About Us

“I’ve owned dogs throughout my life, and as I visit our locations I always think to myself would I pay to have my own dog stay here? With that in mind it is important to me that our facilities are maintained to the highest standard. I take pride knowing that in addition to individualized care and socialization our locations emphasize cleanliness, safety and the well-being of each dog we care for.”

The founder of Running Paws, Seth grew up in Westchester where he used to run daily with Bosco, his German Shorthaired Pointer. He brings more than 15 years of dog care experience to the AKC Canine Retreat team, including his previous experience as the vice president of operations of SPOT Canine Club. Seth is a facilities expert who also remains highly involved in Running Paws, which is also now an AKC Canine Retreat-owned business.

Prior to creating Running Paws in 2002, Seth founded Peru Connections S.A., where he developed tourist-related touch screen kiosks that were placed throughout Peru. He holds MBAs from both Pace University and the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico and is fluent in Spanish.

“Dogs show you the true meaning of loyalty and love. They bring out the best in people.”

Prior to working at AKC Canine Retreat, Jenn started her “career in caring” as a health care manager at an Assisted Living facility, which included facilitating staff coverage, safety and care during Hurricane Sandy. To her, customer service is doing whatever is necessary to ensure the best outcome. She lives with an 8-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix named Lola who enjoys going for long neighborhood walks as much as spending comfy nights on the couch.

In her spare time, Jenn is the head coach for a competitive swim club and an adjunct professor at St. John’s University, where she teaches online classes. She’s also passionate about scuba diving and was a member of the NY Aquariums Volunteer Dive team for 2 years.

“We cater to your dog’s needs and seek to find the best care and training solution for your dog.”

Garrett finished his undergraduate studies at the University of New Hampshire and went on to work as a Broker. Shortly thereafter, his dog Emma (a German Shepherd/Huskie mix) was hit by a car. This serious accident resulted in both physical and mental damage. After the “experts” doubted that she could fully recover, he began reading, studying and training her. Fortunately, with time and determination, he was able to work her back to her happy self. Through this process, Garrett realized his passion was not in his current field and actively pursued a career working with dogs.

Due to his commitment and acumen, Garrett’s Pet Care career has advanced quickly at Canine Retreat by AKC. In two years, he has held increasing roles of responsibility – Assistant Manager through General and Roving Location Manager to Operations Director. He takes pride in being able to better the lives of so many dogs and their families. He truly believes that all dogs are deserving of TLC and supports an individualized approach to care and training. By offering a variety of services to fit virtually any dog and their family, Garrett is excited about contributing to the success of Canine Retreat as the business and the “family” grows.

In Garrett’s spare time, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, fishing and competitive games / activities. And of course, spending time with dogs Emma and Mila (a Boxer / Pit mix) is number one!