Sarah Parsons – Pack Leader (Owner)

As a life-long dog lover and prolific dog-sitter, Sarah was thrilled to trade in her career in business administration to become Jolly Dogs’ working owner in 2025. Having gotten a huge amount of joy from the relationships she established with the dogs she cared for over the years (as well as their humans!), at some point any job that didn’t involve dogs full-time just no longer measured up.

You’ll typically find her front of house at Jolly Dogs greeting the pups who enthusiastically drag their owners through the front door, although she’ll often indulge herself with some time in the bays if she has a chance. Outside of work hours she’s regularly involved with her local dog training club, with scent work being a particular favourite for her black lab Remi who’s also a Jolly Dogs regular!

Daneka - Pack Manager

Daneka is our fantastic Pack Manager, who handles all things dog related and knows your dog like the back of her hand! You’ll often see her here bright and early. She came to Jolly Dogs after having done a Veterinary Assistant course and she hopes study to become a vet later down the line!

Daneka loves working with dogs and really enjoys teaching them new tricks and getting all the cuddles of course! She loves getting to know the dogs individual personalities and learning what makes every dog happy. She takes lots of the awesome photos of your doggos and loves getting them at their silliest angles! Her gorgeous Labrador, Parker, keeps everyone at Jolly Dogs entertained with his silly antics and licks.

Daneka helps run the social media too and creates lots of the fun instagram and facebook stories and posts!

Renaldy – Professional Groomer

Renaldy began his grooming journey in Indonesia, where a lifelong love of dogs naturally led him into the world of pet care. Having grown up surrounded by dogs, he’s always enjoyed understanding their unique personalities and building connections with them.

Over the years, Renaldy has owned several breeds, but two stand out in his memory; his Samoyed Wenner, and his Golden Retriever, Julie, both of whom hold a special place in his heart.

Now in New Zealand with his family, Renaldy is excited to explore this beautiful country while continuing his grooming journey with the team at Jolly Dogs. He’s looking forward to meeting all your wonderful pups and, in his spare time, discovering more of what Auckland has to offer.

Samarah - Canine Carer

Growing up with a Vet Nurse for a Mum, animals have always been a huge part of Samarah’s life. Being surrounded by dogs from an early age meant it was never really a question that she would end up working with animals!

At Jolly Dogs, Samarah loves being part of a supportive team, spending her days outdoors and getting to know the dogs personalities and quirks. She holds qualifications in Animal Behaviour & Welfare and Dog Training, giving her a strong understanding of canine behaviour and exceptional dog handling.

At home, Samarah has two dogs of her own, Odin, a Bichon x Foxy and Jager, a rescue German Shepherd (quite the duo!) Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and running, playing video games and building Lego!

Olivia - Canine Carer

Olivia started at Jolly Dogs as a volunteer working around school and quickly showed her initiative and passion for working with dogs! She then joined us full time after finishing school and is our longest standing team member! Go Liv!

Olivia’s favourite thing about working at Jolly Dogs is becoming best friends with all the lovely dogs and learning about each of their personalities. She loves seeing the puppies growing into dogs and to see how happy they are at the end of the day when they see their owners! She has the gentlest nature with the dogs, and you’ll often find her on the floor with a few in her lap!

Liv spends her time outside of Jolly Dogs painting, singing, doing outdoor sports & being with animals!

Sophie - Canine Carer

Sophie grew up in Ireland, where her love for dogs began early and never left. Caring for them comes naturally to her, she finds real joy in building trust, making them feel safe, and ensuring they have plenty of fun along the way.

At Jolly Dogs, Sophie loves that she gets to spend her days with her “besties” (and says she’d happily do it for free!). One of her favourite parts of the job is watching each dog’s personality come to life during their time with the team.

At home, Sophie has two dogs of her own: Izzy, a Lab cross who made the journey from Ireland with her, and Archer, a rescue pup who absolutely loves visiting Jolly Dogs. Outside of work, you’ll find Sophie hiking, reading, ice-skating, or unwinding on Auckland’s beautiful beaches.

Maja - Canine Carer

Another one of our wonderful canine carers is Maja, whose love for dogs shines through in everything she does. She genuinely treasures the time she spends with each of our furry guests, taking the time to get to know their personalities and making sure they feel comfortable, cared for, and part of the pack.

Maja has her own dog, Bonnie, who now spends her days happily hooning around at Jolly Dogs alongside her, living her absolute best life and making plenty of new friends along the way.

Outside of Jolly Dogs, Maja enjoys making the most of Auckland’s lifestyle. You’ll often find her at the beach, heading along to gigs, or exploring her passion for photography as she builds her skills behind the lens and captures some truly incredible shots.

Rachel is the founding owner of Take the Lead Dog Training and has over 25 years of experience. Rachel’s trained several of her own dogs across a range of canine sports, including obedience, agility, tracking, and heelwork to music, earning national awards and recognised qualifications in these disciplines.

Qualifications, Experience & Memberships:

• Life Member of North Shore Dog Training Club, having previously held roles as President, Secretary, and Head Instructor.

• NSDTC Club Liaison for the Canine Good Citizen scheme run by Dogs New Zealand.

• Certificate of Animal Management (Canine Behaviour and Training).

• Ongoing professional development through seminars and workshops with internationally recognised dog behaviourists and trainers.

• Member of Norwest Dog Training Club assisting with their classes.