About Me | Tiny Tails Lodge

My Story

A lifelong love for animals. Learn more about my journey and my purpose.

Who I Am

Hi, I’m Mel. It’s a big thing to trust your beloved pet with a stranger, so this page is all about helping you get to know me better. I understand how much you love your pet. My life has been shaped by a deep love and passion to care for animals. I built Tiny Tails Lodge because I believe you deserve a partner that you can trust to care for your pet as their own.

This isn’t just a job for me… it’s a lifestyle. It’s a round the clock commitment to providing an advanced level of care, attention, and enrichment. I do it well. Because when your pet is family, only the best will do.

(509) 336-9516

A generation before me

My parents shaped the relationship I have with animals. I was born into a family of animal lovers… by temperament and trade. My parents met in the 1960s after being introduced to each other by my grandmother, who worked for a famous dog groomer. They were both passionate about dogs and were professional dog handlers.

When they married, they poured their entire lives into their dogs. This often meant denying their own needs to ensure the dogs had the very best. Because their dogs were like kids to them, they never intended to have children. I came as a surprise - I’ve always had a knack for shaking things up.

Early Life

I attended my first dog show my first week of life as there was no slowing down for them. I was taught respect and proper care and husbandry of our dogs was above our own wants as the dogs lacked the ability to advocate for themselves. Their focus was rewarded as the fruits of their dedication lead to award winning, world famous championship dogs for over 50 years. Many of those dogs are still featured in books today! With the wonderful dogs coming and going for showing and training, it would have been almost impossible for me to not love animals.

(509) 336-9516

A deep love for animals

I had a deep love for dogs, but I visited my grandmother who lived next door daily in the hopes of visiting her two cats, a Siamese and an Abyssinian. My mother was highly allergic and I was unable to own a cat, but my grandmother was very fond of cats. In fact, was a founding member of the Totem Cat Club in Tacoma, Washington in the 1960s. As I grew up I became the dog whisperer, being asked to build the trust of dogs that had journeyed from outside the country and were nervous and often reluctant to eat or play. This meant patience and taking time to find creative ways to coax them to settle in. I also soon took sole responsibility of offering pet care for our small boarding kennel. I would send home handwritten report cards to each pet that departed and owners were always astonished at how well I got to know their family members. My legacy continues with my own children (pictured on the right is my own daughter, Harper).

A New Direction

My childhood best friend Erin (now Dr. Hicks, DVM) and I made a pact to go to vet school together. However, I found my talent and interests were more aligned with the humanities, and began to focus on Psychology, which I would then obtain a Master’s degree in. While I had a very successful career in business, I always felt there was something missing.

In 2020, I lost my parents, and I was suddenly the owner of a 30 year old kennel that needed serious attention and renovation. I decided to take a leap of faith and open a boutique boarding facility unlike any available. This meant leaving a lucrative career in corporate America where I had worked for companies such as Amazon and Tesla. My husband and I poured our entire energy into the renovation of the boarding facility.

It was an extreme success. We often had 4-5 month long wait lists.

New Horizons

We made the difficult decision to relocate our family to Wisconsin to be closer to my husband’s family. It was very difficult to me to pass the torch of the boarding facility to a new owner, but after months of searching, I found a wonderful person to take the reins. Once we were established in our new home, we began planning Tiny Tails Lodge as the next chapter of our journey, this time focused exclusively on feline care.

I chose feline only boarding because I believe there is a significant unmet need for local cat owners. Boarding options are limited, and even when available, cats are housed within smell or sound of dogs, which can be highly stressful. I know that so many cat owners want a better option… something safe, peaceful, and enriching for the cat they love so dearly.

(509) 336-9516

Continuing to grow

I may have a lifetime of experience but I stay sharp and current by choosing to further my experience with continuing education through Fear Free and other professional organizations. I stay current on best husbandry practices and am constantly researching other catteries, especially in European countries who really seem to pamper their pet family members.

Community

Another thing about me you should know is my desire to serve the pet community. As the owner of my previous kennel and cattery, I became a well known figure in local rescue. I prioritize my partnerships with a number of local charities to ensure that I also made a positive impact in the pet community around me. It simply isn’t enough for me to run a successful business. I have a generous heart and it is extremely important to me that I find meaningful ways to be generous to those who are doing good for the local pet community. This has followed me to Wisconsin and I will continue to give a percentage of each overnight to local pet charities.

A New Direction

Community

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