Meet the team members that work together to make your pet’s visit to Mountain Dog Spa a happy one!
Alissa Short – Owner
Alissa has been passionate about canines all her life. She has three dogs of her own; Gus the Cane Corso, Muscles the Boxer, and Howard the French Bulldog. With over 20 years of experience working professionally with dogs in many ways, shapes and forms, Alissa developed a balanced approach to training canines, which has proven to be a successful, holistic method of training. Alissa’s methods provide a balance of guidance and direction with love and care. Mountain Dog’s training program gives dog owners the tools and skills to build a relationship of trust with their pets while teaching them boundaries through consistent training protocols.
Alissa is a graduate of the renowned Nanhall School of Grooming in Greensboro, NC. She is the proud owner of Mountain Dog Spa, which she opened in 2008. Mountain Dog Spa is located in the pristine mountains of Cashiers, NC. These are the mountains where Alissa and her husband, Sammy, call home and raise their family. They have four sons; Nathaniel, Kyle, Lucas, and Myles. They enjoy hiking, biking and doing anything that involves the great outdoors, and dogs of course!
Katie Darling–Kennel Manager & Dog Trainer
Katie is from Waynesville, NC, and brings an incredibly hardworking, loving, and determined energy to Mountain Dog Spa. She has a full house of animals—7 dogs, 10 chickens, 3 ducks, 8 cats, and 6 kittens—and her passion for training and caring for animals shines through in everything she does.
Her favorite hobbies include hiking with her partner and her dogs. She loves watching Hocus Pocus, enjoys Mexican food, and her favorite spicy girl drink is a frozen margarita or sugar-free cherry Pepsi. Katie loves alternative music and her favorite color is forest green. Her dream vacation is a national park road trip.
Katie’s favorite thing about Mountain Dog Spa is the perfect blend of “dogs + people”—building relationships while helping pets grow and thrive. This year, her personal goal is to “get ripped,” and at work she’s focused on becoming an even better trainer. She’s especially excited to work more with e-collar training, building solid e-collar heeling, and sending dogs confidently to place and crate from across the room.
Tarah Bryson- Front of House Manager
Tarah is from Cashiers, NC, and brings a loving, caring, and positive energy to Mountain Dog Spa every day. She’s a pet mom to two dogs and one turtle—Dutch, Oliver, and Sunny—and she loves spending her free time reading or watching her favorite movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline.
Her favorite things include Thai food, matcha or coffee, indie and pop music, and the colors pink and lavender. Tarah’s dream vacation is soaking up the sunshine in Maui, Hawaii.
Her favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is “our amazing team… and the dogs, of course.” This year, Tarah’s personal goals include improving her health, wellness, and fitness. At work, she’s focused on maintaining a positive and supportive team environment, improving operations, keeping the highest level of care and safety for the dogs, and continuing to learn new things in the dog industry.
Lani Codeanne– Kennel Lead
Lani Codeanne is originally from Milford, Connecticut, and now calls Pickens, South Carolina home. She’s the proud dog mom of two adventurous partners in crime, Sisher and Sacarver, along with her best bud, Wyley — her 21-year-old horse.
Lani works full-time as a Kennel Shift Lead while studying for her Veterinary Technology degree, combining her passion for animal care with her career goals. When she’s not hard at work, Lani enjoys hiking and spending quality time with her boyfriend, Cannon, who introduced her to the beautiful Cashiers/Highlands Plateau, and of course, her awesome dogs.
Her favorite part of the job is giving every dog extra snuggles and making sure each one has the best experience possible during their stay.
Kevin Cabrera- Kennel Attendant
Kevin is from Raleigh, NC and brings a patient, energetic, and attentive presence to our kennel team. He’s a pet parent to two dogs and a cat, and he loves caring for the animals at Mountain Dog Spa just as much as his own. His favorite part of the job is taking care of the dogs and spending time playing with them throughout the day.
In his free time, Kevin enjoys watching movies—especially action and war films—and his favorite is Hacksaw Ridge. He loves Mexican food like mole, pozole, tacos, and rice dishes, and listens to electronic music, rock, and hip-hop. His favorite color is green, and one of his dream vacations is exploring cultural and historical sites around the world.
This year, Kevin is focused on becoming a better version of himself, improving his English, and continuing to grow in his role by helping new colleagues and improving his overall performance.
Jackie Boritz- Spa Director, Groomer, & Kennel Attendant
Jackie is originally from Sarasota, FL, and brings a hardworking, dedicated, and caring presence to Mountain Dog Spa. She has one son and two dogs, and she loves spending her free time with her family. Her favorite show is Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and her go-to treats are cherry Pepsi and Reese’s Cups.
Jackie enjoys K-pop and 2010s pop music, loves the color light blue, and dreams of visiting Ireland and Scotland someday. Her favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is “the camaraderie”—the strong teamwork and connection she shares with her coworkers.
This year, Jackie’s personal goal is to keep a positive attitude, and at work she’s focused on furthering her knowledge and education in grooming by learning new styles, techniques, and staying current with industry trends.
AshLynne Bumgarner- Groomer
AshLynne is from Cashiers, NC, and brings a fun, lighthearted, and hardworking spirit to our grooming team. She’s a proud cat mom to Egg and Gary, and when she’s not at Mountain Dog Spa, you can usually find her gaming or enjoying her favorite food — seafood and she also enjoys coffee.
She loves R&B music, the color green, and dreams of vacationing in Bora Bora someday. AshLynne is always growing in her craft, and this year she’s excited to start experimenting with color on dogs.
Her favorite thing about Mountain Dog Spa is “the staff”—the supportive, family-like environment that makes every workday feel special. Her personal goal for the year is to spend more time with loved ones and enjoy life to the fullest.
Brooke Benito- Experience Coordinator
Brooke is originally from Miami, FL, and brings a fun, energetic personality to Mountain Dog Spa every single day. She’s a proud mom of three and a dog mom to Dixie, her mini goldendoodle. When she’s not at work, Brooke loves spending time with her family, shopping, and watching Southern Charm. Her favorite food is Italian and also loves ice-cold Coke.
She’s a big fan of hip-hop and country music, loves the colors pink and blue, and describes herself as funny, loving, and sassy. Her dream vacation? Bora Bora.
Brooke’s favorite thing about Mountain Dog Spa is how close the team is and how well everyone gets along. This year, she’s focused on growing in her role, leveling up, and becoming the best she can be at her job.
Claudia Perez- Head Bather
Claudia is originally from Franklin, NC and brings a kind, warm, and smiley presence to Mountain Dog Spa. She has one child and loves spending her free time relaxing and enjoying her favorite show, El Chavo del Ocho. Her favorite foods are tamales, and she listens to Los Temerarios and romantic ballads. Her favorite color is purple, and her dream vacation is visiting China.
Claudia’s favorite part of working at Mountain Dog Spa is bathing the dogs and giving them lots of love and care. This year, her personal goal is to buy another car, and at work she is focused on improving her skills and becoming even better at what she does.
Greer Dickerson- The Dogfather
Greer is a North Carolina native who brings creativity, humor, and a love for the outdoors to Mountain Dog Spa. Retired from full-time work, he now enjoys spending his days with the dogs, good conversations, and a team he calls loyal and genuine.
A natural tinkerer, Greer finds adventure in simple moments — whether he’s out on a walk, snapping photos, or traveling in his truck camper. His dog, Murphy, is his right-hand companion and often the star of the show.
Greer is a widower and a proud father of three sons. Curiosity keeps him moving, gratitude keeps him grounded, and he believes life’s best work comes from staying playful.
Annie Zenteno- Kennel Attendant & Bathing Assistant
Annie is originally from Franklin, NC and brings a kind, patient, and responsible energy to Mountain Dog Spa. She has six dogs—four of them adopted—and her love for animals shows in the gentle way she cares for every pup that comes through our doors.
In her free time, Annie enjoys watching anime movies. She loves spaghetti, mole, romantic and rock music, and her favorite colors are pink, blue, and black. Her dream vacation is to visit Japan and experience the culture she loves.
Annie’s favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is getting to play with the dogs and receive all the puppy affection throughout the day. This year, her goals are to improve her performance at work, learn English, and buy a car to make life a little easier.
Veronica del Carmen Sanchez Pena- Kennel Attendant
Veronica is from Sylva, NC and brings a kind, gentle, and hardworking spirit to the team. She has three children and two pets, and her love for animals shines through in the sweet way she cares for every dog at Mountain Dog Spa.
Her favorite hobbies include horseback riding and watching her favorite series, Eclipse. She loves pozol de cacao, enjoys romantic music, and her favorite color is sky blue. She describes herself as shy, smiley, and quiet — qualities that make her warm and approachable to both pets and people.
Veronica’s dream vacation is simply “yes,” meaning anywhere peaceful and beautiful would make her happy. Her favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is spending time with the dogs and giving them love and attention.
This year, her personal goal is to work toward her dreams and eventually return home to visit family. At work, her goal is to continue improving and becoming stronger in her role every day.
Jonathan Rios- Kennel Attendant
Jonathan is from Franklin, NC, and brings a calm, simple, and steady presence to the Mountain Dog Spa team. He has one pet and enjoys video games or sports in his free time. When he does sit down to watch something, his favorites are Knives Out and Smiling Friends.
He doesn’t have one favorite food, but he loves shrimp Alfredo, and his go-to drinks are water or Dr Pepper. Jonathan listens to all different kinds of music and loves the color blue. His dream vacation would be traveling to Japan or Rome.
Jonathan’s favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is spending time with the dogs—especially Daisy the pup. This year at work, his goal is to learn more about everything, grow in his role, and become friends with Indy.
Marti Maloof– Receptionist
Marti is originally from Vass, NC, and brings a fun, down-to-earth energy to Mountain Dog Spa. She’s a proud pet mom of three and loves hobbies like crochet, disc golf, ultimate frisbee, and softball. Her favorite things include Dr. Pepper, country music — especially The Red Clay Strays, Forrest Frank, and KB — and anything green. Marti describes herself as goofy, honest, and determined. Her dream vacation is a quiet cabin in Montana, and her favorite part of Mountain Dog Spa is the positive, welcoming environment. This year, she’s focused on locking in on herself and enjoying her senior year.