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Jill Lydic has been working with and training animals her whole life.  Her desire to care for them led to four years of experience as a Veterinary Technician, providing her with extensive knowledge in first aid and preventative care. She was always most fascinated by behavior, though, and that interest led her to pursue a career in marine mammal training while doing some dog training on the weekends.  For nine years, Jill worked with gray, harp, and harbor seals and Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose dolphins, gaining valuable experience in positive reinforcement training techniques.  She also attended various training workshops involving walruses, sea lions, penguins, otters, and elephants. Training large mammals to participate in medical exams voluntarily requires plenty of patience, and Jill’s compassion for animals is obvious when you see her interact with them.  As a Senior Marine Mammal Trainer, she had the opportunity to train three dolphins from birth, so she has the skills needed to work with young, naive animals. Jill is currently a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the Obedience Club of Asheville, where she serves as their Director of Training.  She enjoys watching the animals (and their humans!) learn and helping people bond with their dogs during the training process.  Her own dogs are her children, so she understands the importance of having them in your life.

Jason Lydic has worked with numerous exotic and sometimes rare animals, including amphibians such as salamanders and poison dart frogs, large reptiles like crocodilians and anacondas, as well as primates, birds, hoofstock, and venomous insects.  He has assisted in the training of pygmy marmosets, golden lion tamarins, and a variety of bird species. His eight years of college education to the level of a Master’s degree in Biology provides him with a strong background in animal science and management.  He has extensive zoo and aquarium experience and his attention to detail when it comes to caring for animals is meticulous.  He is extremely dedicated to animals and was the brains behind the development of YOU WORK, I’LL PLAY.  A child at heart, Jason loves to get down on the floor with a dog for a good, old-fashioned romp!  He excels at creating fun, new games for dogs and will surely keep your animal entertained for hours!

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Keena is a border collie/lab mix who was rescued from the pound by Jason the day after Christmas in 1996 when she was one year old.  She spends her free time lounging behind the desk and looking for people to rub her back or belly.  She is a very easy-going dog and loves meeting new dogs and their people. Keena believes you're never to old to learn new "tricks" and earned her AKC Canine Good Citizen certification at the youthful age of 12. Keena’s beautiful face and calm demeanor are hard to resist, so she knows that when you meet her, you’ll be giving her a good rubdown in no time!

Ellie is a poodle/terrier/lab mix (a true mutt!) who was orphaned in 1998 at five weeks old.  Jill adopted Ellie two weeks later and they’ve been inseparable ever since.  Ellie is an extraordinary jumper (perhaps part kangaroo?!) and an exceptional frisbee dog.  Although shy at first, Ellie has a wonderful personality and can’t get enough of wrestling around with her sisters.  At night, Ellie loves to curl up under the covers and snuggle with her mommy, letting out long sighs as she goes to sleep.  Ellie’s floppy ear is her favorite feature and she knows you won’t be able to look at her without smiling at her adorable face! 

Zipper is the baby of the Lydic family.  Born on September 6, 2005, she is a purebred Jack Russell Terrier, making her the only non-mutt of the group!  Like most Jacks, she is full of energy and mischief. She loves curling up on a warm lap, watching horses, stalking and playing with her big sisters, and will play ball or frisbee forever if you let her.  Zipper has been dubbed "Julie McCoy, the Cruise Director" (Love Boat reference, in case you didn't get it!) as she insists on keeping tabs on everyone and making sure that all dogs are playing nicely. She goes home exhausted every night!
Soubhi has been working in the animal field since 1996.  She started out as a bather and dryer in a grooming shop, where she also did a three year apprenticeship as a groomer.  Soubhi later became involved in animal rescue and fostering, and worked at the Asheville Humane Society; she started as an animal caretaker and eventually became assistant manager.  She also worked for a time as a veterinary assistant at the Humane Alliance Spay/ Neuter Clinic.  In 2003 she got back to grooming, working in Knoxville, TN for a few years before moving back to WNC and starting her own grooming business called HAUTE DOGS, located in YOU WORK, I'LL PLAY. She is pictured above with her husband, Maelstrom, and their four "kids".
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Antonia ("Toni") is a Western NC native and the full-time Assistant Supervisor at YWIP. Before joining our staff, Toni worked in a kennel and conducted play sessions with a variety of dogs at that facility. It was there that she met and adopted her dog, Peanut, who had been boarding for 5 years after his owner was diagnosed with a degenerative illness. Toni is a true dog lover, as proven by the fact that for her birthday, she prepared peanut butter biscuits for the daycare dogs! Toni is also a model and photographer, you can see her work on her website at www.antoniaeden.com.
Erin has had a passion for dogs since childhood, when all of her begging finally convinced her parents to get her a dachshund named Bubbles. In 2006 she began working with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind as a puppy raiser. Erin says that being able to raise puppies for the blind has thoroughly changed her life. Her first puppy was a Golden named Jake, who unfortunately was taken out of the program early due to aggression. Her second puppy, Rei, has completed her formal training and has been matched with a blind person. Her current pup is a black lab named Midnight, who gets to come and play while Erin works at YWIP part-time. Midnight has proved to be the easiest pup to raise, and, as Erin says, "she's going to be really hard to let go." Erin is also attending AB-Tech pursuing a degree in Digital Media.
Ethan came to Asheville by way of Fairbanks, Alaska, where he spent many chilly days and chillier nights taking care of sled dogs for all of his mushing friends. Originally from Michigan, Ethan occupied most of his time on the beach tossing driftwood into the surf with his dog, Banner. While he currently doesn't have a dog of his own, it seems that Ethan is the "go-to guy" whenever a friend needs a dog sitter. With a background in education, he finds that his part-time work as a dog daycare assistant is not that far removed from working with high schoolers! Ethan is an avid fisherman, even attempting the sport with some of the dogs here at daycare (they mostly found floating biscuits very confusing). When Ethan grows up, he wants to be a rock star.