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.
Courtney Boutwell
receptionist
Courtney does a little bit of everything at Wags. As the office receptionist, she is responsible for a variety of office and computer work, as well as cleaning and assisting with the animals at Camp Wags. Courtney attended college at Auburn University and has three four-legged friends of her own – a bunny named Hopper, a kitten named Louie, and her recently adopted dog from Wags Rescue, Seymour!
Alyson Hays
kennel assistant
Alyson is one of our dedicated staff members who help keep the kennel clean, walk dogs and handle daycare. She is currently enrolled at Troy University with a major in Biomedical Sciences and on the pre-Vet track. Her love for meeting and working with the animals is a wonderful quality our pets and parents appreciate. Alyson has a miniature dachshund named Baby.
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 five rescue pets – Louise, Gucci, Stella, Squirt and Hugs – 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!
Brianna Evans
kennel assistant
Brianna ensures all the animals can enjoy a sanitary and comfortable environment, while also getting to love all the campers at daycare. Her favorite part of her job is the Wags team and spending time with her co-workers. Brianna received her Bachelor of Science in studio art with an emphasis in painting and graphic design. She has two dogs, 10-year-old poodle mix Bucky and 6-month-old Baylor, a standard poodle.
Kelly Darden
kennel assistant
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 and recently worked at the boarding stables in Oak Mountain State Park. Kelly's pets include 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.
Elizabeth Dufour
kennel assistant
Elizabeth works with our Wags Campers making sure they have a wonderful experience during their stay. Her favorite part of the job is the fun environment where everyone is welcoming and friendly. Elizabeth received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Painting degree from the University of Montevallo. When she’s not having fun with our campers, she enjoys playing with her Norwegian Forest cat, Penny. According to Elizabeth, Penny will meow twice if you sneeze (that means “Bless You”) and she likes to breakdance.
Natalie Johnson
kennel assistant
Natalie makes sure all our campers have a safe, clean, and happy experience during their stay at Wags ‘N Whiskers. She has completed classes at the University of Alabama and Jeff State as a theater major and her customer service experience is a real plus. When asked about what she loves about her job at Wags Natalie says, “I love being greeted by all the happy dogs and building a relationship with our regulars and newcomers.” Her own pets include two rescue cats, Pepper and Scarlett, a ball python named Manda, and Aoden…a corn snake.
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.
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.
