About Happy Tails Travel, Inc.

Hello! My name is Bridget & I started by company in 1995, and 26 + years later, I still enjoy my decision to have a service that helps pets fly by air with care or by ground safe & sound! 

My decision to own a business came after a career as a Registered Nurse, where my specialty was chemical dependency & psychiatric care. My experience is that by working as a medical professional, it then applies to being a successful entrepreneur. Especially pertaining to working with animals & people is the deep understanding of empathy, love of people, & the importance of ethics always. I have a natural ability to own a company, however I had to do lots of research, learning, consulting, trial & error, excellent employees, perseverance, etc. to maintain our excellent reputation, & weather the many changes in our society since the mid 1990’s.  

It also helped that as a little girl growing up, I did things to lead up to a service business such as running MD Carnivals, selling flower seeds door to door, newspaper route, babysitting, & selling paper restaurant placemats door to door in my apartment building for 3 cents each.  A big lesson I learned selling newspapers is that I would be happier with service than the retails side. Giving up tips because I came up short was no fun.  

What also began as a child is my passion for animals, as pets were my brothers & sisters, & now they are my kids! Coming from farming family for generations causes one to have a deep love & understanding of animals big & small.  Having a company that strives for outstanding customer service as well as care, comfort, & safety to traveling pets is a dream come true. It all began when someone asked me “If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?” Working with animals was my answer and four months later I began Happy Tails Travel. I am so happy that I did and am so grateful for all the support I have had through the years, including excellent employees, who make being a boss easy.  

“What I like best about what we do is the sound of relief when people learn we can help them with their special VIP needs for their pet & then on the other end hearing their deep satisfaction with our service & joy when their pets arrive safely to their destination.”  

-Bridget

Elaine has three degrees in hospitality and tourism. She received her Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management from Northern Arizona University, a Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Virginia Tech and a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida. Her work experience prior to joining Happy Tails Travel includes working in boutique hotels and working for Walt Disney World handling guest services, events, and reservations.

Elaine started working for Happy Tails Travel in 2014 as a Pet Travel Specialist, arranging both domestic and international pet relocation. Now Elaine has obtained the role of managing the Pet Information Desk and works more behind the scenes. She corresponds with potential clients making sure all of their questions are answered, prepares contracts and sends clients important information such as estimates, country requirements and crate shopping lists.

"I have a passion for travel and am an animal lover, so the opportunity to work for Happy Tails Travel combines the best of both worlds!"

— Elaine

Kim has worked in hospitality, travel, and management for more than 15 years. She has an Associate’s degree in Hospitality Management and a Bachelors in Business Management. Her passions include: travel, animals, and helping people, which is why she chose to come to Happy Tails!

Kim works in all areas of the administrative side of Happy Tails, as well as building up her clientele as a Pet Travel Specialist. She recently returned from living overseas in Japan for 3 years with her husband, 11-yr old mini Schnauzer rescue, Lil Bit, and her 2-yr old Japanese tabby cat sister, Ōjo (pronounced O-joe, meaning Princess in Japanese), who was rescued as a stray.

“My fur babies mean the world to me – I couldn’t imagine life without them! They’ve been my family through thick and thin! I’m so glad to have the opportunities to travel and bring them with me!”

- Kim

Amanda has worked in management in the hospitality and retail industry for more than 20 years. She achieved her Bachelor’s in Health Information Management in 2008 and worked for 15 years in the healthcare industry. From 2010 to 2014 Amanda participated in dog rescue and fostered 27 sick and injured dogs to health and placement into forever homes sealing her heart to rescue and Pitbulls. In 2015 she took her first trip abroad to Italy and discovered a passion for travel.  She now volunteers at the local animal shelter and has two rescues of her own, a Pitbull named Louie and a Morkie appropriately named Dash. They share their home with her two rescue feral cats, Kat and Ghost!

Amanda began working at Happy Tails Travel at the beginning of 2021 as an administrative assistant, responding to Pet Travel Forms and sending estimates to potential clients.

“So far, working here is so much fun. Helping to get loved pets safely moved all over the country combined with getting to see pet pictures all day makes for the BEST job EVER!”

-Amanda

Melia joined Happy Tails Travel in the spring of 2021.  She comes to HTT with a strong background in museums, logistics, retail, and customer service management and operations, a degree in Anthropology from the University of Washington, and graduate work in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Museum Studies. 

For more than 20 years, Melia lived and traveled in remote coastal Alaska while working in the fishing and transportation industries as well as working as an archaeologist and in museum management. Her interests include volunteer work with conservation organizations and museums, birding, hiking, backpacking, sea kayaking, and travel. She has traveled widely in the Pacific, Asia, and Europe and spent more than a decade living overseas in Palau and in Scotland teaching ESL and working in the Museum sector. 

Melia gained experience in pet relocation moving her own rescue dog and cats between Alaska and the lower 48 States as well as taking her cat, Skelter, from Alaska to Scotland, and years later returning with her cat, Morgan, to Alaska, then Arizona.  She is thrilled to bring her knowledge and skills to HTT to support her colleagues and assist clients with their own pet relocations.

“Moving a household cross-country or internationally with pets can be a complex, stressful, and emotional endeavor.  Having experienced this firsthand, I love knowing that the work I do at HTT relieves that stress for our clients and ensures that their pets arrive home Safe and Sound!”