Meet Our Kennel Staff
Marcella Slaughter, CPDT-KA
Kennel Manager
Marcella came to DogBoy's in August 2005 looking to get a receptionist job. We, however, were short kennel staff, so we offered her that position instead. She has always had dogs and just thought that it would be nice to be around them all day, but she had no idea what she was getting into! Marcella has ended up loving it, and we think she's awesome too! So awesome, in fact, that Marcella is now our Kennel Manager. Marcella is also one of our trainers, and you'll see her quite often teaching puppy classes out at the ranch.
Marcella has a handsome Lab/Pointer mix named Telo, a silly Rottie mix named Cajun who is a Hurricane Katrina survivor, and a sweet Dalmation mix named Dottie.
Paula Baker Prince, CPDT-KA
Director of Training
Paula Baker Prince was raised in North Dakota. A poodle named Biscuit would kick-start her lifelong love affair with animals at the tender age of one. This love affair continued when Paula moved to Austin, where an abandoned, newborn orange kitty named Trout stole her heart. Having a soft spot for strays. Paula completed her triumvirate with Watson and Bell Bell.
Then came the dogs. Over time, Paula’s pack expanded to fit three shelter dogs: the loyal and sweet Bee, a deaf, one-eyed Catahoula; Mocha, the cutest Border Collie/Husky mix ever, and a sassy Cattle dog mix named Nikko. Working at DogBoy's has allowed Paula to add more beloved pets to her family without bringing any more home, much to the relief of her husband, Andy… or so he thought. Over the last few years, Paula acquired two more pups: Kippy, a Husky/Border Collie/Poodle mix, and Bug, a Spitz mix.
Paula has a degree in Art History and Ceramics and worked in Retail Management for seven years. Her most helpful experience came from being a trusted pet sitter with The Furry Godmothers, but being a customer of DogBoy's didn't hurt either! We love having Paula on our team, and her smile will surely brighten your day.
Carol Swirczek
Office Manager
Carol was raised on a farm in Nebraska and grew up with every kind of animal imaginable (everything from peacocks to dogs). She was in her early twenties when she got her first dog on her own and her animal family started. Carol has been in the apartment business for the last 20 years and has gradually added to her menagerie throughout those years due to people leaving their cats behind in apartments.
She lost her first dog (a Chow names Bear) to cancer after 10 years, but always knew that she wanted another fuzzy guy, so when she bought a house in 2002, she got the first boy in her current dog pack (River - a brown Chow Chow). Since then Carol has adopted a Husky/Malamute mix named Blue and a black Chow Chow named Kohl. These three boys currently share her house with 4 permanent cats and the many foster puppies/dogs that come in and out of her life. Carol is a foster mom for both Austin Pets Alive and Austin Dog Rescue. She was introduced to DogBoy's not long ago, but is excited to learn everything about the ranch and be a part of a "family" that loves animals as much as she does.
Rebecca Andrews, CPDT-KA
Rebecca can't remember a time in her life where she didn't have a dog. She came to DogBoy's in June of 2001 from Burnet Road Animal Hospital in search of knowledge on canine behavior after being sucked in by DogBoy himself. After joining the DogBoy's team, she worked first as a receptionist and kennel technician, but soon became a full time core kennel staffer. After much observation of dogs in playgroup and studying pack behavior, Rebecca stepped up as one of the lead trainers and canine behavior consultants. You can spot her virtually all over the kennel, whether she is maintaining playgroups, loving on the dogs, or teaching classes.
Rebecca has an uber-sweet Border Collie/Spaniel mix named Murphy, and a cat named June. When she's not at DogBoy's, she enjoys hiking with Murphy, photography, guitar, baking, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with her friends. Her long term goals include teaching classes, educating people about their dogs, and continuing to attain knowledge on our canine companions.
Jay Robison
Jay joined the DogBoy's family in August 2005 after being referred there for agility lessons. Graham, his Corgi, and Hoosier, his Husky mix, love coming to work with him. In January 2007 Jay and his wife Kristi's pack were joined by son Mike.
Jay moved to Austin in 1995 to earn his master's in screenwriting at The University of Texas. While he has yet to get his big break in Hollywood, Jay has sold several short stories to an online magazine, The Grantville Gazette, which publishes stories set in the world of Eric Flint's alternate history novel, "1632." His most recent story is titled "O For a Muse of Fire" and will appear in the upcoming Grantville Gazette #11.
In 2001, Jay appeared on Jeopardy! and was a one-day champion, proving that he's approximately 1/72nd as smart as Ken Jennings--which currently qualifies him to be the DogBoy's Trivia King. Jay is also a contributor to the DogBoy's Blog.
Brett Mundy
Brett began working at DogBoy's in July of 2006 in search of a summer job during college and has been here ever since! She worked in the kennel for several years as well as the office. Her favorite thing about Dogboy's is chatting with customers in the office about where they travelled. She also loves to see dogs reunite with their owners in the office after a long trip. "This has got to be the most rewarding and fun job I have ever had" she says.
Brett lives with her fiancee Matt, her labrador Jack-Mooper, her Australian Shepherd Luna and a foster dog named Bruno (see him on our rescue dogs page!) She graduated from The University of Texas as Austin in 2009 with a Degree in Anthropology and Spanish. She currently works at a software company in town, but still spends her Saturdays at Dogboy's working reception and she loves it!
Brett has passed canine good citizen with Luna and they are working toward their delta certification with Austin Dog Alliance so they can visit nursing homes and children's hospitals to share the joy of canine companionship. In Brett's opinion, " Life is so much more enjoyable with a dog by your side."
Julia Olczak
Julia found DogBoy's in 2004 after moving from Portland, OR. She started working in both the kennel and office, and now works full time at the front desk. Boy, did we get lucky! She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University in Animal Sciences, and worked for the Oregon Humane Society and a local vet before making the cross-country trip to Austin. She shares her life with an absolutely adorable Blue Heeler named Mika, aka the blue bullet, and a sophisticated yet elusive Maine Coon mix named C.K. Her sweet and gentle nature will surely put you at ease when you check your pups in for a long stay!
Kate Semple
Kate has been working at DogBoy's since April of 2007, after being a customer here for over a year. Kate hails from Pittsburgh, PA, and she came to Austin in 2005 after a stint in Monterey, CA. Kate and her husband Rich adopted their first dog, a Catahoula mix named Ralphie, from a shelter in California. They found Max, a Corgi/Shepherd mix, through a local rescue group here in Texas.
As a customer, Kate felt so lucky to find DogBoy's and the staff here, who have always been so supportive and helpful with both of her special needs dogs. Kate has worked in the kennel and the office, and is now working as our Training & Wellness Coordinator.
Jenny Stedman
Jenny Stedman first came to DogBoy’s as a customer in 2002 when she adopted her pup Gracie from the SPCA. Jenny had graduated from Texas A&M in 2000 and was working as an electrical engineer for Motorola. All the other pups thought Gracie was too cool when she rolled up in her convertible for play days while mom was working the 9 to 5. Jenny had never had a pet before so DogBoy’s became an invaluable resource for helping her to be a good dog owner.
In June 2004, Jenny married her wonderful husband Ben. Then, in July 2005, a precious baby girl (Emma) joined their family. At this point, Jenny decided to quit engineering so she could stay home and focus on being a mom. A year later, Jenny started to look for a part-time job that she could work during the weekends while Ben was home with Emma. She was pleasantly surprised to find a job listing for the DogBoy’s weekend receptionist. DogBoy’s to the rescue AGAIN!
Since joining the DogBoy's team, Jenny and Ben have added two more "human puppies" to their family - Maggie, born July 2007 and Charlie, born July 2009. She has moved through the DogBoy's organization from weekend receptionist to executive assistant to DogGirl. Not only does she love her work, but she loves that her kids have the unique opportunity of being around dogs while mom is helping out in the office. Jenny says, “The best part of my job is working with such a wonderful team of people and getting to be around so many great dogs!"
Amanda Simmons
Amanda Simmons became a customer of DogBoy's about two weeks after adopting her sweet yellow lab Lucy from HOT Lab Rescue. This was a love affair that would soon result in her increased interest in dog behavior, communication, and training.
A CPA who moved from Washington, D.C., Amanda has spent 10 years in the accounting industry, specializing in auditing of non-profits. Although she still works part-time as an accountant for a local non-profit, Amanda spends much of the week at DogBoy's caring for dogs in the kennel, conducting group training classes and continuing to learn all she can about dogs. She has also added a hound mix named Pip and a cat named Little Ricky to her family.
Amanda still credits Lucy for getting her the job, but it's the care she gives Lucy, her sweet demeanor, and her interest in behavior that sealed the deal.
Chris Rivera
Chris was originally a volunteer here at DogBoy's who took solo dogs to the pond for one on one attention. He impressed us so much that we decided to hire him part-time! Chris is an enthusiastic worker and really enjoys spending time with your pups. He is in his Sophomore year in high school and we are proud to have him as part of our team. Go Chris!
Shay Poznich
Shay is another one of our customers turned employee. She learned about DogBoy’s after adopting her Terrier mix, Hazel, through Lucky Mutts Rescue. When they recommended us for daycare and boarding, Shay thought that would be a great way to socialize and exercise Hazel on days that she couldn’t. She and her family soon adopted another dog through rescue and, Vincent, an all around Heinz 57, began coming to daycare as well.
Shay was so impressed by DogBoy’s and it’s staff that she inquired about a job, feeling that this would be a great place to work and learn about dog behavior. To try it out, she first volunteered in the kennel for a few months and, liked it so much, decided she wanted the job! We were delighted to hire her and she has been an enormous asset to the DogBoy’s team.
Since starting at DogBoy’s, she acquired one more dog, Rupert, a Boxer/Mastiff mix, to complete her two-legged and four-legged family. (Even though Rupert is the baby of the bunch, he also happens to be the biggest!) We love that Shay decided to be a part of our gang!
Lydia Yancey
Lydia joined the DogBoy’s team in December of 2007. She was working as a vet tech at the time, but wanted a job that allowed her more hands on experience with dogs, and a chance to learn about behavior and diet. Lydia is originally from Pflugerville and graduated from Pflugerville High School. She is currently attending Texas State and has recently inherited two sweet dogs - Cody and Tasha - from a family member. She also has three cats and plays aunt to her best friend’s dog, Mazie. Lydia is a real go getter and we love that she’s here!
Donald Gytri
Donald first started working here while a sophomore at Hendrickson High School. He is a true dog lover and was searching for a job that allowed him to be around dogs all the time. As it turns out, DogBoy’s happened to be the place he had been looking for! He now attends A&M University, but when he comes home for the summer and Christmas break, he heads back to DogBoy’s to lend us a hand. We always want him to come back and help out and we’re lucky he does too! Donald has a sweet Yellow Lab named Lucy.
Wesley Ward
About three years ago, Wes started to volunteer at Town Lake Animal Shelter where he met his current dog "Peepz", a yellow lab-mix who is about 3 years-old himself. After that, Wes went off to college up north until the summer of 2009. After returning to Austin, a family friend told him about DogBoy's. He has always been fond of all animals, including dogs, and the chance to work with them full-time sounded like the perfect opportunity for him!
"I'm a shy guy and working with the great people at DogBoy's, who have all been very welcoming, has helped me become very comfortable in this dog-filled environment. Having a job where I can work with dogs and nice people all day is a win in my book." Wes thinks that the best thing about working at DogBoy's has been gaining so much valuable information about dogs from our experienced and knowledgeable staff. He uses that learning to provide excellent care for our canine customers and at home with his own dog. We are definitely fortunate to have such a kind and caring person on the DogBoy's team!
Michelle Hamil
Michelle dreamed of having a dog when she lived in Boston before moving to Austin in 2006, but her busy lifestyle kept her from making that commitment. Instead, she pet sat for friends and neighbors, getting her 'dog fix' in small doses. Although Michelle doesn't remember how she learned about DogBoy's soon after adopting her Husky-mix, Mowgli, she was thrilled that she did! As a customer, she came to greatly appreciate the extensive knowledge of DogBoy's trainers and the wonderful care the staff gave to Mowgli when boarding or at day care. Michelle's canine family was complete when she adopted Nuala, one of several Border Collie-mix puppies that she was fostering. Prior to joining the DogBoy's kennel staff, Michelle worked as a software quality assurance engineer but now enjoys learning about dog individual and pack behavior while she takes care of, hikes with and loves on, your pups.
Jennifer Burns
Bio coming soon!
Meggan Porter
Meggan joined the Dogboys crew in 2008. She first found Dogboys while searching for a class to help her with the handful that was her first dog; a 10 week old Basenji/Heeler female named Tyler. While taking classes with Paula, Meggan fell in love with the facility and found a passion that turned her away from her desk job at a software company and plunged her into a world of fur and mud! She started the transition at a Veterinary clinic and now has made the full move into the kennel. Tyler is Meggan's first dog, after growing up in a house of cats, and is now over her destructive puppy stage. That role has been taken over by her new little brother, a kitten named Watson. Meggan and Tyler both love their long days on the ranch, learning as much as they can and meeting as many new dogs as possible. They definitely plan on hanging around for a long time!
Sarah Keffer
Sarah first started working with dogs when she was in college and volunteered at SPCA in California. After graduating, she continued her voluteer efforts with a small animal rescue in Houston.
After moving to Austin, Sarah began working at a PR firm, but she still had an interest in working outside the typical office environment. Her primary career goal was to be able to wake up in the morning and be excited to go to work, as well as enjoy her day while at work. When Sarah found out about DogBoy's at Dogtoberfest and found out we were hiring, she was really excited about the possibility to be a part of such an innovative, unique company. Boy, were we lucky to find her! She has quickly become a valuable addition to both the office and kennel staff team.
Sarah's love of animals and tender care of dogs is extended to her home life as she cares for her precious pooch, Cash. Sarah says, "The best thing about being at DogBoy's is that I know when I wake up in the morning I am going to have a wonderful day because I enjoy my job. And even if it isn't going well, the love I get from all the dogs is enough to make me smile."
