About Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile

Dakota came to Spokane and Prairie Dog in 2016 after graduating from film school in New York and working in the film industry in Southern California for several years. She has been with the company through numerous changes and plenty of growth, so she is an invaluable resource on pet nutrition. As well as working at Prairie Dog, Dakota is an instructor with Diamonds in the Ruff, where she teaches a variety of classes from puppy basics to advanced brain games. In her free time, she enjoys taking cute photos of her three dogs: Silken Windhound Tokidoki, Australian Cattle Dog Jake, and Fenris, a beloved senior Kelpie.

Jennifer knows a lot about a lot of things. She joined the Prairie Dog team in summer 2021, after spending over 20 years running her own dog walking business in New York City. Besides her two sociable cats, Coralean and Prudence, her favorite animals are sharks (she believes they are deeply misunderstood). She is Prairie Dog's own resident cat guru. Outside of work, Jennifer spends her time making jewelry and appreciating all things dark and spooky.

Emily is a Spokanite born and raised. As a child, she was always surrounded by books and family cats. As an adult, she spent several years on the west side managing coffeeshops and working in dog daycares. Her passions include writing elaborate works of fiction, thrifting, and exploring different ways to cook potatoes. Emily now lives with her spouse, their cats Jack and Jayne, and their three dogs: sad Pittie Jess and mismatched corgis Sodapop and Blueberry. She has been a part of the Prairie Dog team since spring 2021.

Alex is basically a dog Jill-of-all-trades. Her previous work experiences include vet assistant and receptionist, bather, dog trainer, and chef de cuisine at a small raw pet food company. Her Australian Cattle Dog Neptune is semi-famous on Instagram and knows over 50 different tricks and holds titles in nose work. Alex and her wife live on a ranch just outside of Spokane with an assorted collection of farm animals, four dogs, four cats, three horses, and poultry. She started at Prairie Dog in Spring 2022.

Prairie Dog is, at its heart, still a family-run business. Amy's parents, Vicki and Bill, help with bookkeeping and deposits. In addition, Vicki occasionally fills in on the sales floor, and Bill is our staff handyman. Amy's sister, Emily, also helps the company with filing and organizing.