Joy Lee, Co-Owner and General Manager  After a career of over 20 years in marketing, corporate strategy, consulting and executive leadership in the medical and chemical products industries, Joy left corporate life in 2001 to pursue her passion for animals. She spent several years as a full-time volunteer for the Humane Society of Missouri, where she worked primarily with large dogs on socialization and basic obedience to improve their chances for successful adoption. During her time with the Humane Society, she attended several behavior and obedience training courses and also volunteered one day a week in the veterinary clinic assisting with surgical and post-op care of dogs and cats. Of course, she couldn’t resist adding several shelter dogs to her family during this time, including Sylvie, a poodle who was rescued in a puppy mill raid and Rusty, a shepherd mix. After moving to Houston in 2003 to escape the Missouri winters, Joy worked for several years as an independent consultant in the biomedical industry. She joined the Rover Oaks staff in April 2005 and worked initially at the Houston location in customer service, doggie daycare, kennel management and as Director of Operations. Joy and Steve Smith (below) became partners in Rover Oaks Katy in late 2005 and, with the invaluable assistance of Shannon Smith, worked throughout 2006 to oversee the construction and operations of the new Katy facility, where she can be found almost all the time! Joy has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Smith College in Northampton, MA and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, and has completed Levels I and II of the PCSA Certified Pet Care Technician program. She lives in Houston with husband Tom, human son Geoff and her five rescued canine kids:  Sylvie, Rusty, Tyson (a poodle mix), Turbo and Merlin (the most recent additions to the poodle pack).

 

Steve Smith, Co-Owner

Steve is the owner of Rover Oaks Houston and co-owner of Rover Oaks Katy.  In the late 1990’s Steve, like many pet owners, began to recognize the need for a world-class pet resort in Houston where owners could leave their furry family members and have confidence in the quality of care they would receive.  Partnering with a local dog trainer who brought the concept of a pet resort to his attention, Steve began researching the pet care industry, surveying local pet owners, developing a solid business plan, and planning a state-of-the-art facility.  Nearly two years later, the first Rover Oaks Pet Resort location (i.e., Rover Oaks Houston) opened its doors on October 15, 2001, and Rover Oaks Katy followed on September 11, 2006.  Steve has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in exercise science from Wake Forest University.  Prior to his entry into the pet world,  Steve enjoyed a very successful career in corporate health promotion where he was responsible for managing fitness and wellness centers for companies including Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Abbott Laboratories, Enron, Chevron, and Citibank.  He also held a full-time position as consultant to the National Center of the American Heart Association for three years prior to entering the doggy world.  When not working at either Rover Oaks location, Steve and his pet companions Kodak, Fresca, and Perky are often seen taking their daily walk along the streets of Bellaire.

Jacque Wright, CKO, Director of Pet Care Services

 

All of our furry friends who come to play at Rover Oaks Houston’s Doggie Daycare Program know and love Jacque, who worked at the Houston location for over three years before moving to Katy.  A native of El Paso, Jacque worked there as a veterinary technician prior to moving to Houston and joining Rover Oaks in 2003.  She has experience in the kennel as well as in Doggie Daycare and has an exceptional understanding of dogs and dog behavior.  She has completed Levels I and II of the PCSA Certified Pet Care Technician program and has achieved the title of CKO (Certified Kennel Operator) from the Pet Care Services Association. Jacque joined Rover Oaks Katy in 2006 as our first Doggie Daycare Supervisor and was promoted to Kennel Manager in 2007.  In 2009 she was promoted to Director of Pet Care Services, where she currently oversees both the Lodging and Doggie Daycare dpartments.  Jacque lives in Katy with her two dogs Sunshine (a golden/border collie mix) and Bud (a smiling, happy pit bull).

 

Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, Director of Training & Behavior 

 

Michael is the director of Training and Behavior at Rover Oaks Pet Resort in Houston and Katy, Texas.  He has been a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant since 1999 when he founded North Coast Dogs in Cleveland, Ohio.  Michael is a contributing author to the book The Dog Trainer's Resource and has been honored by the National Dog Writers Association. Over the years Michael has worked with hundreds of dogs of all breeds.  His specialty is counseling people who have dogs with serious problem behaviors.  Michael has successfully handled  cases of separation anxiety, canine obsessive compulsive behavior, unruliness and hyperactivity, destructiveness, extreme timidity and fear, compulsive barking and even a case of canine "grief" and depressed behavior.  In addition to those complex issues, Michael enjoys coaching people through the normal developmental stages of puppy-hood and canine adolescence.  He is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (Knowledge Assessed) and an honors graduate of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers.  Michael is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and he has a degree in communications with secondary emphasis in psychology.

 

Becky Dickson, Grooming Manager and Pet Stylist