Born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Detroit, Anna moved to the near west suburbs of Chicago in 2004 and moved into the city in 2021 . Anna has three human babies and two fur babies. She is a city girl who enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking, biking, and all things water-related. Anna has a background in technology, marketing, and human resources and is excited to bring these skills to Green Paws.

Growing up in Metro Detroit, Ava has always been an animal lover. Ranging from frogs to guinea pigs, and (her favorite) dogs, she has love for any and all pets! Since moving to Chicago in 2020, Ava has been walking dogs while pursuing her Masters Degree in Music from DePaul University. Since graduating, she has decided to stay in the Chicago area and share her love for pets by joining the Green Paws team!

Born and raised in a cat-loving Illinois home, Elise (they/them) moved from the suburbs to the city in January of 2022. As someone who loves pets, Elise shows this by volunteering with various animal rescues as well as being a colony caretaker and TNR (trap-neuter-return) enthusiast. Within the past two years, they were able to find homes for 15+ stray cats and kittens just in their neighborhood! Elise currently lives at home with their two cats, Cookie and Cleo, and their dog Pemby.

“My favorite part of the walks is having the opportunity to interact with the fur babies and share in their contagious enthusiasm for life. It brightens my day as much as it enriches theirs.” says Brian (he/him), a lifetime animal lover. He tries to keep each visit fresh and engaging by being attentive to the dog’s behavior and keeping the routes from becoming too familiar. About Green Paws he says, “I can’t believe I get to do this everyday. It’s not a job; it’s an absolute joy!”

John (he/him) grew up in rural Ohio prior to relocating to Chicago. He has been spending time with animals since the early years of his life hanging out with barn cats. During high school his dad surprised the family with a puppy and ever since then, he has been hooked on spoiling his four-legged friends!

David (he/him) was born and bred in the Detroit area but has called Chicago home for over 10 years. He grew up with a dog named Max and a cat named Odysseus. Over the years, at various times, David has also lived with various dogs, cats, fancy rats, snakes, fish, and hamsters. David currently resides in Avondale, where, in addition to his pet-loving activities, he occasionally finds work as a freelance writer/editor.

Joe (he/him) grew up in Northwest Indiana and recently moved to Portage Park. Growing up, Joe had a Springer Spaniel and currently has a 1-year-old Golden Labrador Retriever. He worked as a dogwalker several years ago and is thrilled to have the opportunity to do it again, as he loves animals, especially cats and dogs. In his free time, Joe likes to read, exercise, go hiking and fishing, and watch movies/TV shows.

Max (they/them) has been walking dogs since the 5th grade. From a young age, they have always been driven in life by being a caretaker. A graduate of University of Illinois at Champaign’s School of Art + Design, Max spends their free time carving wood blocks for their various printmaking projects.

Matt (he/him) has been living in the Logan Square area for nearly twenty years. In his previous lives, he was a graduate from the SAIC painting and drawing program and is an experienced brewer.  His passions outside his furry friends include disc golf, music, and making “bad art.”  Matt likes to describe himself as your pup’s “in-flight entertainment counselor” and tries to ensure they see what they want to see and go where they want to go.

Cristal (she/her) grew up in Little Village with a succession of tiny chihuahuas and one giant doberman, as well as the neighborhood’s eclectic variety of pets: chickens, ducks, goats, and on one memorable occasion, a pony. She currently has two kitties, Luna and Roger Sterling, but her passion for pets has taken her to shift her career path from the medical field, to the veterinary, and finally here with us.

John (he/him) grew up as a military kid living in places like Seattle, Italy, and Bahrain. He had a family Beagle named Jazzy growing up who is the sweetest! He graduated from the University of Iowa and has happily settled in northern Chicago. You can catch john at second city, on the lake, or in his second favorite city, Milwaukee!

John grew up in Colorado and moved to Chicago for school, and liked it so much that he decided to stay! A lifelong lover of dogs and cats, John enjoys filling the pet-sized hole in his life (his apartment is too small) by working with Green Paws. When he’s not spending time with his furry friends, John enjoys reading, working on graphic design, taking crazy long walks, and listening to music.

Keith (he /him) has over 15 years of experience caring for dogs in a daycare and boarding kennel environment. He has also watched many a cat while the musician that usually lived with them was on tour. He moved to Chicago after finishing a degree in painting and printmaking at the University of Texas. He has been active in Chicago’s music and art scene since the late 1990s, but is most proud of his wife, their terrier, and all the lovely friendships he has made with canines of all sizes, shapes, and colors .

Ben grew up in California and moved to Chicago in 2011 to attend DePaul University. After graduation, he enjoyed Chicago so much that he decided to stay and make this city his home! Ben has an 8-year-old border collie named Waffle and is excited to get him a friend when the time is right. When he’s not hanging with his pup, you can find Ben with the bleacher creatures at Wrigley Field, roasting people on Xbox Live, or demolishing some wings.

Vivian (they/them) recently graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a degree in environmental studies and made the move back to Chicago. They have always loved animals and volunteered at P.A.W.S. Animal Shelter for five years before going to college. In their free time, they enjoy making art and spending time outdoors!

Matt hails from Evanston and has lived in East Roger’s Park for most of his life. An ex-Social Worker, he loves books, Chicago, history, Da Cubs, and dogs!

Jonathan (he/him) grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and has yet to find a pet he couldn’t love. He went to school at the University of Missouri where he studied Film and traveled around for work before moving back to Chicago in 2019. Jonathan has lived with some amazing cats and dreams of the day that he will have a big yard of his own for a whole new generation of furry friends! In his free time, you can find Jonathan performing standup comedy throughout the city, making homemade pizzas, and trying to catch his tail.

A native of Palo Alto, California, Bailey has been living in the north side of Chicago for 11 years! Bailey loves spending time with her cat Flynn and all the adoptable animals at Tree House Humane Society where she works as a Cat Care Technician. When not with animals, Bailey can be found biking, listening to Taylor Swift, spending time with human family and friends, and trying out new restaurants in the city. Bailey is looking forward to caring for the fur babies of the Green Paws Family!

Katie (she/her) is a born and bred Chicago gal with a lifelong passion for animals. While her primary career is in musical theatre (she graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Columbia College Chicago and recently got her Master of Music in Music Theatre Vocal Pedagogy), there’s nothing she loves more than spending her in-between time with furry friends. Whether it’s with her childhood dog (Ellie), her current cat and best friend (Bonnie), or the neighborhood pets, Katie feels most at home alongside her animal family.

Nick (he/him) grew up in Bucktown followed by a stint in the suburbs. He was raised in a cat-loving house with dogs on either side and recently graduated from Knox College with a Political Science and Environmental Studies degree. He has an elderly orange tiger named Jasper and is thinking about a second cat. When he’s not walking pups he’s volunteering with Food Not Bombs or rereading the Aubrey/Maturin series for the third time.

As far back as he can remember, David has always been an animal lover. Being a Chicago native has given David countless opportunities to interact with animals of all shapes and sizes! Growing up, David’s family primarily owned dogs, but he now can’t envision life without his sweet kitty, Jericho! David now lives in Albany Park with his wife and is excited to spend time with the pups at Green Paws!

Matty (they/them) is a doodler and a wanderer that has returned to Chicago in recent years from Portland, OR. They grew up in rural west Michigan with Bassets and forest cats. Aside from walking from one end of Chicago to the other, Matty spends their spare time cheering on local pro-wrestlers, performing weird music and dancing in loud, dark places.

A lover of all dogs, Anne is looking forward to spending time with pups all over the city of Chicago. She is excited to give the four-legged friends of the Green Paws Family the same love that their owners do. When she is not walking dogs, Anne is a freelance advertising copywriter who can also be found biking throughout the city.

Laura is an animal-loving classical flutist based in the Chicago area. She grew up in Virginia always surrounded by family pets, and the only thing she dislikes about living in Chicago is being away from her family dog, Leo! As a recent graduate of DePaul University School of Music, Laura is looking forward to spending quality time with the furry residents of Chicago and spreading joy through them and music.

Andrew (he/him) was born and raised in Chicago and is happy to call this city his home. Pets have always been important in his life and in his free time, Andrew volunteers at the Tree House Humane Society. When he is not spending time with animals, Andrew can be found biking, appreciating art, or trying a new vegetarian recipe.

Amanda (they/them, she/her) is a Chicago native who’s just nuts for fur friends. They have their best cat friends, Bagel and Thomas, at home always waiting for them after each day. When Amanda is not spending time with their furry friends, Amanda is enjoying movies, photography, interior design, biking, and cooking.

Throughout his life, Dylan has been surrounded by dogs and his love for them continues to grow! Dylan has been lucky enough to raise many young pups, giving him the knowledge and experience to ensure that every pet under his care is extremely happy and comfortable. There is no better feeling to Dylan than seeing a dog’s smile and wagging tail, so he works his hardest to bring every dog the amount of happiness that they bring to him!

Dani (they/them) has been an animal lover their whole life. They grew up with a dog and have lived with cats, birds, ferrets, fish, and iguanas over the years. Before dog walking, Dani was a nanny and a babysitter, and loved when their families had pets. They bring the same caring and fun energy from watching kids to taking care of pets and look forward to meeting your furry family members!