A 6th generation Texan with ancestors who fought at the Alamo, Ann grew up in Corpus Christi living with her parents and older brother. She attended the University of North Texas where she graduated with a degree in Sociology. Ann joined us at Zoot in May of 2015 with five years of prior experience working with animals in boarding facilities as well as experience caring for her own pets. Ann currently has two dogs named Abigail and Riker, four chickens, and some pet fish. In her spare time, Ann enjoys hiking, reading, and playing the electric bass. Ann’s favorite part about working at Zoot is that she gets to spend time both getting to know the dogs and working outside!

After growing up on a cotton farm outside Muleshoe, Texas, Cindy’s family moved to the Austin area. Cindy went on to the University of Texas and earned her B.A. and M.A. in German and taught German language courses. After studying and doing research in Germany, and halfway through her dissertation, she left academia to stay home with her children, who are now teenagers.

Cindy loves to camp and hike with her husband, daughter, and son. She is also an avid knitter and loves to read. In addition to being involved in Girl Scouts, the Orchestra Booster Club, and volunteering at her kids’ schools, Cindy and her daughter have volunteered their time at the Humane Society of Williamson County in Leander. Her family dogs include Lucy (a Lab/Vizsla) and Max (a Rat Terrier adopted from the Humane Society).

Cindy’s love of animals brought her to Zoot. Her mission at Zoot is to make sure that doggie and kitty guests feel as much at home as possible during their boarding stay and that their moms and dads can feel confident in the care that they receive here. In addition to her other duties, she provides returning families with a report card to let them know how their furry family members did during their absence. She also gladly sends e-mails with photos to moms and dads of special needs pets, during extended boarding stays, or to those folks who just need a bit of reassurance that all is fine with their loved one.

Barnes was born and raised in Austin, Texas. In 2008, Barnes and his wife, Julie, relocated to Dublin, Ireland where his wife took on a new job. After an extended “European vacation,” Barnes happily returned home to Texas. The Greek cats were beautifully fearless, the German dogs were extremely “groovy,” but there’s nothing like coming home to your own lovable critter! Barnes also decided that he wanted a job that would be a joy to go to. Barnes relishes the opportunity to spend time meeting and playing with the animals visiting Zoot. In addition to his fondness for tennis and the perfect Tex-Mex meal, Barnes enjoys spending time with Julie and his faithful canine, Sawyer (from “Lost”, not “Tom").

Cathy was raised in Bath, New York, as the oldest of 11 children. Cathy grew up loving animals, caring for sick chipmunks and returning them to the wild once they were well. She lives with her husband, John, and their Golden Retriever, JJ – named for Janis Joplin. She enjoys traveling and her talents include drawing, painting and sketching people and animals. She currently serves as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Sun City Corvette Club. Cathy’s favorite part of working at Zoot is being part of a great team and taking care of all the animals, whose personalities make her smile!

Elizabeth grew up in Hutto with her parents and four older brothers. She attended the University of North Texas, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has life-long experience with animals from growing up on a farm surrounded by dogs, cats, sheep, donkeys and a horse. Elizabeth’s current pets include an Australian Shepherd named Maggie, a blind black cat and a ball python. In her free time, she enjoys photography, writing, art, cosplay, sewing, making costumes and swimming. Elizabeth particularly appreciates the love that each Zoot team member gives to the pets in our care and enjoys how much fun the training dogs have while learning.