Shy - Co-Founder, Piper’s Place
Hi! I’m Shy—lifelong animal lover, plant enthusiast and country music fan. I enjoy gardening, living a plant-based lifestyle and spending as much time outdoors as I can. Above all, I always strive to put my family first in everything I do.
My connection to animals goes back as far as I can remember. I grew up surrounded by them and can’t recall a time when they weren’t part of my life. As a kid, I insisted on keeping feeder mice so they wouldn’t be eaten. I helped care for our three horses—mucking stalls, feeding and watering like it was my favorite sport. Over the years, we had all kinds of animals from birds and hamsters to rabbits, pigs, dogs, cats, reptiles and even a 55-gallon aquarium full of (often aggressive) fish.
Today, I work at Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mt. Juliet, a nonprofit that is close to my heart. We take in senior dogs and provide them with lifelong medical care. While they can live out their days safely at the sanctuary, our greatest hope is to place them in loving forever homes with their “forever geezer guardian”
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to grow deeply in hands-on animal care. I’ve spent time working on the medical side, where I learned extensively about both dogs and cats—scaling teeth, assisting in surgeries, trimming thousands of nails, expressing…well, you know, reading ear cytology after ear cytology, giving injections, performing blood draws and starting IV’s. Along the way, I built a close relationship with a veterinarian and veterinary technician who took me under their wings and taught me more than I could have imagined. I’m also certified in dog and cat first aid through the American Red Cross and CPR certified through Recover CPR.
Currently, my work focuses on daily hands-on care and enrichment. I walk dogs of all sizes and personalities, conduct dog introductions to ensure they’re safely and thoughtfully integrated with the dogs already in the room and work with “project dogs” to build their basic cues and leash manners. I also provide enrichment to help them thrive, bathe them, trim their nails and clean their ears. Most importantly, I give them plenty of love. It’s truly a special place to be.
Through all this experience, I kept hearing the same concern from my fellow dog owners—they hated leaving their dogs home alone or felt uneasy about traditional boarding facilities. Many described them as loud, impersonal spaces where their dog didn’t get the attention they deserved, especially after hours. Others couldn’t find something affordable that still felt safe and loving.
That’s where Piper’s Place began.
We asked ourselves a simple question: what if pet care felt calmer, more personal and more like family? After thoughtful planning, we created a space built on compassion, experience and understanding. At Piper’s Place, we offer affordable services without sacrificing quality care—a safe, loving environment where dogs are treated like family.
Caring for animals has never just been something I do—it’s who I am.
Kelly - Co-Founder, Piper’s Place
Hi! I’m Kelly—co-founder of Piper’s Place, lifelong dog lover and the one most often working quietly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.
My connection to dogs started with my first dog, Diggy. He was a stray that had wandered onto a family friend’s property and from the moment I met him, I was completely drawn to him. I spent the entire visit by his side and when it was time to leave, I learned they planned on taking him to the pound. At six years-old, I didn’t fully understand what that meant—but I knew it wasn’t where he belonged. I begged my dad the entire way home to go back for him. Eventually, my dad caved and that’s how I became a mom at the ripe old age of 6.
I used to pull Diggy around in a little red wagon. At first, he would jump out before I could even get moving. Eventually, I taught him to stay—and that was the moment everything clicked for me. I realized I could actually teach a dog something. I had heard that “you can’t teach an old dog a new trick”, but I did and it sparked a passion within me at a young age. From there, I started working with Diggy on things like sit, down and shake. I even kept a “top secret” training log to track it all—something I still have to this day.
That early experience sparked a lifelong interest in training and understanding dogs. Today, I am continuing that journey as I work toward becoming a certified dog trainer with plans to complete my certification in 2027. What I enjoy most about teaching new skills is watching the moment when something finally makes sense to the dog—it’s a connection you can actually see happen in real time.
At Piper’s Place, I tend to operate behind the scenes. I’m the one making sure everything stays on schedule, that routines are consistent and the environment remains calm and structured. I pay close attention to a dog’s body language and behavior, always working to better understand what they’re communicating and how to respond in a way that supports them.
Since I work from home, I’m able to be present throughout the day in a way that most traditional boarding environments can’t. Our days are built around the dogs—from early morning potty breaks, walks around our neighborhood, feeding and playtime, to regular outdoor time in our backyard and interaction throughout the day. Most importantly, the care doesn't stop in the evening. This isn’t a place where dogs are left overnight in a separate facility—we live this. The dogs in our care are part of our home, our routine and our daily life.
We wanted to create a place where dogs don’t just stay—they settle in. A place where repeat clients’ dogs are excited to come back, where they feel safe, familiar and cared for in a way that feels natural.
For me, working with dogs is the biggest blessing—and being able to build something like this around that passion means everything.