Melissa and Marc, founders of Whiskers, share their home with a variety of pets, including dogs, cats, chickens, and horses.
Melissa Verplank has owned multiple pet-related businesses in the Grand Rapids community for over 30 years. Repeatedly asked by her clients, "Do you have a good recommendation for a local boarding kennel?," Melissa could never confidently recommend anything, but realized that Grand Rapids pet owners were looking for a better solution.
She and her husband had a vision, a dream of recreating a home-like environment for their four-legged clients. They imagined a facility that included overnight lodging for dogs and cats, doggie day care, outdoor canine play yards and full service grooming. In 2007, the first 90-room facility opened. Due to Whisker's overwhelming popularity, a large expansion was added in 2014 with 90 more rooms, indoor play yards, and a host of other amenities catering to furry guests. Melissa was determined to create a warm, inviting and appealing place for dogs and cats to come and carefully considered every single detail, from the specific mechanical systems so the dogs won't smell the cats and vice versa, to what type of material was used on the floors so dogs don't slip and slide. Safety and cleanliness were top priorities.
Rebecca has been the operations manager at Whiskers since 2009 and became the President of the company in 2017. She is originally from Chicago and went to school at Grand Valley State University. She has a business and hospitality management degree. She has worked in the restaurant business most of her life managing all aspects of the restaurant including leading her own kitchen as an executive chef. She has always been an animal lover and enjoys volunteering at the local shelters and rescues. Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa has completed her life by allowing her to utilize her business degree and passion for pets all in one place! She enjoys taking breaks from her daily office work to cuddle with all of the adorable pets in the facility. She loves working with such a passionate group of people. Whiskers is truly a magical place where work doesn't feel like work. In her home life she is married to her wonderful husband Mike and they share their Caledonia home with their children Zachary, Stella, and dogs Charley, River & Cash. In her spare time you can find her doing anything outdoors. She loves the lake life and spends many weekends down at the family cottage or camping.
Kathi started at Whiskers Resort and Pet Spa in the Spring of 2010. Her focus is working with the Whiskers team to develop new ideas and using all the resources that we have at Whiskers to do the best for every pet. When Kathi is not working, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling, volunteering, and spending time with her husband, Keith, and two sons – Nolan and Ethan. Their family also includes two dogs, two cats, and a fish!
Tracy started working at Whiskers part time in 2015, while working full time as a Licensed Veterinary Technician. In 2018, she accepted a full time management position, and she’s found her perfect place to work! Tracy has been married to her husband, Jonathan, for over 35 years and they have 3 wonderful children. She is also a Dachshund lover, and has a 16 year old Daschund Beagle mix named Annie, a 7 year old Daschund chihuahua mix named Willa, and an orange tabby cat named Archie.
Abby has been at Whiskers since 2018. Abby has a deep passion for all things customer service, having worked the desk, as the front desk manager, and now as assistant general manager of Whiskers. When she’s not at work, Abby enjoys baking and spending time with her husband, Craig, and two daughters, Adelaide and Magdalena. She also has a Golden pup named Artemis.
Rene has worked at Whiskers since 2019 and as a life-long dog lover, working here is the perfect way to blend her experience and professional skills in finance and human resources with that passion for dogs. She has spent over twenty years working in finance and human resources within several industries, mostly in southwest Michigan. Rene now lives in Wyoming with her husband, Bob, and two furry babies, Lili and Rudy. She is the proud mom of two human children as well, Samantha and Josh.
Lance has worked at Whiskers since 2008. He shares 3 dogs and 2 cats with his wife Jenn, who is also a Manager at Whiskers. Lance has been building things since he was 5 years old, when he helped his dad build a deck at their home. He loves doing woodworking projects using hand tools, so maintenance is the best job he could ask for. Lance loves being able to fix and build things around the Whiskers grounds and building. Lance has recently taken on a new hobby of bee keeping. He currently has 3 hives and is hoping to expand from there.
Sara has been at Whiskers since 2014, where she started in the kennel playing outside with the pups. She has loved getting to know all of the dogs who come in to Whiskers and building those relationships. Sara has 2 dogs at home Rex, a crazy mutt and Paco, a Chihuahua.
Jessica has been at Whiskers since December of 2021. She has always had a genuine love for animals that has continued to grow over the years. She started volunteering with cats and horses, and ended up at Whiskers. Jess is passionate about providing comfort for each dog, wanting to keep them all safe and happy. She loves getting to know the individual dog and building a relationship with them. Outside of work, Jess loves spending time at home with Hazel, a pitty mix, and her three cats, Addie, Andy, and Athena.
Scott has been a member of the Whiskers team since 2011! He has worked through many roles throughout Whisker's growth and is now the Daycare Manager. He has a BA in Psychology from MSU and enjoys nature walks, video games, books and movies (the scarier the better!) in his free time.
Jenn has been with Whiskers since April 2008 (along with her husband Lance) and started her career here in customer service. She has worked her way into managing the Front Office, and has recently expanded her management experience into the grooming department. Prior to coming to Whiskers, Jenn had started in the Veterinary profession as a technician, working at offices in Michigan and Georgia for 10 years. Jenn has 3 pups and 2 cats and enjoys painting in her downtime.