Our Team

Working from Home?

Our Leadership Team

Release the Hounds started way back in 2011 when partners Craig Pollack and James Woller built a skilled and strong leadership team. Their passion for pet care and business leadership positioned Release the Hounds as the pet services industry leader.

With time things change, and with that comes new ownership and management! We are proud to announce that Gracie Coggan is now our new owner. Mark Jarder joins the management team to handle all business operations within Release the Hounds. Please bear with us through this transition as we continue to serve you and your families!

Our Walking Team

We hire dog loving professionals that uphold the Release the Hounds ‘golden standard’ of pet care.

Our team undergoes a highly competitive vetting process that includes an in-depth application process, rigorous interviews, job shadow and certification through DogForceU. Each team member is bonded, insured, and continually learning and refreshing their knowledge with DogForceU to stay on top of pet care advancements.

Maryam Noor

Maryam was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to BC when she was 6. When she was 19, she was given her first dog, Bella and then three years later she added another pup to her family. It wasn’t until she had Bella that she discovered her intense love for dogs.

Maryam went to BCIT for Marketing Management, however working with dogs has become her true calling. Over the past 5 years she has worked at grooming salons, dog daycares, and boarding facilities. Her experience has allowed her to handle dogs from all walks of life, including dogs dealing with anxiety and aggression.

In her spare time, she loves to read novels (specifically fantasy), listen to music, paint, and hang out with her two lovely dogs!

Paige Downton

Paige grew up in the small town of Bowmanville Ontario, where her passion for animals started to grow! She took in many stray cats over the years, and eventually added her chocolate lab Tucker to the family.

After moving to Toronto and pursuing a decade long career in the service industry, it was time for change. Working a few seasons away from home in Jasper Alberta helped her make the  decision to leave and relocate to the west coast. Release the Hounds was the perfect place for her to turn her passions for animals, and the outdoors into a career.  In her spare time she enjoys exploring BC’s beautiful back country, cooking/eating, and crafting with her cat Sonny.

Karina Okazaki

Born and raised in Brazil, Karina moved to Vancouver in 2015. She has always loved animals and had all sorts of pets like bunnies, fishes, turtles and dogs. After graduating from Law School, she realized that caring for dogs and connecting to nature was her true calling in life. In 2014, she started her own dog walking business in her hometown, where she fell in love with the career. After dogs, her interests are dancing and keeping a healthy diet (including her dogs’). She is excited to be working at Release the Hounds and being part of the team!

Debbie Lewis

Debbie is from Glasgow, Scotland and arrived in Canada in 2015. After travelling the length of Canada and living for 3 months in Golden, B.C. she arrived in Vancouver in 2016. Originally here for just 2 years she loves the west coast so much she has decided to stay.

Debbie has trained as, and worked as a florist for over 5 years. She recently decided to change her career and fulfill her ambition of working with animals and in the great outdoors.

Having been born on the doorstep of the Scottish highlands Debbie has always been an avid hiker and loves nothing more than putting on her waterproofs and going for a walk in the rain. She also loves animals having kept horses when she was younger and looked after her beloved toy poodle, Bruce, who was only ever allowed to sleep on her bed.

She longs for the day she can finally persuade her boyfriend to get her own wee dog but she’s delighted that she can now spend all her days working with yours.

Paul Duchart

Paul was born in Toronto and came to Vancouver as a child. Raised with 2 dogs and 2 cats in the household, animals were always around. Most recently his best friend was an 18 year old lovebird named Pesto. Paul has a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from Carleton University in Ottawa and can also be seen as an actor on locally shot film and television shows. You can also read his monthly column in BCBusiness Magazine photographing the best parties, galas and events in Vancouver. In his spare time he is a cameraman with The Travel Guys TV show and has travelled to more than 20 countries including Norway, Japan, Australia, China, Malaysia, Ireland, England and a visit to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. He has 6 years experience as a dog walker/cat sitter in the past and came back to the industry because he missed his furry friends and is now excited to work with Release the Hounds.

Saif Asad

Saif was born in northern Pakistan and moved to Burnaby in 2002 at the age of 7. Growing up in Canada he spent most of his time playing sports, mostly hockey. He is a big Canucks fan and loves watching soccer! He spent two years studying marine sciences at Capilano University. In his spare time he enjoys going on road trips exploring all the wonders that British Columbia has to offer. He has been working with dogs professionally for the past year and a half and loves every day of it! He grew up with dogs and cats in his family and has always loved animals big and small so working with them comes naturally to him!

Nash Swark

Nash was born in Thunder Bay Ontario and grew up in Manitoba where he was constantly around animals. While in Manitoba he enjoyed playing with the family dog, Hope, a four year old German Shepard, as she was very energetic and needed lots of attention. Nash would spend any extra time by playing fetch in the backyard, taking her on long walks, or riding along side her on his skateboard. In 2017 Nash received a scholarship to attend Nimbus School or Recording Arts and decided to move out west to Vancouver. After a full year of pursuing music Nash is excited to be a part of the team at Release the Hounds. It’s an amazing way for Nash to combine his love of animals and outdoor exercise all in one place.

Alison Muller

Alison was born and raised in Vancouver, and has always loved animals. Growing up she had a cat, rode horses, and when she was 16 her family finally got a dog – a springer spaniel named Tynan. She has been a dog person ever since!

After working as a paralegal and dog walking/sitting on the side, Alison decided to take a break from the office and try working with dogs full time. Over a year and a half later she loves it so much she can’t imagine doing anything else! She started working for a smaller company in East Vancouver, and benefitted greatly from working with two dog trainers who taught her all about working with dogs, including dogs dealing with anxiety and aggression. That company was recently acquired by Release the Hounds, and she is excited to be joining the RTH team!

Sean Hemmaway

Sean was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up on a farm outside Kingston. As a child he always had animals, insects, fish, reptiles and birds and love for all creatures! On the farm Sean had several dogs growing up including Duke and he remembers the adventures they would go on and how much joy it brought him.

Sean comes from a background of Exotic Animal Education programs for 10 years having worked at a Zoo. He decided to move to the west coast to experience something new and when he found out about the Release the Hounds he didn’t hesitate to apply so he could continue his love of working with animals.

Jared Berg

Jared was born and raised in Alberta where he spent many summers growing up on his great grandmother’s ranch. It was on that ranch that Jared first fell in love with animals, helping his family take care of horses. He moved to Vancouver to pursue a career in photography and has since fell in love with the city and all the beauty it provides. Jared is extremely excited to be a part of the Release The Hounds team where he can combine his love for photography, the outdoors and animals. He is looking forward to taking great care of your dog!

Private Walkers

Lesley Levett

Lesley grew up in Vancouver with her lab/setter cross named Lady. She loved being outdoors in the woods and on the beaches of our city. Some of her best experiences were camping, fishing and beach combing. She has a great love for dogs and their unconditional loyalty. Lesley believes there is nothing better than a couple of dogs to act as your blanket and hot-water-bottle when you are sick in bed. Their therapeutic healing quality is like none other. When in the trails, she is ‘that person’ who stops to talk to and greet the dogs she meets along the way. She spent the last 40+ years sitting behind a desk and is now excited to get back to the outdoors with pups.

Rielle Wiebe

Rielle was born and raised on a farm in Manitoba, and from as young as she can remember she has been surrounded with animals big and small. During her years on the farm and since relocating to Vancouver she has found a real passion for all things Canadian: hockey, maple syrup… you know the rest – and, of course, DOGS, especially dogs! She looks forward to pursuing her career in a fun, outdoor environment while playing and caring for your dogs!

“Be the person your dog thinks you are 🐾”

Brian Bailey

I grew up in Toronto with 3 boxers in our house, 2 girls and a boy. They were the best dogs a boy could ask for. Since then I’ve lived and worked with a wide variety of dogs around the world and believe that they enrich our lives as much as we do theirs. I currently have 2 rescue pugs that are spoiled rotten, and when not walking your dog you’ll most likely find me with them.