The People Who Love Your Dog
Every person on our team chose this work because they genuinely love animals. That's not something you can train.
Owner & Founder
Meet Shelby
Shelby started her career in pet care in 2013 with a simple dog walking business she ran while living with her parents. She was good at it, clients trusted her, and the business grew fast enough that she was able to buy her first home.
While walking dogs, she started hosting small playgroups at her house. Those playgroups turned into a daycare program. The daycare outgrew her first property within the first year, so in 2015 she purchased a 4-acre property to keep up with demand. In 2020, she purchased the adjacent 4 acres. What started as a dog walk became 8 acres of crate-free care.
Today, Sit. Play. Stay. serves approximately 200 clients in Bowie, MD and the surrounding Prince George's County area, with 20 to 40 dogs in attendance daily depending on the season. Over more than a decade, Shelby has worked with over 600 individual dogs, developing deep expertise in canine behavior, safe play group management, and enrichment programming.
She has also personally helped rescue and rehome more than 50 cats and 12 dogs — including a litter of seven puppies born on her property after their parents were abandoned nearby.
Shelby didn't set out to build a business. She set out to take care of dogs. The business followed.
Our Team
Hayley
10 years with Sit. Play. Stay.Hayley and Shelby go way back! They worked together at Red Robin long before either of them knew what Sit. Play. Stay. would become. When Shelby needed help one day, Hayley showed up. Ten years later she's still here. In many ways, Hayley helped figure out this business alongside Shelby, and her passion and knowledge of dogs shows in everything she does. She has even rescued both of her own dogs through SPS.
Nia
6 years with Sit. Play. Stay.Nia never imagined she'd end up working with dogs, but the moment she did, she knew it was exactly where she was supposed to be. Six years later she's one of the team's most passionate members and the creative force behind many of the enrichment activities that make every day at SPS something special.
3 years with Sit. Play. Stay.Karl
Karl joined the team when he was young, and in three years he's grown into one of the hardest working people on the team. He's learned the trade from the ground up and brought a work ethic that impresses everyone around him. The dogs are lucky to have him and so are we.
1 year with Sit. Play. Stay.Enoch
Enoch might be the newest member of the team but you'd never know it from how the dogs react to him. He is one of the warmest, most genuinely kind people you'll ever meet — and the dogs can tell. He has rescued numerous dogs and even helped feral cats find safe homes. He also adopted one of the dogs from SPS, which honestly says everything you need to know about him.
Everyone Is Welcome Here
We believe every dog deserves great care, regardless of breed. And we believe every person deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of who they are or where they come from. All are welcome at Sit. Play. Stay.
