About Us
Abby, Owner
Abby launched Barksley in January 2017 after many years of dreaming and planning. She grew up learning how to run a business as both of her parents are business owners. Her mother is a veterinarian and has been practicing animal medicine for over 40 years. Her father owns and operates a dinner movie theater. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Business Management.
Abby moved to Richmond in 2011 and instantly fell in love with the city. She loves exploring the sights and trails with her two dogs. Before opening Barksley, Abby left her job at a law firm to work in a veterinary hospital. She learned about common issues, diseases, medications, vaccines, and surgeries for dogs and cats.
Abby is dedicated to her clients and their pets. Barksley is her full-time job and main focus. She forms strong bonds with her clients' pets and usually has great success getting fearful dogs and cats to warm up to her. She would love to meet you and your pet today!
Victoria, Operations Manager
Victoria joined the Barksley pack in November 2023. She has more than a decade of experience in the pet care industry. She supervised playgroups at dog parks and managed boarding facilities before transitioning to in-home pet care. She worked independently as a dog walker and pet sitter for many years before finding her place at Barksley. She is well versed in understanding dog and cat body language and being in tune to their specific needs. She finds it extremely rewarding to work with reactive and fearful dogs (or cats) by gaining their trust through patience and positive reinforcement techniques.
Caring for pets has been a lifelong passion for Victoria. She understands how important pets are to their family and strives to provide the same quality of care that she gives to her own dogs, Hildy and Lucy. Victoria adopted her girls when their previous owners could no longer care for them. They enjoy going for car rides and hikes together before snuggling on the couch at the end of the day.
Lindsey, Field Manager
Lindsey joined the Barksley pack in May 2018 after working at a dog daycare and boarding facility. Through her work and training she learned the specifics of nutrition, the importance of play and routine, and how to best care for pets with special health and behavioral concerns. Lindsey was eager to transition to in-home pet care because she loves seeing the personality traits and quirks that pets show in the comfort of their own home.
Lindsey is from Richmond and developed a deep love for animals and learned at an early age that all creatures deserve compassion and respect. She carried this sentiment with her throughout her life and made it a priority in her career caring for animals. Lindsey is a huge advocate for adoption and has an adorable family of rescues. Her fur-family includes a hound mix named Waylon, who loves to cuddle, a herding dog named Cooper, who often finds ways to outsmart his momma, and a kitty named Little Cat who keeps all the dogs in check.
Evan, Schedule Manager
Evan joined the Barksley pack in October 2023 after working in pet sitting for many years. When he first began working with animals, Evan found that practicing patience and offering encouragement were the most important things he could do to make the pets feel comfortable, safe, and loved while their parents were away. He continued his career in pet care by joining the Barksley team and now focuses on managing the schedule for all of our staff and assists in client management. He works along side our Owner and Managers to ensure that Barksley provides excellent customer service to all clients.
Evan grew up in the Richmond area and got his first experience caring for pets thanks to his parents, who encouraged him and his brother at an early age to help out with the family dogs and cat. As kids and pets grew up together, he and his brother were imparted with the lesson that their pets are valued members of the family and all pets should be treated as such. Evan loves to write, travel, and run in his free time.
Blaise, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Blaise joined the Barksley pack in April 2019 and has been working professionally with pets since 2011. He truly loves the job and spending time with each pet in his care. Blaise has a very calming presence, which allows shy and timid pets to warm up to him quickly. He learns the personality of each pet so he can provide them with the exact care they need. Whether it is power-walking with a high energy pup or cuddling inside with a low-key kitty, Blaise is happy to provide love and care to our clients' pets.
Blaise grew up around all kinds of pets: dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles. His mother was a professional dog trainer and encouraged him to be hands-on with animals from an early age. He was able to learn animal body language and how best to communicate with animals using positive reinforcement techniques. This provided Blaise with a significant foundation of knowledge to be the amazing pet care professional he is today. He has a kitty named Mr. Kitty, who adopted him. Blaise looks forward to becoming your pet's new best friend.
Dani, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Dani joined the Barksley pack in January 2022. She grew up with dogs and began pet sitting for family members and friends from an early age. She continued pet sitting during high school and college. Caring for pets has always been a part of her life and makes her feel fulfilled. She joined Barksley with so much experience and natural ability. She is excellent with all dog temperaments from high energy to nervous and fearful. She is also a cat lover who will provide her lap for biscuit making and back scratches.
In her spare time, she loves to work on obedience and agility training with her dog Cricket. They also go on hikes and pack walks around the beautiful trails of Richmond. Dani is an all around animal lover, who is organized and detail oriented. You will love her as your pet care provider!
Jessica, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Jessica joined the Barksley pack in April of 2022 with more than 4 years experience dog walking and pet sitting. She provides the pets in her care with a lot of love and compassion. She would bend over backwards to make a pet comfortable, as well as their humans. Jessica is fantastic with dogs of all sizes, cats of all temperaments, and all small pets or reptiles. She's loves them all!
Growing up Jessica was always around pets, which molded her into the animal lover she is today. She currently has a house full of rescues animals, including three Staffordshire Bull Terriers and 14 various snakes and reptiles. The majority of her pets came to her with health issues and/or traumas. Through knowledge, patience, and extra special care, Jessica nursed them back to health and gave them a new home in which to thrive.
Jessica's favorite part about her job is gaining the trust of a nervous pet and seeing them open up over time. She provides the routine and care that each pet needs to feel happy and safe. She looks forward to meeting your pets!
Ciara, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Ciara joined the Barksley pack in July 2022. She began pet sitting for family, friends, and co-workers in 2015. She instantly loved working with so many different dogs and cats. She enjoyed learning their personalities, especially in two pet households with fur-siblings who are very different from each other.
Ciara always meets a new pet on their terms. She allows space and time to give the pet the opportunity to get to know her without any fear or anxiety of a new person in their home. Creating that safe space is her first priority with any pet in her care.
She grew up in a family with a love of animals. Her family dog taught her a lot about respecting a dog's personal space and boundaries. She learned that dogs are similar to humans in that they need space and understanding. That care is reflected in her work with Barksley. She is excellent with big and small dogs, as well as cats. Your pet will love her and she will love them just as much!
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Maria, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Maria joined the Barksley pack in January 2024. Bio to come.
Alex, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Alex joined the Barksley pack in July 2024. His previous pet care experience was primarily caring for family and friend’s pets. When he worked as a delivery driver, he would interact with pets on a regular basis. This experience helped him understand the importance of going slow and reading a dog's body language to ensure the safety of everyone involved. He knew he had a passion for pets and wanted to transition to a career in pet care. He joined the Barksley team and quickly realized how rewarding it was to care for pets. He strives to provide the best quality of care to the pets in his care. He loves getting to know each pet's unique personality and what makes them happy. He loves the special bonds that he has made with the pets he visits and looks forward to seeing them every day.
In his spare time, Alex loves to play and watch soccer. He also loves to spend time with his family and friends or getting out to explore beautiful Richmond.
Emma, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Emma joined the Barksley pack in September 2024. Her passion for pets began at a young age when Emma provided pet sitting for family friends. She later worked as a volunteer at the SPCA, which helped foster her passion further. She then began working at a dog boarding facility where she learned the importance of monitoring a dog’s body language. She also gained experience with dog handling and basic training skills.
Emma has her own sweet orange cat named Clementine, a cuddle bug who loves following his mom around and begging for people food. Emma loves caring for dogs and cats, and she enjoys getting to spend time learning each pet’s unique personality. She can’t wait to meet your pet!
Tori, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Tori joined the Barksley pack in October 2024. Beginning at age 8, Tori began dog walking and pet sitting for family and friends, which she continued throughout high school. She gained extensive experience caring for dogs of all sizes and temperaments. She became well-versed in dog and cat body language. She cared for many fearful and reactive dogs, which showed her how important it is to be consistent and patience when it comes to earning a pet's trust.
Tori’s rescue dog, Angel, came to her with reactivity and fear based aggression. With her unique experience and empathetic approach to pet care, Tori was able to rehabilitate Angel and give her the life she always deserved. She understands that each dog has different needs and she strives to provide compassionate care for all of her furry friends. We know that Tori will be your pet's new best friend!
Diana, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Diana joined the Barksley pack in October 2024. Growing up, her family always had dogs and she developed a special relationship caring for them. She was able to further her passion caring for pets when she began pet sitting for family friends, sometimes handling shy or nervous dogs. She then began working at a veterinary hospital and gained experience caring for pets of all breeds and temperaments. This experience made her sensitive to each pet’s unique needs and the needs of the pet parents. Diana takes the time to build trust with pets and focuses on positive reinforcement to foster those bonds.
In her personal life, Diana is the proud mom of an adorable domestic shorthair flame-point cat named Kiwi, who she has taught to sit on command, and a pied banana ball python named Snoodles. She loves caring for pets of all shapes and sizes and can’t wait to meet yours!
Kassi, Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Kassi joined the Barksley pack in October 2024. She grew up always having dogs in the house, which helped foster her passion for pets from an early age. Kassi would pet sit for neighbors regularly and volunteered at a cat rescue. Her time at the rescue inspired her to pursue a career working more closely with pets. She began working at a dog daycare and boarding facility and learned how dogs communicate with their body language. She also learned how to provide exceptional care and ensure the safety of the pets in her care. Her passion for pet care continued to grow and she made the transition to in-home pet care when joining Barksley.
When at home, Kassi loves spending time with her 16 year old pitbull mix, Buddah, who got his name due to his round belly. Kassi raised Buddah from the time he was a puppy and taught him basic commands. This taught her the patience and compassion that makes her the excellent pet care provider she is today.
