Kennel Staff
Kennel Manager Dan Benner has been with Roaring Brook Kennels since November of 2011 and spends each day exploring how to provide the best care for our clients and their pets. “I want to ensure the highest standards of care and do my best to promote excellent client and patient service,” Dan said.
A graduate of Bates College with a degree in psychology, Dan said what he most enjoys about Roaring Brook is the “company of our caring staff, the interaction with the wonderful animals and to find new ways to expand services and pamper our guests.”
Dan has a small menagerie at home, including four dogs, two bunnies, a red footed tortoise, chickens and a Caique – which is a parrot. He spends his free time cooking, biking, gardening and hiking.
Gina Bruno is the grooming manager at Roaring Brook Kennels. She joined our staff as an attendant in 1994; a year later, Gina went through a thorough, year-long all-breed grooming training program under the supervision of another well-respected pet stylist. Gina has traveled to numerous trade shows and seminars in order to keep up with the latest styles and trends in pet grooming.
Gina offers an extensive array of grooming services, including all-breed clipping and styling, cat grooming, specialty shampoos, conditioning treatments and dental maintenance. She is experienced with all pets, from Poodles and Persians to Terriers and tomcats.
No matter what your pet's individual needs, Gina provides all grooming clients with one-on-one personal attention and treats them like a beloved family member. While many pets enjoy the grooming process, some do not. In cases where a pet is scared, has special needs or just doesn't want to be there, Gina takes extra time to ensure the grooming process is as comfortable as possible. She takes pride in dealing with "challenging" cases and successfully grooming animals that have been deemed "ungroomable".
Gina feels lucky to be able to work with animals and loves knowing she'll get more dog kisses and kitty purrs each day than she can handle. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the beach and reading. She especially likes to spend time with her two cats, Dert and Grimm, and her dog Ralphie (a.k.a. Piggy).
Daycare attendant Devin Hersey describes himself as an “animal enthusiast”, which is one of the reasons why he loves spending his day with the pets in our DayCare program. He described his main responsibilities as “entertaining and maintaining the safety of all the dogs in our care.”
Devin, who has a degree in criminal justice, has been with Roaring Brook since January of 2011. He described Roaring Brook as a place with a “good atmosphere with easy, friendly people.”
Devin spends his time working out in the gym, and caring for his three dogs, three cats, two rabbits and a Caique parrott.
Conscientious and compassionate. Those are two great words to describe kennel attendant Linda Labombard. The best part of her day, she said, is “dog walking and making sure the pets are well cared for and healthy.” Keeping the pets healthy includes cleaning and feeding, providing their medicine and spending time with the boarding pets. She’s been in the pet care business for more than 25 years and has been with Roaring Brook since April of 2007.
Her experience with us has been particularly satisfying, she said, because of the “high standard of care for the pets while they’re at the kennel.”
When not at work, Linda walks her own three dogs, Sky, a Border Collie mix, Abby,a Rottie mix, and Luke, a Boxer mix. She also has a finch named Little Bird, five geese, two ducks and a Rooster named General. She spends her time landscaping and on her home improvement photography.
Kennel Attendant Lynne Thibault has been with Roaring Brook since January of 2011. She has a wide range of responsibilities at the kennel, including the general care, cleaning, grooming, feeding and walking of the dogs in our care, as well as providing medication, baths and keeping alert for any signs of illness in the pets. She also helps takes care of the cats in the cattery.
Lynne has a diverse background. She has been the executive director of an international aviation company, operates her own family farm and takes pride, she said, in her “positive attitude.” She is currently attending Northwestern Community College and is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association and the American Paint Horse Association.
“I agree with the work ethic and the standards set forth at Roaring Brook Kennels, and their sincere concern for the animals,” said Lynne. “I enjoy working with our clients and their pets.”
Lynne is an active member of her town’s Emergency Medical Technician team and is the chief of the local Emergency Medical Services. She enjoys horseback riding, kayaking, hiking and refurbishing properties.
Katie Yates, one of our customer service representatives, is often the first person people meet when they visit Roaring Brook. She’s always happy to greet our clients, make reservations, answer the phone and to help ensure that our patients receive the best care possible.
Katie has been helping to receive our clients and their pets since June of 2011. Prior to that, she owned a pet sitting business. “I enjoy working at Roaring Brook Kennels because of our friendly staff and my love for animals,” she said.
When not supporting the care of the pets at Roaring Brook, Katie attends to the care of her three dogs, Daisy, a mixed breed rescue dog; and Rocky and Mary Jane, her two Pitbulls. Katie also enjoys cooking and baking.
Customer service representative Mary Ingram has been working in the animal care business for the past 10 years, and has been with Roaring Brook Kennels for the past year. What she enjoys doing the most is ensuring that our clients receive the best attention and care from the moment they enter the kennel. By her own definition she’s good at multi-tasking, which helps our kennel run smoothly. Mary received her degree in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut.
When asked what her favorite part of the day is, Mary said simply, “Playing with the dogs”, which helps keep them healthy and happy during their stay with us.
When she’s not spending time with her daughter Natalie or hanging out with friends and family, Mary’s caring for her dogs, which include a Yellow Lab named Missy, a 10 year old Lab mix called Maggie, a 4 year old mix named Riley, as well as a cat named Brook and her two horses, Bobby and Ninia.