MayDay & Co. LLC

The Person Behind The Pups

The Human Behind MayDay & Co.

Every time you see me, it’ll be with a new hairstyle and a new infodump about some husbandry fact I just learned. I live, breathe, and sleep dogs. When I’m not working hands-on with clients, I’m watching documentaries about strays, annotating the newest study in my binder, reading poems about rescue pups (usually through tears, hugging my own), or tripping over my own feet as my dogs learn a new trick. In the rare spare moment that I’m not engulfed in fur and shreds of a long-gone tennis ball, I’m painting, engrossed in a story game, or crafting some new piece of gear I definitely did not need.

My childhood dogs, Dakota and Mia, were always my best friends, and they’re behind every giggle your goofy pup manages to pull out of me now. This business is named after the two dogs who picked up right where they left off.

Both are rescues with their own complex stories and past behavioral challenges, challenges that pushed me to learn and grow quickly so I could help them cope with and navigate the world successfully, with joy and comfort. They’re the reason I know what I know. They’re also just the light of my life.

I know your pup isn’t just family. They’re one of the most treasured beings in your circle. Yes, even the ones who love to embarrass you on walks and make your neighbors side-eye you. Especially them.

How I Got Here

From Aversive to Fear-Free

I grew up watching The Dog Whisperer and started my career in facilities built around aversive, heavy-handed training. For years, I assumed that was simply how dog training worked.

That changed when I began studying Animal Health and Behavior at Unity Environmental University. Diving into the science of ethology exposed the psychology behind the methods I’d been trained in, and pushed me to try a Fear-Free, R+ approach instead. The results spoke for themselves: dogs progressed further and faster than anything balanced handling had ever produced. I never looked back.

From there I worked in dog daycares, completed a bathing apprenticeship, and spent time in board-and-train programs, picking up hands-on skills at every stop. Board-and-train taught me the most important lesson of all: no amount of time under someone else’s roof replaces the bond between a dog and their own person, in their own home. That belief is what MayDay & Co. was built on.

Our Philosophy

Comfort Over Compliance

My program isn’t about your dog fitting perfectly into my house. It’s about your dog feeling comfortable and supported, in whatever way they need. Every stay looks a little different, because every dog is different.

the MayDay & Co. way

How I Work

Compassion and Comfort First, Always

Being pet sat is scary for a lot of dogs, so my approach starts with reducing fear, pain, stress, and anxiety before anything else. During in-home stays, I always prioritize management over obedience: setting your pup up so any choice they make can be a successful one, reinforcing good behavior while letting them keep their autonomy, confidence, and comfort. I’m big on ethology and animal psychology too: decompressing nervous systems, letting dogs fulfill their genetic obligations, and respecting each dog’s own training and life history. We’re also a big treat household, and I swear by distractions over corrections.

Staying In The Loop

More Than “Had A Good Day”

You deserve real communication, not a highlight reel. Every day gets four reports: one full day summary, plus one for each walk we take, so you always know the good, the weird, and the honest, not just a thumbs up and a stock photo.