Meet our Doggy Day Care Team
Doggy Daycare at the Willows
Lisette Sampey, Owner
Lisette owns and oversees Doggy Daycare at The Willows, founding the business in September 2021. Responsible for all the meet and greets in the morning and afternoon, Lisette welcomes the dogs and knows all the customers and their fur babies. She also gives feedback on how their day has gone. Lisette loves seeing the dogs get excited, be happy and run freely. She finds it rewarding seeing them grow in confidence each week and build relationships with the other dogs. Outside of work, Lisette enjoys taking her own dogs out for a walk, travelling with her partner and socialising with friends. She has a passion for renovating houses. Lisette also has horses, which the day care dogs are all getting to know!
“I support my amazing team to look after, care for, play with the dogs, including training. I also run the group viewings, where dogs can come along with you to view our facilities, so they’re familiar with their surroundings on day one”.
Trained as a chartered accountant, Lisette’s experience is very useful when it comes to the running of the business, being able to do all of the paperwork and accounts side herself.
Sue Sampey, Co-Owner & Manager
Sue joined Doggy Daycare when it opened in September 2021, after running the boarding kennels for over twelve years. Sue oversees the day-to-day running of the day care. Assisting the other staff with training, she guides them on the general health and welfare of the animals in our care. Sue also helps with the feedback to owners on collection. Originally starting her career in the catering industry, Sue always wanted to work with animals. She had horses and a passion for riding, and then qualified as a dog groomer in 2008. Sue really enjoys working with the dogs that lack confidence, and then progress with our training plan to a happy and confident dog that loves coming to day care. Outside of work, Sue loves good food and meals out, along with walking her own dogs and travelling. Sue learnt to play the guitar when she was young, but never made a group as she couldn’t sing.
Ella B, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Ella ensures all of the dogs have appropriate play and rest time to meet their specific needs. She also makes sure that the correct ways of interacting take place with praise and training, when necessary. Ella previously worked voluntarily with animals, including five years with horses. The thing she enjoys most about her role is puppy cuddles, and seeing shy, nervous dogs come out of their shells through each visit with us. Outside of work, Ella enjoys taking her own dog on country walks, traveling and trying new places to eat. Ella has skied in the high mountains of Nevada, Montana and also Mount St Clair in Canada.
Katie, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Katie monitors interactions and play between the dogs, ensuring all greetings are friendly and that play doesn’t get too rough. She makes sure the dogs get plenty of rest time, especially when the weather is warm. Katie helps clean the playroom and rest rooms, entertaining the dogs in between. Katie has a Level 2 BTEC in Animal Care with 2 distinctions, 3 merits and 2 passes. She’s also completed online courses, including level 3 diplomas in Animal Care and Management, and as a Veterinary Care Assistant. One of Katie’s favourite things about her job is meeting so many different breeds, sizes, and ages of dogs. She enjoys learning about breed specific traits and characteristics and getting to know each dog personally. Outside of work, she enjoys gaming, board games, music, anime, arts, and crafts, and looking after her two dogs, hamster, and ferrets. Katie is a pescetarian who has never eaten meat. She has a tattoo of her favourite band, My Chemical Romance.
Ella R, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Ella makes sure all the dogs and puppies are enjoying their time here. Ella is studying Level 2 Animal Care and she’s been around all sorts of animals all her life. Ella loves getting puppy cuddles! She previously worked and volunteered with animals, mostly horses, and she loves horse riding. Ella also loves taking her Cane Corso X dog on long walks. When Ella was in year 6 at primary school, she achieved a gold medal for the “most improved mathematician”.
Lola, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Lola joined the team in February 2023 as a Level 2 Animal Care apprentice. Her duties include cleaning the kennels and playrooms, ensuring all the dogs have a safe and happy space to play. Lola also ensures the dogs get the correct amount of rest time and assists with feeding the dogs at lunchtime. Since leaving school, she has always worked with animals. This includes studying Equine Level 2 at Brooksby College and working in an event yard in the Cotswolds as an apprentice Level 3. Lola enjoys being surrounded by playful dogs all day and meeting many different breeds and sizes with different personalities. She loves being able to bond with them. Outside of work, Lola enjoys spending time with her family, training and exercising her two Cane Corsos, Finn and Elsa, and socialising with friends. Lola once completed an 8-mile charity ride on her horse to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research.
Kirby, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Kirby joined our Doggy Daycare team in September 2022. Her role is to ensure the dogs are getting all the enjoyment and stimulation they require. Some dogs need more than others, depending on their breed and age. Kirby’s priority is to ensure the dogs have a good time. She has previously worked as a dog walker and occasionally looks after pets for families, whether in their own home or her home. Kirby’s mum also owns The Pet Store in Hinckley where she helps out in her spare time, meeting dogs and helping with customers’ needs. Kirby applied for the British Army Reserves as a dog handler, but due to chronic pain, she was medically unable to go ahead. Her favourite part of the role is helping dogs with their confidence. She finds it incredible seeing dogs come out of their shells and get involved. Outside of work, Kirby enjoys taking their Staffy, Steve, out for long walks with family to different places. She also enjoys visiting military museums with her partner, as they both share a passion for the military. For the past 9 years, Kirby has volunteered at the family run youth club, Greentowers, as a climbing instructor and leader.
Jade, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Jade joined in September 2022, and supervises play and interaction between the dogs, giving them mental stimulation throughout the day. She helps them to be aware of their surroundings, risk assessing equipment and the environment, ensuring the dogs are safe. Jade enjoys giving the dogs loads of cuddles and kisses. Previously, she worked briefly in a doggy daycare, but spent the last 5 years working in care for the elderly. The best thing Jade likes about her role is getting hands-on experience with different types of dogs. This includes building bonds with each dog and seeing them come out of their shell and enjoy life. Outside of work, Jade spends time doing activities with her son. She enjoys training with her senior dog, Gizmo. Jade gained a love of dogs from her great-grandad growing up, he ran a pig farm and had numerous German Shepherds and Collies. She used to spend her time training his last dog, a Collie, hearing his stories and dog training methods.
Poppy, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Poppy joined Doggy Daycare in October 2022 on work experience and progressed to employment in May 2023. She helps to supervise the dogs, including how they interact with each other and their environment, as well as entertaining the dogs. Poppy also helps to keep the playroom clean. She has a Level 3 Animal Management: Distinction, and she’s working towards her Level 2 qualification as a Dog Grooming Assistant. Poppy’s favourite thing about her role is being able to watch the dogs make friends and see each of their personalities come out. She also loves dog cuddles! Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and her crazy Boxer, Bailey, as well as caring for her chickens, hamster, and cockatiel. A fun fact about Poppy is that when she was little, her dad taught her how to ride a mini motorbike.
Bonnie, Doggy Daycare Assistant
Bonnie joined Doggy Daycare in July 2023, and her role is to oversee the dogs as they play and to keep them entertained. In her spare time, she volunteers for a local dog groomer. Bonnie is currently working towards her Level 2 qualification as a Dog Grooming Assistant. Her favourite things about being a Doggy Daycare Assistant are watching the new dogs become more confident and enjoying cuddles in the playroom. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her pets, gaming, and binge-watching sitcoms. Bonnie has a group of African Land Snails and a Tarantula, which she loves to watch, and she can usually be found in front of their tanks!