
About Us
MEET OUR TEAM
Merritt Milam
founder & head trainer
Merritt has always had a passion for animals and has been training for over a decade. She's a graduate of Birmingham Southern College and is an ABC Certified Dog Trainer who has also successfully completed a marine mammal course. An active member of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, Merritt was a vet tech before pursuing her dream of opening Wags 'N Whiskers.
Britta Jones
groomer
Britta brings to Wags over 13 years’ experience as a professional groomer. Additionally, Britta’s past work as a kennel manager and vet tech provides an added benefit to our furry friends. Britta says she loves her work at Wags because, “my favorite part is getting to meet all the different breeds. I love making their experience stress-free and relaxing.” Her family is currently without a pet since her English Bulldog Bleu passed away, but they are looking to adopt a new pet as soon as her daughter turns 3.
Jill Becker
director of operations & head groomer
In addition to managing the day-to-day operations at Wags, Jill founded and administers the Wags ‘N Whiskers Rescue. She is the proud owner of several rescue pets – Louise, Gucci, Stella, Squirts, Buddy the cat, and Gene Wilder a sweet poodle – and has wanted to be a part of the rescue and pet community since a young age. After graduating from Auburn University, she met Merritt while they were both techs at a local vet – the rest is history!
Kelly Darden
kennel manager
As a kennel manager, Kelly helps with our Wags campers and the care of all our boarding pets. Her favorite part of the job is playtime with our furry friends. She loves seeing the dogs get so excited to come and play. Kelly majored in fine arts with a concentration in photography from the University of Montevallo. She recently worked at the boarding stables in Oak Mountain State Park. Kelly is the proud parent of an off-track thoroughbred named Spyder and a cat named Kitten.
Meredith Cosby
director of business development
Meredith manages our social media pages, helps with day care and boarding pets, and daily office duties. She is a Communications Management graduate of UAB, with a concentration in PR & writing. Meredith loves working with animals and the opportunity to be creative. Her pets include 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 tortoises…all rescued from different corners of Alabama.
THE WAGS WAY
For your furry friends, there’s only one way – The Wags Way!
The Wags Way is our promise that your pets will always experience positive reinforcement, compassionate care and a clean environment while with the Wags team! Your pets will be treated like family and we will never use force or intimidation tactics to modify their behavior. We will consistently foster a happy and fun atmosphere where our trainers and counselors are genuinely engaged and active with your furry friends! Safety is a top priority at Wags, and by utilizing a low counselor-to-pet ratio (1:5), we are able to devote more time to each animal while ensuring the safety of all.
Fetch Find Approved
Wags ‘N Whiskers is proud to be a FetchFind Approved business! This means all of our employees receive professional-level pet care education and continue to take classes throughout their career with us. All of our staff training is via FetchFind Monthly Pro, the premier educational resource for pet industry professionals. This science-based and animal-centered curriculum has been developed by certified experts with decades of experience in the field.
HEAR WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY!
TOUR OUR FACILITY
The Wags ‘n Whiskers facility is conveniently located in Birmingham, Alabama in the heart of Homewood and offers unrivaled comforts, state-of-the-art technologies and valuable conveniences for both our four-legged friends and their loving owners! Interested in seeing our facility? Come see us! We are always happy to give owners and guests tours.