About Us
About Merry Puppins
At Merry Puppins, our goal is to provide the very best care to your pets.
Our Team has Two Core Values:
Love
Love is the foundation of our business, and we aim to demonstrate that every day at every visit. We do this work because we truly love animals and are dedicated to providing the very best care when you can’t be there for your furry family members. We also love our Team Members and strive to be an awesome place to work!
Trust
We get it – trusting someone with your pet is tough. We recognize that you are investing a lot of trust in us. We aim to provide the highest level of accountability and transparency by providing detailed real-time information about your pet’s day, accurate and timely billing practices, and impeccable customer service.
Meet Melissa!
Founder, Certified Professional Pet Sitter, Certified Pet Tech First Aid and CPR Instructor
Melissa founded Merry Puppins with the goal of raising the standard of in-home pet care- because pets deserve it! Her dedication to pets is shown through her 20 years of foster work, pet shelter care, and work with animals with medical and behavioral needs.
With a passion for learning, Melissa is proud to have earned the titles of Certified Professional Pet Sitter and Certified Pet Tech First Aid and CPR Instructor. She believes that through continuing education, she and Merry Puppins can provide THE best and safest pet care experience.
Melissa is constantly surrounded by animals, both at work and at home. She lives with three dogs, two cats, and one rabbit. Some of her best furriends have extensive medical and behavioral needs.
When not caring for pets, Melissa enjoys camping, hiking, reading, gardening, cooking, listening to podcasts and spending time with her wife, Dawn.

Meet the Team!
Every member of Merry Puppins is a trained professional. We invest heavily in our team so that they can provide the best and safest care to your pets.

Kimberly
She/Her
Midday Manager
Kim joined our team in June of 2021, and has become the glue that holds our team together Monday through Friday! She is our weekday Team Leader where she is in charge of updating pet care instructions and supporting our team to ensure that we consistently provide the very best pet care! She also helps out with scheduling, meeting new clients, and loves to visit pets, too!
Originally from Johnstown, PA, Kim has 3 kitty foster failures, and enjoys birdwatching, drawing, and hiking.
Kim says, “what I love most about Merry Puppins is the strong teamwork between caregivers and the hard work the team leaders put into making sure everyone is equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to achieve success. I also obviously enjoy interacting with the pets daily and building that relationship with them.”

Thanks so much Kim. Yes, she take all the cuddles, hugs and love that you want to give. Lol. Feel free to pick her up if you like and give her a head kiss from us. We miss her already and know that she’s in the best hands with you all. Have a great day! ❤, Andrea and Mike M.

Sophia
She/Her
Weekend Team Leader/ Senior Pet Sitter
Sophia cannot imagine life without animals! Growing up in Portland, Oregon, her family had many pets including dogs, cats, and birds. Sophia went to college in Seattle, where she and her husband Jack adopted two rescue cats, Lucy & Sasha. After college and moving to Pittsburgh after college, Sophia went to the Northside Humane Animal Rescue ‘just to look’, and came home with Roxie, a shepherd mix with elf ears – it was love at first sight! Sophia began as a Merry Puppins client and loved the service so much that she wanted to work with the team! She came on board in November, 2019.
For fun, other than playing with animals, Sophia loves baking bread and desserts, reading, and traveling.


Rachel
She/Her
Weekend Team Leader/ Senior Pet Sitter
Rachel is a lifelong animal lover. Both professionally and personally, she has always been surrounded by animals! She has been part of our team since the beginning, and helps out with all our projects.
As the former owner of a natural pet supply store, Rachel has encountered many opportunities to foster and adopt animals in need. At one point, Rachel shared her home with 1 husband, 2 daughters, 3 dogs, 5 rats, 1 mouse, 1 chinchilla (a foster failure), 10 chickens (…well, they were in the yard!), 1 duck, and several fish. Rachel regularly fosters kittens for local shelters, and has a knack for rescuing kittens on her own as well. She has also fostered guinea pigs and a hedgehog. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family, building things, being crafty, and traveling.

“He looks like he’s having so much fun – thank you!” – Ari R.

Karey
She/Her
Senior Pet Sitter
Karey has always loved animals. As a girl, she often found injured birds or stray animals to help. She grew up with dogs most of her life, plus a guinea pig, gerbil, bunny, and fish. Her family currently shares their home with two cats, Teal and Taffy. Taffy was adopted from Animal Friends where Karey worked for 5 years as an Adoption Counselor/ Offsite Adoption Event Coordinator!
Karey has two kids who have special needs at home, and while family keeps her busy, Karey’s love for animals has never changed. As her children have grown, Karey has stressed the importance of care and kindness to animals as a family value. Spending time with neighborhood furriends and educating her kids on how to help an animal in need has been an awesome experience to pass along. Karey truly loves her work at Merry Puppins, and as a highly skilled and experienced member of our team since August 2020, she is also beloved by everyone she works with!


Julia
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Julia joined Merry Puppins in January 2022. She is from Pittsburgh and loves exploring the outdoors with all the dogs she gets to know and love! She also enjoys walking in the woods, reading, singing in a choir, dancing, practicing Spanish, and learning Japanese.
Julia grew up with dogs, and has many fond memories of them. She says their dogs Ginger and Cookie were super tolerant of her and her sister’s antics. Julia loves Pittsburgh, and says, “It’s home! I love the parks, I love the neighborhoods. I love all the ‘Pittsburgh connections’ between everyone here, you only have to talk to someone for five minutes to find someone you both know!”


Elanore
She/Her
Pet Sitter, Weekend Team Leader
Elanore grew up in Rochester, NY and moved to the area to attend Slippery Rock University. She’s an avid hiker, loves cooking and loves to read! In her free time she dances with a modern dance company.
When asked what she loves about working at Merry Puppins, she says, “I love spending time with animals. Getting to spoil them with love and long walks! I feel like I have a hundred new best friends and it brings joy to my life to spend time with all of them!” She joined our team in August 2022, and became a Weekend Team Leader in March 2023.


Isabella
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Isabella grew up in Pittsburgh with dogs, cats, hermit crabs, fish and hamsters! She moved to Philadelphia to attend Tyler School of Art at Temple University and graduated with a BFA in Sculpture. When not working with pets, Isabella is making art. She worked at a doggie daycare in Philadelphia during college, and also has a lot of volunteer experience with dogs, cats, and alpacas! Isabella has a miniature dachshund named Olive, and she also enjoys horseback riding. When asked what she likes about working at Merry Puppins, she said, “I love how much Merry Puppins cares for its clients and employees. It’s very personalized and authentic which isn’t something you come across often!” Isabella has been a valued team member since August 2022.


Torin
She/Her
Pet Sitter, Weekend Team Leader
Torin grew up in a small town outside of Pittsburgh with many cats and a dog. She lives with her partner and two cats, Baloo and Bagheera. She says, “They bring so much laughter and an infinite amount of love to our lives!” In addition to her cats, Torin is passionate about caring for her plants.
Torin loves to travel and have adventures! She has a degree in Biology and wants to become an animal behaviorist. Torin says, “ I know how stressful leaving your fur babies can be, even if just for a few days, so I’m very happy to provide some peace of mind to clients that their furry family members are well loved and cared for while they are away. I love meeting and connecting with animals of all species, so I feel so lucky that I get to do that as a job!” Torin joined our team in October 2022, and we are thrilled to have her!


Leanne
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Leanne joined Merry Puppins in October 2022. Originally from Butler, PA, Leanne grew up with lots of animals, including big dogs, small dogs, cats, ferrets, lizards, Guinea pigs, fish and a chinchilla! Leanne lives with her husband and three dogs (some of whom have complex medical needs), cats, and chinchilla. Leanne is also passionate about helping injured wildlife, and has many success stories! She wants to become a rescue and transport volunteer with the PA game commission. Leanne is very creative and loves to create all kinds of things in her special craft room!


Nancy
She/Her
Cat Care Specialist
Nancy is originally from Ohio, where she grew up with dogs and a parakeet. She is now a Certified Cat Lady who lives with 4 cats- 3 rescued from a parking lot, and 1 foster failure. She has worked with TNR (trap/ neuter/ release for feral cats) and helped set up the permanent veterinary clinic for the Homeless Cat Management Team. Nancy teaches microbiology and loves taking care of kitties for Merry Puppins in her free time. She’s thrilled to be part of the team since November 2022.

“Thanks Nancy for the sweet feedback, pictures, and TLC to Maddie cat. Love that she gets lap time and pets. That purr makes us know she’s so happy with you! Thanks again!” – Andrea and Mike M.

Shari
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Shari began as a Merry Puppins client and loved our service so much that she wanted to join our team! Originally from Washington, PA, Shari enjoys all the trails and nature in Pittsburgh. Shari loves how pet friendly our city is, and knows all the best spots to take dogs! She is an avid gardener and starts her seedlings every spring. She also enjoys bird watching, hiking, bicycling, and basically anything in nature. Shari has had pets for her entire life, including horses, dogs, cats, and fish. Shari knows what it’s like to worry about your pets, and loves helping to bring peace of mind to our clients.

Tyler
He/Him
Dog Walker
Originally from Ellwood City, PA, Tyler grew up with dogs and guinea pigs. He is excited to be caring for dogs here at Merry Puppins, and lavishes them with all the love and attention they deserve! Tyler also volunteers at Humane Animal Rescue Pittsburgh: Wildlife Center, where he takes care of patients while they’re being rehabilitated for release back into the wild. Tyler is excited to be a member of our team since March 2023.

Christa
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Christa grew up in central Louisiana, around farms and greenhouses, in an area with a lot of stray animals. Every stray or wild animal that wandered into the yard, Christa tried to keep. She even had a stray horse that she tried to hide in a tent! Somehow the 4 ft legs sticking out gave away the secret. As she got older, she worked as a farmhand. She has experience caring for all types of pets, and is especially excited when she sees exotic pets on her schedule! She moved to Pittsburgh in 2021, with her cats Dorian and Houdini. Christa is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh.

Gabriel
He/Him
Dog Walker
Originally from Santiago, Chile, Gabriel has been in the ‘burgh since 2006. He has always had both dogs and cats at home, and currently lives with his pit bull mix Mickey. Gabriel is passionate about outdoor activities, and especially loves hiking with dogs! Gabriel loves how green Pittsburgh is! He says there is always a park or a river close by, and the majority of the neighborhoods have amazing tree coverage on the sidewalks.Gabriel volunteers as a Dog Walker at Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, and also as a Training Assistant at Animal Friends. Gabriel is working to become a Certified Dog Trainer and can also be found assisting with classes at Merry Puppins School For Dogs.

Abigail
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Abbey grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and is happy to be living here in Pittsburgh, where she has fallen in love with all the local coffee shops! She shares her life with her partner and three fur-babies: Memow, a brown tabby; Louie, a Siamese mix; and Susu, a Calico. She loves to read and do paint-by-numbers! Abbey recently completed her undergraduate degree in Communication, and is currently pursuing a paralegal certification. She says that because she really loves animals, getting paid to look after them is a dream come true! We are thrilled to have Abbey on our team!

Johnny
She/Her
Pet Sitter
Originally from Northwest PA, Johnny grew up with 3 cats, and a plethora of reptiles, including bearded dragons, snakes, tree frogs, tortoises, and turtles! She also has experience working with marine animals! When she’s not working at Merry Puppins, Johnny might be found deep under the sea- she has been Certified to Scuba Dive since she was 11! She currently lives in Lawrenceville with her cats Norbert and Nina. Johnny is very happy to get to know so many new friends as a Pet Sitter!

Get In Touch!
833- MRRY-PUP (833-677-9787)
We are excited to talk about your needs and learn about your pets! A phone call is the best way to get the intake process started. Once we talk, we can help set up an online account, and schedule you for a Meet and Greet so we can meet in person!