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MEET THE CREW: OWNERS GROOMERS DAYCARE DOG WALKERS/CAT PET SITTERS PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY AWARDS & RECOGNITION THE ‘BUD & LOU’ STORY
MEET THE CREW: OWNERS GROOMERS DAYCARE DOG WALKERS/CAT PET SITTERS PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY AWARDS & RECOGNITION THE ‘BUD & LOU’ STORY
At the Bark Bark Club, our mission is to provide pets and their people a place where they feel positive energy and our commitment towards a healthy, happy pet/owner relationship. We provide expert grooming services for dogs and cats, sell healthy food, treats, pet apparel and toys.
Meet The Crew
Patti Colandrea- Owner
Patti spent most of her working career in the corporate world. Over the years she honed her people skills working as an administrative assistant, talent agent, supervisor and assistant to the CEO and VP of Sales for a human resource consulting firm. After her feline companion of 20 years passed away, she and her husband Matt adopted a Border Collie mix named Buddy. Buddy changed her life! Wanting to leave the corporate world but not knowing which direction to go…..Buddy gave her the guidance she needed. Patti was also blessed with a stray that came into her life by “accident” – Lou. Inspired by Buddy, Lou and all of the dogs she met throughout the neighborhood she researched the dog grooming industry. After spending a couple of years working with PetSmart and Petco she decided it was time for the Edgewater community to have its very own pet salon where dogs and their people can socialize with fellow pet owners in the neighborhood. Bark Bark Club has developed a reputation as “the place for cool dogs and cats to hang out”!
Brian Koester- Owner
Brian has had a life-long love of animals. At five years old, while other children wanted to be firemen, Brian wanted to be Jacque Cousteau or Marlon Perkins. His first pets were Cookie, Little Kitty, Big Cat and Puppy. What he lacked in naming acumen at the age of six, Brian made up for in an undying loyalty and love of these animals. Petroshka and Buttercup, a husky-lab mix and pit bull terrier, were the next big dog loves of Brian’s life. They were his beach running, mountain climbing travel companions until their passing in 1997. For the past five years Brian and his wife Kate have lived with Oscar T. Cat, Ella and Jordan, three felines that make their house a home. Brian has ten years of experience in the home healthcare field, including hospice work, working with the developmentally disabled and live-in care. He moved to Chicago from the San Francisco Bay area eleven years ago to attend the Theatre School at De Paul University and spent several years on the stage. He is certified in animal CPR.
GROOMERS
Kim Wentzler- Salon Manager/Groomer
Kim was raised in a small town in Minnesota and was constantly bringing home animals she would nurse back to health. She came to Chicago to attend North Park College and graduated with a degree in biology. Kim has lived in Switzerland and Hawaii. She made Chicago her home in 2003 and has dedicated herself to the care of animals. Kim is known as the “cat whisperer” when it comes to cat grooming. She has a gentle touch and extreme patience in the handling of our feline kitty customers. Kim lives with her two cats Preston and Kona. She also adopted a beautiful black lab our dog walker David found wandering the streets and no one claimed; Big Boy now comes to work everyday with Kim and is one of our many roving good will ambassadors at the shop.
April Sepulveda- Groomer
April grew up in Southern California with many dogs and is excited to be part of the Bark Bark Club grooming team. With a background in cosmetology, she enhances your pet’s stylish beauty. Attention to detail and pure love of animals makes April an outstanding grooming assistant. In June of 2006 April adopted a beautiful German shepherd puppy named Betty. Betty’s fun loving attitude makes her the playmate of choice with all of our visiting Bark Bark Club doggy gang. April and Betty live happily in the Rogers Park area.
DAYCARE/BOARDING
Elizabeth Castrejon- Daycare Manager
Elizabeth Castrejon- Doggy Daycare Manager & Pen Pal
Elizabeth was born and raised in Chicago. She has had a life long love of all animals starting in childhood when she would rescue neighborhood dogs, cats, birds and frogs. She worked for 15 years as a manager/buyer for a small retail store before making a switch to pursue a career that included her passion, DOGS! She has volunteered with the dogs at the Evanston animal shelter, rain, shine and holidays, for the past five years. She and her husband of 11 years fancy the Basset hound and currently have 3. Cookie 10, Andy 9 and Mia the princessa 1 ½. They have attended the Basset Waddle in Dwight Illinois for the last ten years religiously. Elizabeth has been certified in pet CPR.
Carly Stine -Daycare Assistant Manager
Carly is a native of Chicago growing up in the south suburbs. She has always had animals. Her favorites being her childhood dogs, Henry and Alex. She has lived in the city for about six years, attending DePaul University for a short time as an English Major. She now resides in Humbolt Park, completely outnumbered by her three cats, Clark, Rita, and Martha, and her Shar Pei, Judah. She Loves her job and plans on doing anything she can to help out her furry friends as long as she’s in this world!
Simon Blanco – Daycare Pen Pal
Simon moved to Chicago from Venezuela in 2000 after attending college and getting a degree in Business Administration. He has always loved being around animals and grew up taking care of his beloved birds and parakeets, his dog Lindbergh, a rescue Collie that his father brought home one day, and two Basset Hounds, Tina and Matilda. At the present time, Simon does not own any dogs or cats, but he has gotten into aquarism and keeps a couple of beautiful fish tanks in his apartment in the Rogers Park area.
Ernesto Ghinaglia- Daycare Pen Pal/Certified in Dog CPR
Ernesto’s love for animals started when he was a little boy. His first pets came from his lovely grandmother who gave him a pair of parakeets as a birthday present, which began a life long love of birds. His family started bringing home dogs and he fell in love with a black Great Dane puppy named Negro, who lived with Ernesto for the next 16 years. As a grown man, in Venezuela, his country of origin, he also had two female basset hounds, Tina and Matilda. Because of the restrictions of city living Ernesto can not have dogs in his building, so he has developed another way to be in contact with nature. He started researching saltwater aquariums and today he has a beautiful and well-balanced reef aquarium, a fresh water aquarium, and as always a blue parakeet in his kitchen. Along with all this, Ernesto has another passion that keeps him alive, photography.
Steven Eich- Pen Pal
Born and raised in the suburbs, Steven moved to Chicago in April of 2010 to pursue acting. In his lifetime he has owned almost every household animal possible. His favorite have always been dogs. He admires their sense of fun and eve lasting love. Steven also paints and bakes classic goodies with a twist. He endeavors to make dreams reality with a positive attitude and a smile
Kelly Coleman- Pen Pal
Kelly was born into a household of nine cats, two dogs, and four birds. She quickly learned to love and respect her animal companions. When she moved to Chicago from the far south suburbs, her rescued terrier mix, Tootsie, came with. When she isn’t caring for pets, Kelly is pursuing a career in photo journalism.
Jack Hanus- Dog Walking Manager/Walker
Born and raised in Chicago, Jack has always had a sheepdog as his companion. Jack was born and raised in Chicago, and after spending 6 years in Colorado attending college and working as a milkman, he is thrilled to be back in his hometown. Jack’s love of animals started at the age of 3 with the family dog, an Old English Sheepdog named Meggan. Since then he has never been without a sheepdog as his companion. Jack lives in the uptown neighborhood with his 5 year old sheepdog, Payton- The world’s most unlikely Frisbee dog!
Johnathan Lee – Walker
Jonathan and his wife Clair, moved to Chicago in 2008 from Nashville,TN. They now live in the Edgewater area with their two cats Charlie and Olive. Jonathan’s strong love for animals sent him to work at the Bark Bark Club. When he isn’t taking care of the many BBC members, Jonathan is doing his other loves – woodworking and playing the guitar.
David Ramos- Walker
I was born and raised on the north side of Chicago. Although I was never allowed to have pets growing up, I had always wanted a loyal canine companion of my own. After a brief time at the Illinois Institute of Art, I moved to Dallas, TX with a friend and finally had a chance to have some pups of my own (two terrier mixes named Coco & Precious). When I moved back to Chicago, I missed my dogs so much that I immediately looked for a job that could provide me with canine interaction. I plan on adopting soon too.
Dylan Stuckey – Walker
Dylan is originally from southwest Wisconsin. He moved to Chicago this past fall after receiving his M.F.A. in acting from Wayne State University in Detroit. Having grown up in a small farming community, Dylan had a lot of exposure to dogs and all types of animals. After living in cities for the past eight years Dylan thought it was only fitting to seek out a job working with animals. At the end of the day there is nothing better than the unconditional love of a sweet pup. A wiser man than myself once said, “whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot little puppies.”
Harley Sukhbaater- Walker
As a child growing up in Mongolia, Harley spent time caring for all types of animals on his Grandfather’s farm. After moving to the United States he decided to continue his work with animals and landed a job with the Bark Bark Club as a dog walker. He also works as an in-home hospice specialist. His loving care and patience makes him a true asset to the Bark Bark Club family.
Max Wirt- Walker & Daycare Pen Pal
Max is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Chicago in September of 2007 after completing his undergraduate studies in Theater Arts at UCLA. He soon after joined the ever-loving Bark Bark Club team and has been working as a walker/penpal while spending his nights tapping the Chicago theater scene. Growing up as an only child, Max spent more time hanging out with his dogs than other children and while his social skills have suffered because of this, he’s quite popular among the canine crowd. He has seen it all when it comes to his history of pet pups, from Dash, the likes-to-use-a-bed-pillow-as-a-toilet Dachshund, to Reggie, the over-excitable Weimeraner that was often inclined to playfully bite the children running for their lives from him on the bottom. He has learned to tame the wild ones and all the while mastered the belly rub. He is very happy to be using these skills and spreading some love among all of our Bark Bark Clubbers.
Aaron Kirby- Dog Walker
Aaron grew up in a northern Dallas, Texas suburb, and actively wanted to be a dog for the bulk of his formative years (seriously). After receiving his MF A in Acting at Wayne State University in Detroit, Aaron moved to Chicago, and has happily lived here for over a year. He grew up with a dog and deeply loves animals. He now has a wonderful cat named Cooper and is training in the Second City Conservatory. After all these years, Aaron still believes he would have made a great dog.
Gary Fuschi- Dog Walker
Gary was born in Brooklyn, New York and his earliest memory of his first pet was being pulled on his sled by his German shepherd Flash. There were always pets in the house: fish, turtles and Gary’s secret ant colony in his closet. Gary’s mom was the neighborhood self-taught vet and savior of all injured and stray animals. It was from her the Gary learned to love and respect all types of critters. Gary eventually moved to Chicago with his lop eared bunny Gooey, and now lives in Rogers Park with his longtime partner Stacia. They have two kitties, Penny and Little and two pups, Scout the Puggle and Gigi the French bulldog. All of their pets are rescues.
Photo & Video Gallery
See video montages and photos on our YouTube and Facebook pages.
Awards & Recognition
Okay…. we knew we were good, but…
We were overjoyed to be voted “Best Dog Groomer 2009″ by Chicago Magazine! Thanks to our loyal Bark Bark Club customers! See the article on the Chicago Magazine web site.
Growing Business of the Year 2009 award winner!
A big Thank You to all of our customers and the Edgewater community for helping us win the Growing Business of the Year award from the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce!
We were recently featured on WGN Morning News!
Watch the video
see a video clip or see the full-length video
The ‘Bud & Lou’ Story
As many already know, Bud and Lou are both permanent fixtures and mascots of the Bark Bark Club. In some of our promotional materials, you may notice that Lou is always pictured with a missing leg… here is their story as told by Club owner Patti:
“I didn’t have dogs for a very long time and then in 1998 my husband Matt and I went to Let’s Pet Puppies on Ashland “just to look” and purchased Buddy, a border collie mix. He immediately became the love of my doggy life. My husband and I now have two dogs; Buddy and Lou – both border collie mixes, who inspire me every day.
Lou came to us in 2000. I was driving home from work (working at PetSmart then) and I saw a dog was hit on Broadway in front of Walgreens and left on the road. Everyone there was crying but afraid to go near him for fear of being bitten. The police were there too and said that if they took him he’d be put down, so I decided to get him to a vet. Before I left two little girls handed me $10. A woman and little boy gave me $20. She said, “I know this is going to cost you money.” It was like a scene out of a movie. The policemen escorted me with their sirens, stopped traffic and ran in to get a stretcher. It was unbelievable. The dog’s left shoulder had nerve damage, and he couldn’t walk on the leg. They wanted to amputate but I just couldn’t do it right then and there, so I decided to give it three months. We tried massage therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture. But the leg was useless, so we had it removed. Lou is now the happiest dog alive and the fastest one at the beach. That’s the great thing about dogs. They don’t have emotional baggage. He’s my roving goodwill ambassador. My husband and I would be lost without our Buddy and Lou – they make our life whole, as all of you understand having your own personal pet hero’s.”