Million Dollar Dog, Inc. is owned and operated by Tara Pellegrino.  Tara went to a four year business school, Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, where she double-majored in Marketing and International Studies.  Upon graduation, Tara spent six years in the corporate sector in sales and recruiting management, but her true passion was and always has been with dogs. 

Tara became an apprentice for a Certified Master Dog Groomer where she learned the art of being a successful stylist.  During her apprenticeship, she learned everything needed to groom all breeds of dogs.  Further studying was required regarding dog illnesses, diseases and anatomy so Tara decided to work for an exclusive veterinarian practice in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte.  She worked there for three years as the small breed groomer to be able to responsibly answer all dog-related questions an owner may ask.  Tara went on to pursue her Certficiation in the Sporting Group through the National Dog Groomers Association of America.  She is currently working towards Master Groomer Certification.

Million Dollar Dog, Inc. opened its doors in September 2005!  With the background of the owner, the spa is run in a highly professional, organized manner and both clients and dogs benefit from these strong skills. 

When Tara is not working diligently in the spa, she enjoys spending time with her family: her husband Bob, her two children Mia and Mason, and her own dogs Rocky, Maybelline and Janet.  She also enjoys exercising, camping, hiking, home-improvement projects and supporting many different causes.   

Nicole Whitner, Spa Manager, joined MDD in February 2010.  She has over 20 years of experience in administrative work in the healthcare field and has implemented this knowledge to strengthen our office procedures.  Nicole will be the first person to greet you and your pup.  She is an excellent resource in explaining which of our retail items and spa services will best suit your pet's needs.  Nicole will also be more than happy to assist with scheduling your pet's next appointment.    

For your in-home pet sitting needs, Nicole is the person to talk to!  She runs MDD's Pet Sitting Division.  Please call and ask for Nicole to discuss MDD's in-home pet sitting service that provides quality care to all your family poets while you are away.

When Nicole isn't assisting our clients, she can be found at home with her husband Jeff and her dogs, Dusty, Sophie, Chloe and Beau.  She enjoys reading, volunteering for animal-related charities and learning all she can about our four-legged friends.                        

 Melissa Barnette is the Grooming Director at MDD.  She has been grooming at the spa since July, 2008.  Melissa previously worked in the insurance industry for five years before realizing that she really wanted to work with dogs.  She grew up on a farm and was always surrounded by animals.

Melissa is a natural at grooming and her passion for dogs has been lifelong.  Her amazing talents do not stop with gorgeous haircuts.  She also has the gift of training and is currently teaching the next wave of talented and trusted pet stylists.  She is currently working towards her Sporting Group Certification, which will allow her to be an expert in grooming breeds such as Cocker Spaniels,  Irish Setters and Golden Retrievers.

When Melissa isn't washing, drying, grooming and pampering pooches at MDD, she enjoys spending time with her two sons, Luke and Logan, playing sports and vacationing at the beach.

Jennifer Evans, Social Media & Events Director, has been working behind the scenes at MDD since May 2009.  She created and maintains our website and Facebook page and handles all other facets of marketing and social events.  She brings 20 years of administration and marketing experience to our company.  She has assisted in creating and implementing all of our new office policies and procedures and continues to seek new ways to better MDD's marketing presence, spa atmosphere and to offer excellent customer service to our clients.  Jennifer enjoys spreading the word about MDD and making us 'look good'.  
                                                                 
In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family: her husband David, two sons Sam and Micah, her dogs Jake and Cosmo and cat Murphy.  She also loves to sing in her church choir, garden and handcraft glass-beaded jewelry.

Recently Hired:

Nicole Stewart (affectionately called 'Nicky' by our staff) is the Groomer Assistant to Tara.  She works part-time, Thursday through Saturday, assisting Tara and simultaneously learning the art of grooming.  Nicky worked at PetSmart in Savannah, GA for 2 years and has always been interested in becoming a Pet Stylist.  We are excited to have her passion and caring nature towards the dogs in our Spa!

Katrina Page is the Groomer Assistant to Melissa.  Katrina works side-by-side with Melissa (Barnette) Patterson to produce gorgeous pet clips.  Her exceptional sense of style comes from 13 years of experience fashioning people's hair styles at sophisticated beauty salons.  Her love of dog rescue brought her two talents together into the professional pet stylist profession.  Katrina is looking forward to learning all she can from the best and become MDD's next pet groomer.

Ashley Ball is the Salon Bath Manager.  Ashley is responsible for all of our short-haired pets that do not require clipping, but need a good "detailing"!!  She works part-time and assists our clients that need their nails trimmed, ears and sanitary cleaned and a bath and blow dry.  She also assists you with your at-home pet care needs. Ashley comes to us with experience from the Humane Society of Charlotte and her passion for working with dogs is second-to-none.  We welcome her compassionate attitude!

Rebecca Ludwig is MDD's Bather.  She joined us in April 2011 to bathe and blow dry our four-legged clientele while she attends college for Sports Medicine.