Who Are We?

Owner & Founder: Katie

Katie founded KK in 2018 with the hope of building a rewarding and long-lasting career for herself. Fast forward to today, and Katie now runs and operates a small but dedicated business alongside a passionate and committed team of pet lovers who provide exceptional services across the country. Her deep passion for her company, clients, and team is clearly evident in the consistently high quality of services KK offers and the thoughtful, well-considered policies that Katie’s Kennel consistently enforces. With a strong leadership background, Katie brings valuable and diverse experience from working with other small businesses in sales, management, and human resources, which helps her expertly guide KK toward continued growth, stability, and success.

“I’m a local Kansas City girl who has always had a deep love for animals. Throughout my entire life, I grew up surrounded by dogs, cats, fish, and lizards, each bringing their own special joy to my days. It wasn’t until my twenties, when I adopted a Husky-Shepherd mix named Ghost, that my life truly transformed in unexpected ways. Bringing Ghost home made me realize that my life was no longer just about me; suddenly, it was his world, and I became the person responsible for his care and well-being. Ghost has taught me invaluable lessons about being a responsible pet owner while offering me unwavering love and support throughout the years. Katie’s Kennel is more than just a business — it’s my passion, and it has brought immense happiness to both me and my family over time. Watching it grow alongside wonderful clients and their beloved animals has been an incredible and rewarding experience.”

District Manager: Claire

Claire has been a strong and dedicated leader at Katie’s Kennel since the very first year. She began her journey with us as a dog walker and has gained valuable experience by working in nearly every role within the company, building her expertise from the ground up. Currently, Claire oversees our Pet Sitting Team while also managing our Hiring Division, ensuring we bring in the best talent. When she’s not busy at work, you can often find Claire passionately rooting for the KC Chiefs, enjoying quality time with her family, or skillfully wrangling a house full of playful Doodles staying over for extended Stays.

“I have always had animals growing up, and dogs just always stuck with me! They truly are a woman's best friend and love us unconditionally. I had a yellow lab growing up, Gunner, he was with my family and I for over 13 years. He was a true blessing to have. I now have a 1 year old goldendoodle, Harry! Harry is one of the best things to happen to me, he really is my best friend. He came into my life at the perfect time. He is always by my side, always up for car rides, play dates with his kk friends and always down for some pupcups!

Katie's kennel has been such a blessing to me over the past couple of years, I have established many great relationships with not only the clients, but the doggies as well. I love them all like my own. I've been through a lot with my clients and their pups, from helping leash train a nervous pup, helping a client out when their pup was on kennel rest for weeks, to being there for clients during the worst time; having to say goodbye to their furry friend. I love this job so much, it is amazing to have such an establishment with the doggie world. Katie's Kennel is such a great company and I am just so thankful to be a part of it. Look forward to meeting all of you and your furry friends!”

Daily Service Manager: Tabby

Tabby began her journey at Katie’s Kennel in 2020 as a dedicated Dog Walker, primarily serving the Downtown Kansas City area. Over the years, she has naturally progressed into a leadership role, steadily expanding her responsibilities and adding valuable experience to her resume here at Katie’s Kennel. Tabby has become the reliable point of contact for scheduling dog walks, managing both client and staff logistical needs, and coordinating new client meet and greet appointments. In addition to these duties, Tabby also helps with traveling pet sitting when she’s not busy working behind her laptop or out in the field, walking dogs and engaging with clients throughout Kansas City.

“I started Katies Kennel in 2021, blissfully unaware of all the opportunities it would bring me. I applied to be a dog walker just for the pure joy of working with dogs! Growing up I always had a dog by my side with everything I did. After losing my own fur baby I wasn’t sure if I was ready for another, but Katies Kennel has given me all the happiness I need! Nothing beats seeing how happy and appreciative our clients are after loving for their fur babies.

 I’ve made friends with not only coworkers but clients as well! It’s a special feeling when you finally have a breakthrough with a dog you’ve been working with-a bond that will never be broke. I cannot thank Katie and all of Katie’s Kennel enough for giving me this experience!”

Events & Wedding Day Pet Assistance Manager: Erika

Erika brings expert coordination and compassionate care to every event and wedding day she manages. With extensive experience in the events industry, she ensures that every furry guest feels comfortable and well-looked after. Her keen attention to detail and calm presence make her an invaluable asset on your special day, allowing you to focus on creating lasting memories while Erika handles all your pet-related needs seamlessly.

Over the years Erika has put her years of experience in the event world to work here at KK helping us plan and execute events. Erika’s level of professionalism and care has allowed us to elevate our productions and make long lasting relationships with collaborators and partners. Erika is not only an employee but an avid KK client and can speak from her experience from a clients perspective.

“Hi friends! My love for animals started at a very young age. When I was 5 (after lots of begging) I finally got my parents to cave in and let me get a cat. I ended up picking out an orange tabby cat that I named Butterscotch. He was the bestest boy who lived for 17 glorious years. When he passed away, I was heartbroken. He truly was my best friend. Fast forward 7 years and I was bringing home my soul dog from a work conference in Salt Lake City. I never thought I would own another pet after the loss of Butterscotch, but I knew the minute I saw 12-week-old Conrad he had to be mine. I truly believe that he came into my life at the exact moment I needed him. He has shown me the most unconditional love and I will be forever grateful that I get to be his mom.  

I cannot even begin to express how much I love my role here at Katie’s Kennel. It is a dream come true that a job that started as a part-time gig turned into one of my true passions in life. Back in the fall of 2020 I needed to make some extra cash due to being partly furloughed from my full-time job. I could not figure out what I wanted to do but one day I came across an Instagram with all these super cute dog pictures. I started to deep dive into the company and realized that I knew the owner. Long story, but it involves the same apartment complex, our dogs, a swallowed tennis ball, and an emergency surgery. I nervously applied to be a dog walker and 3+ years later here I am! I will forever be thankful that Katie gave me the opportunity to join the amazing team. I have made connections that have changed my life and friends that will be in my life forever. It is extremely special that we as a company are trusted by our clients to care for their fur babies. Speaking from my experience as a client, there is no other company in this whole world that I would trust to care for my sweet boy, Conrad!!!”