Meet Thomas Ward

Thomas is 20 years old and has worked at Canine to Five for a year and a half. "Even though Canine to Five is my first job, I can't imagine a better place to work!" he says. Part of the reason Thomas loves Canine to Five so much is because he can spend the day with his six month old Pitt Bull-English Bull Dog mix, Enzo.

Even though Thomas is a huge fan of dogs, he is no stranger to other wild and domestic creatures. Thomas's father was a curator at the Detroit Zoo, so he's been around snakes, frogs, fish and crayfish since childhood.

Thomas is extremely interactive with the dogs at Canine to Five and loves observing them. "They act entirely different than humans do and it is fun to play with the dogs in the outdoor area and watch them react to birds and street noises," he says.

Other than dogs and wild animals, Thomas is very interested in the auto industry, calling himself "obsessed with the history, workings and racing of truly great automobiles."

Stop by Canine to Five this week and say hi to Thomas and Enzo. And, if you have a fancy car, let Thomas take a look.

Dog Days at Canine To Five

What a typical day at Canine To Five looks like!

Meet Natalie Dean - Facility Manager

Natalie started working at Canine to Five in February. Her first job was as dog handler, but while the pooches love her dearly, her sparkling personality needed to be enjoyed by customers, so she was promoted to Facility Manager to handle the front desk.

Coming from a family of dog lovers, Natalie considers herself an owner of three dogs; her family dogs Logan, a Shitzu, and Taz, a Shitzu Corgi mix, and her personal dog, Bella, a lab mix. Bella loves coming to Canine to Five with Natalie and has made several friends.

Natalie enjoys working with dogs because they are “true entertainers.” She said, “you know when people say kids do the darnest things? You can’t even imagine some of the funny things dogs do!” Natalie likes that the dogs keep her on her feet at all times and make her giggle all day long.

When not playing with your pooches, Natalie likes to exercising, doing everything from running to kick boxing. She also is a big wine lover and hopes to learn how to make her own one day.

Next time you bring your pooch to Canine to Five, make sure to introduce yourself to Natalie…and if you really appreciate all the love she gives your dog, treat her to a bottle of wine.

Meet Our Staff - Jessica Reichwage

Jessica is a 25-years-old Warren resident and is new to the Canine to Five pack, joining in February. She enjoys working at Canine to Five because the dogs are always happy to see her and want so much love and attention.

She said, "I love my job and seeing all of the different dogs that come to daycare. It is a great place to work and bring your dog." She would know, since she is a dog owner too. She has a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd.

Jessica has been a dog lover since she was a kid. She 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. She exclaims, "I will play until I am old and grey!"

Next time you visit Canine to Five, say hi to Jessica and bring a softball, so she can play catch with your dog.

Meet Our Staff - Carol Gordon

Carol started at Canine to Five three years ago and soon fell in love with our canine customers and the area. She moved Midtown, Detroit with her three household animals, Buffy, the Welsh Corgie, Jack, the Yorkie/Rat Terrier mix and Marvin, the cat. A country- girl at heart, Carol also has three pygmy goats, Doc, Marty and Harley and three horses, Comet, Ransom and Daisy, which she keeps in Romulus.

Carol loves working at Canine to Five because each day brings different dogs with different personalities, making work constantly new and exciting. When not at Canine to Five, Carol rides and trains horses and is excited to learn how to train her new husband's horses. They are Standard bred horses, which require different training technique.

Carol has been working with animals since she was a kid and has traveled the U. S. doing so. She trained horses in her teens and at college in Kentucky, Carol worked as a foal attendant at the ICU of a local equine hospital. She also worked as a kennel manager for the local Humane Society and several veterinary clinics in Colorado, before 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!

Meet the Trainer

Trish has made a career of working with animals. Prior to joining Canine to Five, Trish was with PetSmart for 6 years, primarily training dogs, but also grooming dogs and cats as well as working in the small animal and bird departments using her extensive knowledge of most household pets. Trish is a certified CGC evaluator and has trained many dogs to become therapy dogs.

Trish has been local most of her life, graduating from Thurston High School in 1999. She spent a few years living in Germany and North Carolina before permanently returning to Michigan in 2003. She has two dogs, Sampson, a 10 year old Lab, and Ash, a 7 year old Siberian Husky. She also owns five ferrets.