Our Team

Bert is the founder and owner of The Ruff Break. His philosophy for owning dogs is simple: Consistent exercise and consistent rules grounded in love
make happy and fulfilled pets. He is always looking for new ways to enjoy the outdoors with dogs and brings the knowledge and experience of proper exercise
and dog behavior along on every Ruff Break.

Melissa, Bert’s wife and manager of The Ruff Break, loves to walk and bike, and if she can have a dog by her side all the better! She is caring and patient and has a gift for motivating dogs through challenging situations.
She seeks out hills, stairs, deep snow, or whatever it takes to ensure the dog she exercises gets a great workout.

Lindsey, a Minnesota native, has known animals all of her life and currently has two dogs of her own. She wants to study Veterinary Medicine and specialize in Zoology.
She plays volleyball, is on the cheer leading squad and loves staying active all winter long. Lindsey is also one of the only Ruff Break team members that can exercise dogs in a t-shirt in 30 degree weather!

Erica’s calm and gentle nature allow her to connect really well with some of our more fearful and anxious dogs. She has owned dogs throughout her life and currently has one dog, Chloe. She is a book keeper by trade and is fluent in both French and dog speak!

Steve has merged two of his passions, biking and dogs, into a “job” that gives him the flexibility to bond with dogs while maintaining a high level of exercise. He is a long time volunteer at Paws and Claws Humane Society (PCHS) and holds the distinction for being the first Exercise Volunteer trained at PCHS. He is knowledgeable, meticulous and compassionate; perfect traits for a Ruff Break team member!

Justin is one of our newest Ruff Break team member, but exercises dogs like he has been with us for years! His attention to detail during Ruff Breaks is unmatched. Justin is an avid hunter, is currently in school and wants to pursue a degree in culinary arts.

Chelsey is a North Dakota native pictured here with her two Great Danes, Onyx and Xander. She lived in Denver for 6 years where she worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician and served as both a Board Member and Vet Tech for various giant breed rescue organizations. Her rescue work also included fostering giant breed dogs with medical or behavior issues requiring rehabilitation. Chelsey is currently an ICU nurse at Mayo Clinic. She loves wakesurfing, wakeboarding, biking, rollerblading, fishing (especially ice fishing), snowshoeing, hiking, and any other activity that keeps her outdoors!

Kayla loves reading, cooking & baking, traveling (especially to the ocean), gardening, and learning new things. She currently has two rescue dogs, Bruce & Buddha. She enjoys being outdoors with them, especially hiking, running, snowshoeing, rollerblading, and now biking! She plans on getting more involved with dog rescue in the near future.

Kelley was born and raised in Rochester. She is a mother of two boys and currently has three wonderful dogs. Kelley grew up showing dogs and horses and loves anything to do with being outside and being around ALL kinds of animals.

Dave grew up on a farm in north east Iowa, and has always enjoyed animals. He loves the outdoors especially running, biking, and kayaking. Dave is currently attending school to obtain a Network Security degree.