staff biographies

Josh (Petty Officer Wildes) recently completed his 5-year service contract with the U.S. Coast Guard at rank E4 as a Marine Science Technician 3rd Class. Through this position he spent over 200 hours in classes studying the Incident Command System (ICS) and developing his position as a Division/Group Supervisor for interagency responses to disasters. As a qualified U.S. Coast Guard Facility Inspector, he diligently oversaw the compliance required for safety and environmental protection for over 200 federally regulated facilities spanning across the entire east coast. With this training, he is diligent to prioritize safety at our facility, designing specialized rooms and barriers to allow dogs of all personalities to have a safe and fun experience at daycare. 

While in service he was the go-to dog lover in his sector that would allow any smiling pup into his home, regardless of how much he knew the person asking for the favor. With 15+ years of experience caring, training, and fostering dogs, people were drawn to him to watch their dogs due to his personability, knowledge on dog obedience and agility training, and exuding love for dogs. With his translatable skills from the service in safety regulation, daily operations, and administrative efficiency in combination with his experience in dog care, Josh is a unique dog daycare owner dedicated to your pup's safety and happiness. 

 Ari, an indigenous woman from the Cayuga Nation, is a current PhD candidate in biochemistry at Cornell University. While her primary career track in life is in science and human rights advocacy and policy due to her disadvantaged upbringing (low socioeconomic class, indigenous woman in STEM, LGBTQIA+), her journey to this point was deeply embedded in medicine. In 2016, Ari obtained her nurse’s aide certification. With this certification, she was trained in first aid, CPR, non-narcotic drug administration, and emergency response protocols. 

In the height of the Manhattan COVID-19 peak, Ari translated her knowledge in human medicine to veterinary medicine and became a compounding pharmacy technician with MixLab Rx, Inc. Furthermore, she continued to expand her veterinary training through Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue (LLAR) where she became a traveling medical technician for the tri-state area certified for administering vaccines, conducting preventative care, and dispensing of non-opioid pharmaceuticals. Through LLAR she was also trained in dog grooming and behavioral assessments. Through her extensive veterinary training, Ari has taken a new, more humane approach to veterinary grooming through a novel therapy she developed coined canine Sensory Behavioral Therapy (cSBT). To learn more about the science of her therapy, read the cSBT article page, or visit the "OUR PHILOSOPHY" or "GROOMING" pages for more information.

Space is a part-time Psychology, B.S. student at Tompkins County-Cortland College (TC3). She joined the WDD pack as a resident and dog caretaker/groomer in late September 2022. She initially joined as Head Groomer Ari's grooming apprentice, but quickly rose to the challenge of dog obedience and positive reinforcement cSBT training, and became a dog caretaker as well. Space completed her full 2-month grooming apprenticeship in November of 2022. 

Space has grown up around several large dogs her whole life, owning or fostering a total of 10 dogs at one point! Space's own dog, a pitbull named Thor, had severe behavioral issues when she adopted him. Thor is now the most cuddly and lovable dog, the definition of a lover not a fighter, thanks to Space's intensive rehabilitation therapy she conducted with him. 

Space hopes to bring her training expertise and experience with large breeds to the table to better improve cSBT methods for obedience, social, and grooming therapy. She is excited to continue working with all these beautiful pups and helping them become their best selves!