Our Team

Stephanie

Owner and operator

Stephanie Uses her leadership skills to run two successful businesses. She worked for our county Animal Welfare League as the administrative assistant for over three years. She was a purchasing agent for an apparel company, and has been in management for several other large companies over the last 20 years. She knows the meaning of organization and communication.

She has a huge passion for dogs and has been studying dog behavior for over 11 years. She continually guides her team on properly educating each human and their pooch. Her continued education keeps dog training up to date with the constant changing times as well as changing breeds. She keeps in touch with long-time dog trainers and behaviorists so she knows she’s always on the right track when dealing with various dog behaviors.

Heath

Master trainer

Heath is a full time Firefighter/EMT for Plymouth, IN. Fire Department. He works for Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy on his days off. He is as professional as they come and has an in-depth understanding of rank structures. He knows how to take charge and get the job done right. Heath’s ability to read a dog is crucial to training done right. He loves a good challenge and works diligently to find training success in every single case. He too is constantly studying and updating information for our behavior class as well as with training for each individual and their pooch. He is a true dog behaviorist. Finding and solving dog problems just comes naturally for him. Heath has been working for Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy for almost 7 years.

Kaylee

Office Manager

Kaylee uses her leadership skills to manage the administrative department. Kaylee has gained her leadership skills from being a retail store manager for three years prior to joining the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family. Kaylee also helps the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy owner run her additional business, “Stephanie’s Tanlines,” located in Syracuse, IN. Kaylee has been in the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family for almost 2 years now.

Morgan

Head Kennel Tech

Morgan is Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy ’s Head Kennel Tech. Morgan has great attention to detail, punctuality, and efficiency. Her favorite thing to do at Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy is to spoil all of the dogs by giving them lots of love and making them happy. Prior to joining the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family, she was the Head Guard working as a Lifeguard. She gained her passion for animals by training and showing sheep, pigs, dairy calves, chickens, rabbits, and horses in 4H. Morgan has been in the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family for almost 2 years now. She continually makes the BEST white chocolate chip snickerdoodle cookies for all of the staff. Morgan has three dogs of her own.

K’leb

Trainer/Kennel Techs

K’leb is one of Special Ops K-9 Academy’s Trainer/Kennel Techs. He enjoys the challenge of learning each individual dog’s personality as well as the challenge of figuring out the best ways to treat them. Prior to joining the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family, he was a cashier at ShopCo and he currently owns his own construction company with his brother called M+M services. K’leb has been in the Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy family for a year now.

Laney Ramirez

Evening Feeder

Laney loves animals and always has. She has three dogs of her own, all German Shepherds, and she is a member of 4H, which gives her experience with a variety of aggressive animals. Laney feeds the dogs after hours, and she loves working alone with each one. She likes that she gets to connect with the dogs in a calm evening environment. She has a heart for dogs that are working through aggression, and she provides a calming touch to make sure they are comfortable. Laney has been a member of the Special Ops K9 Academy family for 2 years.

Monique

Part-Time Kennel Tech

Monique has been with Special O.P.S. K-9 since we opened back in 2008. She is a part-time Kennel Tech but has superb customer service skills and helps with doggie check-in and check-out. She has a great understanding of dog behavior and there’s no limit to what she’s willing to take on.

Mackaylah

kennel techs/dog bathers

Mackaylah is one of Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy newest kennel techs/dog bathers. Working toward a Grooming future! She enjoys cuddling and running the energy out of every pup that comes to Special O.P.S. K-9 Academy.

She has been with our team since fall of 2020.

She enjoys working with each pups individually & learning how to make them more comfortable with their grooming experience and with their boarding or daycare stays with us. She’s determined and ready to keep learning.

Her love for this field grew from her work experience with PetSmart’s Salon after graduating High School. She enjoys reading, drawing & painting, and going on hikes with her Husband and 3 dogs of her own every chance they get.

Gail

Groomer

Jenica

Groomer