Dana's Story
Dana has had dogs since the day she was born. Her family's black lab, Tory, led the way to a lifelong love. She learned about rescue late one winter night in her hometown of Weaverville when she was about 12 years old. Her father was a Real Estate broker and had visited one of his rural listings earlier in the day. He'd found three dogs apparently abandoned on the property and couldn't get them out of his mind. The family bundled up and drove through the dark and snow to save the terrified, shivering Mastiff, Heeler, and their pup. The Heeler, Daisy, made it very clear that she was moving in and they found homes for the other two. Daisy was a constant joy and challenge. Dana learned about the ceaseless commitment required of rescue dogs and the undeniable rewards and struggles that come with them. Since then, rescue pets have always been a part of her life - from Austin, the weirdly wonderful stray cat, to Lyla, the unbelievably high maintenance American Eskimo with a vet file as big as a dictionary. She has spent countless hours volunteering at Bay Area shelters and dreaming of a rescue of her own. She believes that dogs are the best teachers of patience, resilience, and forgiveness. Dana lives in the East Bay with her husband Paul and their dog, Rico, a mixed breed whose only goal is to make you smile. When she's not loving on dogs, she is running a research company with her brother and business partner.
Carolyn's Story
Growing up in a family of animal lovers, Carolyn developed a love and appreciation for animals at a young age. She has always had dogs and cats in her life and has never been without a pet of some sort. She loves volunteering in her free time especially to help animals in need. For the past 15 years she has been volunteering at dog and cat rescues caring for the animals and using her photography skills to take photos for adoption ads, product merch, social media and bios. When the opportunity presented itself to be involved in starting Hair of the Dog, she jumped at the chance to work with like minded individuals and knew she could contribute a great deal getting this rescue off the ground. She has extensive experience working at startup companies and the focus/determination needed to make things happen. She's very proud to be part of this organization and team and looking forward to helping many dogs find loving permanent homes. She feels honored to be able to do this work. Carolyn lives in Alameda with her rescues. When not working her day job in engineering, she enjoys hiking with her dogs, road trips, spending time in nature, photography (especially dog photography) and all the Bay Area has to offer.
Kayla Mercurio
Board Member
Canine Behavioral Expert and Trainer
KPA-CTP
kayla@hairofthedogrescue.pet
Kayla's Story
Rescue work has always held a special place in my heart & my life. Growing up I remember spending summers watching Animal Planet with my grandmother, our favorite show was “Pitbulls and Parolees”. That show introduced me to the world of rescue and I’ve been hooked ever since. Even my career revolves around dogs. I’ve worked in the pet care industry for over a decade, from a veterinary assistant, to a doggy daycare manger and running my own dog walking & training business. Throughout the course of my career I have volunteered with several animal rescue organizations & have completed multiple continued education programs in order to offer quality services for my clients and provide the best care possible to the dogs I work with. As a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), I have made a pledge to uphold high standards for the physical & mental wellness of all animals that I work with and care for. For me, a huge part of that means helping people through behavioral challenges so they can keep their dogs and providing security for dogs without homes as we search for their forever home and also preparing them for their new homes by teaching the skills they may need to be successful. As a member of Hair of the Dog, I make another pledge to do right by all the dogs I may cross paths with who have lost their homes, been let down by humans, or haven’t received the love they deserve. While rescue work is neither glamorous nor easy, every happy ending, or new beginning should I say, fills the soul with pure goodness. I am so proud to be a part of this meaningful organization created by people with a shared passion for rescue. Life brought us all here together for a reason & we’ve got work to do!​​
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