Meet The Canine To Five Staff!

Liz Blondy, Owner

Liz Blondy is long-time Detroiter who, after a decade in sales, decided to combine her love of animals and her hometown passion into a career. She opened up Canine to Five Detroit Dog Daycare in Midtown in 2005 and hasn't looked back. Blondy has emerged as a staunch and prominent advocate for Detroit's resurgence. Firmly convinced that small businesses are the key to a true revival, she co-founded Open City Detroit, a networking group designed to encourage entrepreneurship. Blondy resides in a renovated Eastern Market storefront with her fiancée, Pat Deegan, as well as two dogs, Bunny and Argon.

Michelle Brynaert, Groomer

Michelle Brynaert traded in a career in the unstable auto industry in July 2006 for what she feels is the most rewarding job she has ever had. Michelle is a graduate from the American School of Dog Grooming and has three dogs of her own: a yorkie named Rico and two lab mixes, Roxy and Luna.

Kendall Cassidy - Dog Handler
Kendall Cassidy has five pets: four dogs and a cat named Sibilo Tigre. She finds it nearly impossible to be in a bad mood around dogs and dreams of one day opening a center for troubled teens in which they rehabilitate dogs. the 21-year-old Grosse Pointe Woods resident has trained police dogs and worked at a boarding facility.

Alyssa Corrado, Dog Handler
Alyssa Coorrado has some unusual pets: a rat and a lion-head dwarf rabbit. She lives in the Woodbridge neighborhood of Detroit and particularly enjoys spending one on one time with the dogs she works with so she can get to know their quirks. Her interests include cultural anthropology, natural survival techniques, working with children, and all aspects of creation and art.

Shannon Eatmon, Groomer
Shannon Eatmon started grooming in 2003 and wouldn’t trade it for the world -- she absolutely loves working with dogs! The 23-year-old Detroit resident has two of her own and and enjoys ride a four-wheeler on her days off.

Keeley Fuller, Facility Manager

Keeley attended the University of Findlay and majored in pre-veterinary medicine. She has worked in veterinary specialty and 24-hour emergency care hospitals and has spent a lot of time fostering dogs and finding them homes. She lives in Yale with her three dogs and enjoys photography, painting, writing, listening to music, camping and hiking.



Nick Horbes – Dog Handler
Nick Horbes is a graduate of Triple Crown Academy for dog trainers and has two German Shepherd and a cat named Lucy of his own. He loves watching dogs interact with each other in a social environment like Canine to Five. When Nick is not at work, he enjoys time with his wife and family traveling, fishing, and going to sporting events. He has worked with animals for about a decade, and at Canine To Five since May 2010. Nick commutes every day from Port Huron!

Holly Lenhart, Groomer

Holly Lenhart is a graduate of the Academy of Animal arts. The Detroit resident joined the Canine To Five grooming staff in May 2006, and she excels at both dog and cat grooming! She has a passion for animals in need, and often fosters strays. She has two dogs, four cats and four tanks full of fish at home. Holly's gentle way with the dogs makes her a great addition to the team.

Jessica Reichwage, Dog Handler
Jessica is a Warren resident who joined the Canine To Five team in February of 2008. She enjoys working at Canine to Five because the dogs are always happy to see her! A dog lover since she was a kid, Jessica has a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd and has worked at various animal shelters, veterinarian hospitals and dog daycares. She also loves sports, especially softball, which she has been playing since she was four years old. Next time you visit Canine to Five, bring a softball, so Jessica can play catch with your dog.


Carol Skinner, Facility Manager
An animal lover through and through, Carol Skinner doesn't have any non-animal interests. When not at Canine to Five, Carol rides and trains horses -- at college in Kentucky, she worked as a foal attendant at the ICU of a local equine hospital. Carol has also worked as a kennel manager for the local Humane Society and several veterinary clinics in Colorado prior to moving to Michigan. Next time you drop of your pooch, say hello to Carol and her canine kids, Buffy and Jack, who usually come to work with her!

Matt Somiski, Dog Handler
Matt Somoski is 23, a lifetime Hamtramck resident and proud pop to an American bulldog mix named Delilah. Blame his family for his start working with animals at a young age: his mom managed the Royal Oak Animal Hospital and also works with a cat rescue group. Matt relaxes by playing basketball and video games, watching hockey -- especially the Red Wings -- making art and hanging out with his friends.


Nicole Somoski, Dog Handler
Nicole Somoski is 25 years old, lives in Warren and works at Canine to Five for a very simple reason: she loves dogs and all their different personalities. When she was just 10 years old, she began volunteering for a variety of animal-focused organizations, from Companion Pet Rescue to H-CAT (Hamtramck Cat Assistance Team). Her mom used to manage the Royal Oak Animal Shelter, where she gained tons of experience. Nicole loves to go on road trips, get tattoos, play Halo 3 on Xbox, work on her reptile collection and shop -- when she is not playing with your dog!

Sunday Playdates at Canine To Five

We'll be starting our monthly indoor/outdoor Sunday playdates at Canine To Five Sunday, Nov. 21. Playdates are held the third Sunday of the month Nov-April from 12-3 p.m.

The cost is $5 for 1 dog, and $7 for two. This playdate is for FRIENDLY vaccinated dogs and their owners.

Photo Day with mod4 Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Canine To Five

We're teaming up again with mod4 photographic to offer pooch photos in November. A photo session is $20 and this gets you a 5 x 7 print or a credit to use towards larger or more prints! We can only do 70 dogs total so email us soon to sign up, this event WILL fill up for sure!

Howl-o-ween Party Photos

We had a great time at this year's Howl-o-ween party! Check out all the photos here!

Canine Good Citizen

Have you ever wanted to do therapy work with your dog? Perhaps take him to a children's hospital or a senior center? Now is your chance!

Canine To Five will be offering a Canine Good Citizen Class with certification beginning Tuesday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. This is a 6 week class and the cost is $125. Space is limited to 10 participants.

To learn more about the CGC program click here.

Canine To Five Welcomes Quicken Loans

We are so happy to have Quicken Loans downtown! So happy, in fact, that we are offering all Quicken Employees FREE dog daycare to try us out!

Check out these great stories from the papers today about Quicken with a shout out to Canine To Five!

The Detroit Free Press

AND

The Detroit News

Super Cute Photos of Dogs in Daycare!

Check out ALL of our super cute dog photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/9334511@N06/

Canine To Five News


Save the Date for Doggone Good Times!
As we approach the last month of summer, we get a little event happy! Drinking With Dogs, Pet First Aid, Howl-o-ween parties, Pooch Photos and Canine Good Citizen Classes are all coming up this fall! Keep your eye on our event calendar for dates and details!

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Referral Madness at Canine To Five
Did you know if you refer a friend to Canine To Five, you get a FREE DAY of dog daycare? In August, we are stepping up our referral program. If you refer a friend in August, you get TWO free days PLUS you will be entered into our drawing to win a FREE 10-day package!
So tell your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors and your cousins how great a time your dog has at Canine To Five.

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Canine To Five and MHS Vaccinate over 400 pets!

On Saturday, July 24 Canine To Five donated the use of the building to the Michigan Humane Society for their low cost vaccination clinic. Over 400 dogs and cats were vaccinated for DHLPP and Rabies, plus Microchips were offered. The MHS volunteers were amazing. We look forward to working with the MHS again soon!

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Obedience Training at Canine To Five
We've got 3 classes coming up this fall. Our GOOD DOG 101 class will be offered on Wednesdays starting September 8, and Thursdays starting September 23.

Due to popular request, we will be offering a Canine Good Citizen Class and Test this fall as well. Dogs must have participated in a Basic Obedience Class to sign up for this class. It will be offered on Tuesday nights, with a September/October start date yet to be determined. Space will be limited to 6 dogs in this class so if you are interested, please shoot us an email ASAP.
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Boarding and Grooming Special
Make your August Boarding Reservation by August 10, and get a FREE BATH on your departure day! This applies to both our FREE PLAY and TRADITIONAL Boarding.

Pet First Aid at Canine To Five September 26

Canine To Five and the American Red Cross will be offering a Pet First Aid class Sunday, September 26. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday Playdate!

We are holding a playdate for dogs of all shapes and sizes THIS Sunday, June 27, at Canine To Five, from 12-3 p.m. The cost is $5 per dog. All dogs must be friendly and vaccinated. We do have a separate indoor area for small dogs.

Hope you can join us!