Staff

Liz Blondy, Owner
Liz is long-time Detroiter who, after a decade in sales, decided to combine her love of animals and her hometown passion into a career. In 2005 she opened Canine to Five Detroit Dog Daycare in Midtown and she hasn't looked back. Canine to Five is now recognized as a Detroit small business success story, and Liz 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, and participates in many initiatives to foster a strong grass-roots business community. Liz resides in a renovated Eastern Market storefront with her fiancée, Pat Deegan, as well as her two giant dogs, Bunny and Argon.

Veronica Allen
Veronica is a resident of Southwest Detroit who in almost finished with her architecture degree at U of D-Mercy. She comes to Canine To Five with three years of experience as a volunteer for the Humane Society, and thinks the greatest thing about dogs is they know exactly how to make you fall in love with them. Veronica’s goal is to be not just a designer but a community advocate who is a caretaker of people and animals alike. She has been with Canine To Five since October of 2011 and other designing for fun, she plays the violin and guitar and loves a sunny afternoon biking around Detroit!

Amanda Bellestri
Amanda has been with Canine to Five since March of 2010 and has become such a part of the family that she now shares a house in Detroit with two of her fellow staff members and their pets! She thinks the coolest thing about working with dogs is the way they interact with each other in a pack setting – each one has his own unique personality. Plus they are so adorable! Amanda started volunteering at adoption events at a young age, and before Canine To Five she worked for over two years in a veterinary hospital. She has two cats and one dog, a Chocolate Lab-Austrian Shepherd mix named Argos whose tennis ball is his whole life!

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.

Dan Clark, Dog Handler
Dan is a 25-year old Corktown resident who's been at Canine to Five since May of 2011. This is his first time working with dogs professionally, but he has always had a soft spot for them and they way give as much love as they get. Dan has about a million interests that he pursues in his spare time: he plays guitar and writes songs, he's creating a puppet show, he reads philosophy, and he likes to garden. He even has a certification in permaculture! Watch out around town and you might see this hot dog tooling around on his new motorcycle!

Nathaniel DeCarlo
Nathan has been working at Canine To Five since August of 2011. He has a lot of interesting experience working with animals, including working as a Veterinary Assistant and in a reptile shop. He has fostered all kinds of dogs, cats, reptiles and pocket pets but is most passionate about dogs, especially pitbulls. He is studying to become a Veterinary Technician, and his dream job is to become a Veterinarian. Nathan likes road trips and camping, photography, cooking and science. He lives in Eastpointe with his pitbull, Dante.

Keeley Fuller, Facility Manager
Keeley worked in veterinary specialty and 24-hour emergency care hospitals before she came to work at Canine to Five. She's well-qualified for a career caring for dogs, having attended the University of Findlay with a major in pre-veterinary medicine. Keeley is passionate about dogs in and out of work, and has spent a lot of time fostering dogs and finding them homes. She enjoys photography, painting, writing, listening to music, camping and hiking, and lives in Yale with her three dogs and brand new baby girl!

Stephanie Kasenow, Groomer
Steph has been at Canine to Five since February 2011 but she's been working with dogs for over four years. She's loved dogs every since she was a little girl, so it won't surprise you to hear that her favorite thing about this job is getting to work with every different breed, size and personality of dog. Steph is always interested in doing volunteer work, especially helping to find foster homes for animals (even if it's her own home!). Steph lives in Canton with Peanut, a Shepherd/Greyhound/Retriever mix, and a guinea pig named Sammy.

Holly Lenhart, Groomer
Holly joined the Canine To Five grooming staff in May 2006. A graduate of the Academy of Animal Arts, she excels at both dog and cat grooming! She has a passion for animals in need, and often fosters strays. She is a Detroit resident and 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, Manager
Jessica joined the Canine To Five team in February of 2008. She has a great background for working with dogs, with experience at animal shelters, veterinarian hospitals and dog daycares. A dog lover since she was a kid, she enjoys working at Canine to Five because the dogs are always happy to see her! Jessica lives in Warren and has a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd. She 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!

Matt Somoski, Dog Handler
Matt has been working at Canine To Five since February of 2009. Matt blames his family for his early start working with animals: his mom managed the Royal Oak Animal Hospital and also works with a cat rescue group. He relaxes by playing basketball and video games, watching hockey (especially the Red Wings), making art and hanging out with his friends. This lifelong Hamtramck resident is proud pop to an American bulldog mix named Delilah.

Nicole Somoski, Playroom Supervisor
Nicole came to us in October of 2008. She lives in Detroit 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 Nicole gained tons of experience. She 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!