Hello Everyone!  My name is Kirsten!  I was born into this business and wouldn't change a thing.  My parents started Kountry Pet Resort almost 40 years ago and now I have taken it over for them.  I love the work I do and especially love my clients and their pets.  My goal everyday is to make sure that all my clients feel confident and comfortable leaving their "furry" loved ones with us!  I have my certificate for Pet First Aid and CPR training. In my spare time I love scrap booking, cooking and spending time with my family and friends.  I look forward to meeting your "furry" family member soon!

Hi, my name is Sue.  I am the master groomer here at Kountry Pet Resort.  I've been here since 1998 and have probably styled your pet at least once.  Originally I went to beauty school and realized that I wasn't happy styling people and thought maybe I would be happier grooming pets instead.  So I went to grooming school and quickly figured out that 4 legged customers were a lot more enjoyable than 2 legged customers I previously had.  I started grooming full time from that point on, which was back in 1988.  I'm married to a wonderful man named Joe and together we have 4 "fur children" Opus, Abby, Layla and Millie.  In my spare time I enjoy listening to music, reading and spending time with my family.

Hi, my name is Jerid. I am the Lodging manager at Kountry Pet Resort and Spa. I have been working for this wonderful, family owned company since 1999. I have an Associates degree from ECC. In my spare time I love watching the Bears, and taking my two wonderful pups to the dog park.  When I decided to get a dog the hardest thing was picking what kind. One of the reasons why I love my job soooooo much is, it's like I have a dog of every kind. From my beautiful Great Dane (Lilly) to my super smart Rott (Sadie) I truly love them all like they are mine.

Hi, I'm Deb!  I’ve been blessed.  I began my career as a pet stylist in 1984.  My mother-in-law owned and operated 2 grooming shops in the area and was a well known and respected professional dog handler, breeder, trainer and groomer with many years experience, who took me under her wing.  We worked side by side for many more years.  She mentored me in so many facets of the business up until she retired.  I grew up here, and have been married to a great guy for almost 27 years now.  We have 2 grown children and 10 growing grandchildren.  (Not a typo, that’s ten!) Again, I am blessed. We are in pet transition right now, having had several wonderful dogs for many years.  We are currently looking forward to a new addition to our family as I am writing this. Yay!  I have been with Kountry Pet Resort since 1999.  I started as a groomer to the rescue helping out as needed and quite frankly found a home here.  I was in awe of Roger’s beautiful landscaping.  It was impressive how very clean the staff kept everything.  Judi’s professional attitude coupled with her devotion to her clients was exactly what I had been used to.  It was a fit.  As time went on I was so impressed with the pride of my co-workers in all they do and most of all, the loving family atmosphere that Kirsten and her giant heart, and everyone here has afforded me as I fought through several life challenging issues.  I am most grateful and very proud to work here.  Once again, I am blessed.

Hi my name is Erin.  I have been working at Kountry Pet Resort since 2005; it has always been a joy for me to have the opportunity to work with animals.  I have had dogs in my life and in my home for as long as I can remember and usually we have several dogs at one time.  Right now I have 3 dogs, 2 male yellow labs and a male German shepherd puppy.  I am a recent college grad; I graduated in May 2010 from Roosevelt University with a B.S in Biology.

Hi I'm Christina, the mother of two wonderful boys, a boxer mix and a Bengal cat. I have always had a great love for all living creatures. It is a great joy and privilege to work here at Kountry Pet Resort since 2005. Many of the pets that walk through our front doors I have adopted as my own during their stay.

Hi, I'm Katie and I've been employed with Kountry Pet Resort since 2005. I have had dogs in my life for over 20 years and in that time I had 9 dogs who I've loved with all my heart. Of those dogs, I currently own two yellow labs named Reilly and Marley, and one German shepherd named Chase. I am presently a senior at Northern Illinois University and in May I will graduate with a Family Infant Development degree from the College of Family, Consumer, Nutrition Sciences.

My name is Jenny, I have been with Kountry Pet Resort since 2006. I started out as a Kamp counselor when I was sixteen and I have been here ever since. Now I do everything from walking dogs to feeding, medicating, and bathing dogs. I have such a strong passion and love for these animals that I have decided to make a career out of it. Therefore, I am currently training to be a full time groomer. Although I have decided to be a groomer I will always find time to sneak into group Kamp to spend time with all of my favorites.

My name is April. I have been employed by Kountry Pet Resort for most of my adult life; I have been an employee for the last 11 years. I grew up and went to school in Elgin, and also started college to become a nurse.  I’ve lived in Hampshire for the last 7 years and am married to my high school sweetheart. We have two amazing daughters, Morgan and Jozie. Our four legged kid Roxy is a 1 year old brindle boxer.  In my free time I love spending time with my family, reading, photography, and shopping.  I am a loyal cubs fan, and also a fan of the Black Hawks and Bears.

HI! My name is Nicole and I have been with Kountry Pet Resort since early 2010. When I was a little girl I used to say I wanted to work at a pet shop when I grew up.  My love for animals goes back for as long as I can remember.  I am a licensed cosmetologist and avid sports fan.  In my spare time I enjoy being outside in the sun, walking my dogs and spending time with my family. I am the proud mother of 2 furry babies, Ginger and Gracie.   They are my entire world.  If getting unconditional love from those 2 weren't great enough, I am even luckier to be able to go to work and get unconditional love from hundreds more! I promise to always care for your pet just as if they were my own.

Okay, my name is Jill and I've got a little story to tell: My oldest brother Chase, who is now 24, worked at Kountry Pet Resort for 4 years during his high school and college years.  He used to come home and tell me all the stories of him and the dogs he got to play with.  I've always loved animals and I've always had a huge variety of them at home, from deers to dogs and chickens to horses.  It was practically a farm.  So when I became old enough to work in early 2010, I figured working at Kountry Pet Resort would be wonderful because I'm not afraid to get slobbered on and I love the company of dogs!

My name is Stephanie Joanne Van Dyke. I have lived in Plato Center all my life. I attended Central School district while growing up and I am now at ECC in the SAIL program. When I was a child I was always the quiet one but I would always try to join in the fun activities. Now I may seem a little outgoing but I’m still a little shy about doing things. The one thing that I have always enjoyed doing is writing stories, watching movies, and taking care of animals. I have always had a creative mind. I always get ideas for stories from things that happen in my life. I try to always include animals in my stories. I spend a lot of time on my stories by either working on them or organizing them. Of my love for animals, I believe it started when I was 4 years old. I would love to watch the movie “The Lion King.” So I think that I’ve loved animals ever since. While growing up my family and I always had pets but I would say my favorite is my dog Mabel. We adopted her as a puppy when I was 11 and I have always loved her. Mabel is a mix of a Rottweiler and a sheltie as you can see in the picture. She’s an excellent dog who loves people.

Cheers everyone! My name is Brittany! Loving animals has pretty much been in my blood since I was born and growing up. My mother has been a groomer for 40+ years and has tried relentlessly to train me, but being a rebel I needed to carve my own path and find a better way to help animals. I previously thought I was going to become a Veterinarian, but the one time I had to make the decision to put my ferret to sleep it shot that dream. My next goal was to become a dog myotherapist which I have a certification but again it wasn't enough. I finally found my niche with training dogs and helping their owners in creating a better life at home. I should have realized this dream when I trained my childhood best friend, Admirl a Rott/Dob mix growing up. It's a rewarding job and reaps the benefits of being able to bring my 1yr old son to work with me everyday a Beauceron named G' Legion Bleu du Chateau Rocher. I have been training dogs for about 3 years and I'm pushing myself to learn all there is to help owners further with behavioral issues with their furry children. I have happily been with Kountry Pet Resort and Training Center since early spring of 2012, yet it feels like it's been years because it's the best home away home atmosphere I have experienced. I should have known all my life I was going to be working with animals since my passion runs so deep. My personal goal is to help the world understand a bit more on dog training, breeds and the equipment used to help further the education. I am a firm believer in training your dog to prevent those beautiful creatures from ending up in shelters or being put down. I don't stand for animal abuse and I hope you all will support the cause. I hope you let you and your dog help me create a better world.

Hi! My name is Kyley. I joined the KPR family in early 2010. I am one of the lodging staff members. I am the dietitian, so I make sure that your loved one is eating all their food and if not it's my job to sit in the room and hand feed them if that's what's needed.  I love animals and couldn't ask for a better job!  Dogs have always been apart of my life.  Growing up with them has given me the love and compassion I need to work here.  I have a beautiful horse named Lady that I board at a barn so I understand how important it is to leave your pet in good hands.  I am starting to learn how to groom which is ultimately my passion.

Hi my name is Marissa! I love animals so much; it is hard to put into words at times. I’ve had dogs, birds, reptiles and fish growing up. When I went out on my own I adopted my furry baby Winston a black lab terrier mix when he was 4 months old; he will be turning 11 years old this year. He truly rescued me when I brought him home that day. I will always remember that car ride home with him sitting on my lap and how I instantly fell in love and knew we would be best friends. I cannot image how my life would have been without him. I now have another new love in my life; Dixie the cat. I was supposed to foster her for a family member for a short period of time; however now 2 ½ years later she is a part of my family and I love her with my entire heart and cannot give here up. I started working at Kountry Pet Resort in early summer of 2012; this is when my dream came true. It is still hard to believe how lucky I am to work here and be able to love on so many animals each day.