoys reading, writing, theatre, hiking, and biking in her spare time. She loves the opportunity to spend time with dogs, and also volunteers as a dog walker and cat socializer with the Washington Animal Rescue League. Alicia joined the DogCentric team in September 2010.

Caitlin grew up in New York and moved to DC after graduating college. She has an amazing dog named Big Bird that moved with her. She has spent a lot of time volunteering at animal shelters in New York and looks forward to continuing that work in the District. Caitlin joined DogCentric in February 2010.

Cheryl founded DogCentric in 2005, when she was unable to find a dog walker for her beagle, Morgan. Cheryl combines her passion for dogs with her background in business to run a service that is reliable, customer-focused, and committed to keeping the dogs happy, healthy and safe. Cheryl and her husband, Josh, have a home in Rockville and are avid supporters of animal rescue. Cheryl has volunteered with various animal welfare organizations and in 2006, created DogCentric's partnership with the Washington Animal Rescue League, providing hundreds of hours of pro bono dog walking services for the homeless dogs at the League. She is currently pursuing her MBA in Entrepreneurial Management at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris is a lifetime animal lover. A passionate anti-cruelty and animal rights advocate, he has held jobs in boarding kennels, a veterinary practice, and an animal shelter. He is also the proud owner of a dog named Blossom. He hopes to make a career out of helping animals in need by opening and running his own animal rescue someday.

Dawn resides in Silver Spring and attends the University of Baltimore for graduate study in public administration. She grew up with a myriad of pets ranging from chameleons to goats. Currently, she has a Jack Russell Terrier mix, Rottweiler mix, and 8 cats, all rescued from uncertain futures. Dawn is also passionate about singing and writing and joined our team in June 2010.

Deb is an experienced dog walker who has been walking dogs off and on for the past three years. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband, three kids, and Judy, the family's four year-old Flat-Coated Retriever. Deb and her family love to camp and hike -- with Judy, of course! Deb has been on our team since December 2009.

Don has had 10 dogs throughout his life of varying breeds and currently has a Lhasa Apso. Don is a retired attorney who loves spending time with dogs and getting exercise. Don joined our team in August 2008.

Donna lives in Potomac with her two teenage children and her 3 year old Yellow Lab, whom she adopted from the Washington Animal Rescue League. She has had dogs all of her life, and often cared for her family and friends' dogs. She is a former Montgomery County pre-school teacher. She decided to start walking dogs because she wanted to spend more time outside doing something she enjoys. Donna joined our team in August 2009.

Elan joined the company in June 2009 as our Client Services Coordinator and manages day-to-day communications, scheduling, and responding to all client needs. Elan grew up in Bethesda and returned to the area from Colorado where for the last five years she was the Camp Manager and Director of PR at Camp Bow Wow, a premiere dog daycare and boarding facility. She also has experience as a veterinary technician and holds an assortment of dog training certifications. Elan resides in Bethesda with her family including her three dogs, Marley, Ziggy and Charlotte. Elan is pictured with her 7 year old daughter Kylee.

Emily grew up in New Hampshire and moved to DC after graduating college in 2007. She is a longtime dog lover, having had two dogs while living in New Hampshire. In her free time she enjoys painting and drawing, as well as riding bikes and skydiving! She joined our team in June 2010.

Greg has a 16 year old Standard Schnauzer named Dexter whom he has raised since he was a puppy. He also inherited a Silky Terrier named Precious from his wife's mother. Greg loves being outdoors and he enjoys fishing, hiking and mountain biking. He likes having a job that incorporates his love for both the outdoors and dogs. Greg has been with us since March 2009.

Jeffrey lived in San Francisco before moving back to his hometown of Kensington. He is an interior designer but is also focusing on his artwork. Jeffrey is a huge dog-lover and wants to do dog portraits! He currently owns a Golden Retriever, and has had Golden Retrievers throughout his life. He loves spending time with his dog outdoors and feels he understands and appreciates the various needs of dogs. In San Francisco, he used the services of a dog walker so he truly recognizes the importance of the job. He has been on our team since August 2009.

Jen grew up in Connecticut and then moved to the midwest to attend Purdue University. After college she ended up living in Chicago for thirteen years. Her former career was as a Zoo Keeper where she had the opportunity to work with some amazing animals. She recently moved to Washington with her husband and is really enjoying all the city has to offer. She is enrolled in a Veterinary Technology program. She loves that she can work with animals and have the flexibility of starting a new degree. In her spare time she enjoys going to antique and thrift stores, where she can add to her collection of paint by numbers and vintage kitchen treasures. She currently lives in DC with her eleven year old ex-racer greyhound, Starlink, and her cat, Ashley.

Jessy is our Office Assistant. Jessy joined DogCentric in August 2007 as a Kensington dog walker before transitioning to her office position in March 2008. She often fills in when a substitute walker is needed for the day and she enjoys meeting so many of our clients through this position. Jessy grew up with as many as five dogs at a time but is currently dogless... all the more reason she loves interacting with our clients' dogs! She runs a produce business in her spare time, selling fresh herbs and vegetables. She hopes one day to turn it into her career.

Joe lives in Takoma Park. He does not currently have a dog, but he fulfills his love by walking dogs for us. He used to have two dogs that he raised and trained from puppy hood, a German Shepherd/Yellow Lab and a Boxer/Black Lab mix. Joe was a former box office manager and was responsible for booking bands at music venues. He enjoys painting, cooking and mountain biking in his free time. He started dog walking for us in August 2009.

Kate has lived in Rockville for most of her life. She has always loved dogs and currently lives with a Lab mix named Jude and a variety of other creatures, including a rabbit, gerbils and fish. She loves being outdoors and spending time in her garden. She is planning on becoming a dog trainer. Kate walks in Bethesda and has been on our team since March 2010.

Kristen is a graduate student at the Institute of World Politics from York, Pennsylvania and recently moved to Bethesda. Unfortunately she is not allowed any pets at her apartment, but has a Golden Retriever and a Black Lab rescue back home, along with cats, birds, and fish. She enjoys traveling, sports, reading, and of course playing with her puppies.

Lara grew up in Rockville and now lives in Silver Spring . She grew up with a wonderful Beagle/Pointer mix and has had a love for dogs ever since. In college she volunteered at the local SPCA and fell in love with dog walking! Lara graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Vocal Jazz and is now back in the DC area to teach voice and sing at local venues. She is looking forward to spending her afternoons with some wonderful doggies! She joined our team in June 2010.

Lilian is one of our substitute walkers. She also works part-time in the film industry. She has had dogs throughout her life, particularly West Highland Terriers. She and her husband recently adopted a rescue dog named Tigger, a Corgi/Jack Russell Terrier mix. Lilian has been our team since January 2008.

Lindsay grew up in Rochester, NY and recently moved to the DC area. Although she is not allowed to own a dog where she lives, she loves spending time with dogs because they make her happy. At her family's home in New York she has a Pit Bull, a Chocolate Lab, a German Shepherd mix, and two cats. She is very passionate about theater and English, and also has another part-time job working at Folger Theater. Lindsay started walking dogs for us in October 2009.

Lydia grew up in Silver Spring and is currently a student at the University of Maryland seeking a degree in Sports Medicine. She has two rambunctious Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies named Addie and Bentley. In her free time, Lydia enjoys playing soccer and lacrosse. Lydia is one of our substitute walkers.

Marisa is the General Manager of DogCentric and oversees daily operations of the business. Marisa joined the DogCentric team in June 2007 as a Bethesda dog walker and served as our Operations Manager from December 2007 to June 2009. Marisa graduated from Northeastern University where she studied psychology. She also completed a six month co-op in Atlanta, training service dogs for physically disabled children and adults. Her thesis, based on her experience training her Rottweiler mix, Kaya, involved training service dogs using nonverbal communication. Kaya was trained to open doors and turn on lights with simple commands. Marisa and Kaya reside in Bethesda. Marisa is excited to help the business grow and continue to develop relationships with all of our clients.

Ness is a college student currently enrolled in UMUC. She is a devout animal lover but due to housing restrictions she can not have her dog with her. She has a lot of experience with dogs from her previous employment; working for a vet, a groomer, and a doggie daycare. She is studying to become a dog training instructor part time, and volunteers regularly at the local humane society. She is currently pursuing a history major at UMUC, and she hopes to transfer to UMD for an art major & history minor next year.

Pam lives in Kensington, MD and grew up in Chevy Chase, MD. Dogs have always been a huge part of her family life. She grew up with all types of animals including dogs, cats, fish and hermit crabs. She also has two sons. Pam owns her own courier company and works evenings. She wanted something she could do during the day that would incorporate her love for dogs and the outdoors. Love, tenderness and a lot of affection is what you will get from her! Pam joined our team in December 2009.

Ray is one of our substitute walkers. He is originally from California but has lived in DC for 25 years. He is a recruiter which allows him to have a flexible schedule. He does not have pets currently, but he loves dogs and feels dog walking is a great way to spend time with dogs and get out of the office while getting exercise at the same time. He enjoys hiking and racquetball in his free time. He has owned a number of dogs at different times throughout his life, including a Chihuahua, two Terriers, a Collie, a Lab/German Shepherd mix, and one Poodle mix. He has also owned cats, birds and even a pet squirrel monkey! Ray has been on our team since August 2009.

Yukio was born in Japan and moved to DC when he was 6. He attended elementary school in DC, middle school in Arizona, high school in New York, and college in Vermont. He has owned cows, cats, dogs, squirrels, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, fish, reptiles, and rabbits - animals seem to always be around him! He has also looked after a number of dogs for various friends and neighbors. His interests include snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, skating, making models, drawing, and computer graphics. Yukio joined our team in June 2010.