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.

Hailing from a small town in Iowa, Rhiannon (she/her) has had a passion for all things furry since the day her father brought home their family’s first (of what would be four) collies. Growing up with a home full of lovable, fluffy giants and a love for riding at her aunt’s stables, she is no stranger to taking care of and hanging around four-legged creatures. Nowadays Rhiannon resides in Albany Park with her feisty kit, Suzuki, where she spends her time penning what she hopes one day to be best-selling novels.

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!

“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.

Max  (he/they) has been walking dogs since the 5th grade. From a young age, they have always been driven in life by being a caretaker. They recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign’s School of Art + Design. When not running around and playing with animals, Max is 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.

Animal care has always been a passion of Marijo’s (she/her) and she aims to treat her furry friends with the same love their parents do as she studies for a career in animal science! She is currently a co-parent to a Huskimo puppy and has lived with dogs and feathered friends most of her life. Having worked at animal shelters, vet clinics, and pet stores, she has come in contact with creatures of all shapes and sizes! In her free time, she can be found reading a good murder mystery, disc golfing, or meditating at a local Buddhist temple.

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!

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.

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 working with Green Paws, 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 .

Simone is a multimedia artist from Chicago who loves getting to know pets and their families! She’s been in pet care for several years and has experience ranging from doggy daycares to pet sitting for personal clients. Simone love all pets, big and small, and hopes to create a safe and loving environment for everyone!

May is a recent high school graduate and is excited to move forward with her life in college. She grew up in Edgewater but moved to Portage Park a year ago. She doesn’t currently have a pup of her own but has a cute little hamster named Pebbles, who is just over eight months old. She has big dreams of becoming a veterinarian or settling into a similar field in the future so long as she can work with animals.

Yara (she/her) was born and raised in Albany Park and has been living in Logan Square for the last two years. She is a lifelong animal lover and has had pets all her life, from chatty parrots to fuzzy bunnies! She currently has three cats and two dogs – Yvie, Dewey, Mitski, Selva and Meelo! Yara is also heavily involved in the Chicago rescue scene and fosters animals in need of a safe haven. When not hanging out with animals, she is at the Music Box, experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen, or checking out local music.

Ben grew up in California and moved to Chicago in 2011 to attend DePaul University. After graduation, he enjoyed it so much that he decided to stay and make Chicago home. He 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 him with the bleacher creatures in Wrigley Field, roasting people on Xbox Live, or demolishing some wings.

Mayuri (she/her) was born in Detroit Michigan and grew up in Japan. Mayuri is a freelancer, oboist, and pianist residing in the Chicagoland area. She recently graduated from DePaul University with a post-master certificate in Oboe performance. She has been with dogs and cats for ten years and has had experience sitting many times in Ohio and Chicago. Mayuri had a Corgi, Belle, in Japan and currently has an orange cat, Bhumi.

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!

Geremy has a degree in filmmaking and originally hails from New York. He enjoys listening to music, fine art, photography, and podcasting in his spare time. He has a kitty named Felix and his goal is to become a professional dog trainer someday.

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 moved around to work before moving back to Chicago in 2019. He’s lived with some amazing cats and dreams of the day he can 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.

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, they show this by volunteering with Forever Fortunate Felines as well as being a colony caretaker and TNR (trap-neuter-return) enthusiast. Elise lives at home with their two cats, Cookie and Cleo, and their dog Pemby.