Our Team of Chicago Dog Walkers & Pet Sitters | Sparky Steps
Pet Lovers Unite with Sparky Steps
Our Story: More Than Just Walks, It’s a Legacy of Love
At Sparky Steps, we’re not just a dog walking service—we’re a team dedicated to providing personalized, compassionate care that treats every pet like family. We know your pets are your heart, and we are committed to being their most trusted friend when you can’t be there.
Born from a Spark of Joy
Sparky Steps was founded in 2016 by Michael Jaurigue and Laurie Adams. The inspiration behind our entire mission was the family’s first family dog, Sparky. Sparky brought so much joy into their life that they dedicated their career to ensuring every animal receives that same level of love.
Today, Sparky's legacy continues through our commitment to:
Compassionate Care: Focusing on the individual needs, comfort, and safety of every dog and cat.
Community Commitment: Encouraging pet adoption and supporting animal welfare efforts in Chicago.
Unwavering Reliability: Utilizing professional systems and a dedicated team to ensure seamless service.
Our Professional, Passionate Team
We are proud to be a licensed, bonded, and insured business in the City of Chicago, with most of our staff certified in Cat & Dog First Aid. Our team is growing to enhance the quality and reliability of your service:
Michael Jaurigue
Founder, Manager & Chief Pet Officer
Michael launched Sparky Steps back in 2016, all thanks to a life-changing spark of joy from his first family dog, Sparky. Today, he’s the captain of the ship, managing operations and ensuring that every single pet in Chicago gets the same VIP treatment Sparky did.
Pack Style: The Alpha Caregiver.
Favorite Activity: Personally checking in on routes and remembering every client's pet by name.
Superpower: Understanding dog language better than English.
Norma Garcia
Professional Pet Sitter & Care Specialist
Norma treats pet care as an extension of family. Known for her incredibly warm and patient demeanor, she excels at making animals feel completely safe and secure from the moment she steps through the door.
Pack Style: Patient, nurturing, and deeply intuitive.
Favorite Walk Activity: Finding quiet nature trails and giving premium belly rubs.
Superpower: Earning the instant trust of the absolute shyest pups in Chicago.
Elisabeth Puca
Professional Pet Sitter & City Guide
Elisabeth brings a vibrant, joyful energy to the pavement. She believes that a great walk is a perfect cocktail of structured exercise, mental stimulation, and total fun.
Pack Style: Energetic, fun-loving, and highly alert.
Favorite Walk Activity: Hunting down the best chocolate chip cookies in Chicago while exploring city parks.
Superpower: Matching the chaotic energy of hyperactive puppies.
Professional Pet Sitter & Route Specialist
Pet Sitter
Payton combines a dependable, structured approach to dog walking with a genuine passion for animal companionship. They treat outdoor time like a great team sport, where safety comes first, and a happy, tired pup is the ultimate win. When they're not out on route keeping their pack active, healthy, and safe, Payton is likely catching a baseball game or relaxing outdoors.
Pack Style: Dependable, structured, and athletic.
Favorite Walk Activity: Brisk, fitness-focused walks and practicing good leash manners.
Superpower: Exceptional focus on route safety and maintaining consistent walking routines.
Amir Ball
Professional Pet Sitter & Hype Man
Amir brings an infectious wave of enthusiasm to every single home visit. A specialist in positive reinforcement, Amir turns basic training reinforcement into a game that dogs absolutely love playing.
Pack Style: Enthusiastic, rewarding, and high-tempo.
Favorite Walk Activity: Giving out celebratory high-fives and treats for good behavior.
Superpower: Unleashing instant, happy tail-wags the second he walks in.
Maaya Yamauchi
Visionary Support & Culture Keeper
Every great mission needs a guiding light behind the scenes, and that’s Maaya. She is the strategic sounding board and constant source of inspiration keeping the core values of Sparky Steps focused squarely on compassion.
Squad Style: The Strategic North Star.
Fueled By: Big ideas and animal welfare advocacy.
Superpower: Keeping the team grounded and inspired all at once.
Laurie Adams
Co-Founder & Legacy Builder
As the original co-founder who helped plant the seeds in 2016, Laurie’s vision for compassionate, family-style pet care remains the foundation of everything the network builds today.
Squad Style: The Original Visionary.
Fueled By: Pure love for the Chicago pet community.
Superpower: Crafting a company culture centered entirely around the heart.
Rachel Gordon-Acavia
In-House Storyteller & Blog Writer
Rachel is the voice behind the Sparky Steps blog. She takes the real-world adventures of our walkers and turns them into engaging, educational stories, resource guides, and updates for our local community.
Creative Style: Witty, informative, and narrative-driven.
Fueled By: Hot coffee and hilarious animal antics.
Superpower: Knowing exactly what a cat is thinking and putting it into words.
Saleha Khatun
Social Media Assistant
If you see a gorgeous pup strutting on our feeds, Saleha is the genius behind it. She curates the aesthetic, captures the behind-the-scenes magic of our daily routes, and keeps the Sparky Steps digital community smiling.
Creative Style: Trendy, visually sharp, and uplifting.
Fueled By: Golden hour lighting and puppy content.
Superpower: Getting an easily distracted dog to look directly at the camera lens.
Dr. Muqeet
Resident Vet Expert & In-House Writer
Dr. Muqeet is a well-known licensed veterinarian, online pet consultant, writer, editor, animal genetic scientist, and pet expert. Dr. Muqeet Mushtaq has spent more than 9 years following his passion for animals. He is a regular contributor to numerous pet and veterinary industry books, magazines, and websites.
Supriyo Ghosh
Website Assistant
Supriyo keeps our digital home running beautifully. From ensuring the booking links work flawlessly on Shopify to updating local neighborhood pages, he ensures the client's online experience is as smooth as a walk in the park.
Tech Style: Clean code and user-first layouts.
Fueled By: Sleek design and bug-free interfaces.
Superpower: Fixing a broken website link faster than a greyhound out of the gate.
Ailyn Villarin
Assistant Manager & Operations Backbone
Ailyn is the logistical wizard who keeps Sparky Steps moving. She handles the schedules, coordinates client requests, and pieces together the daily calendar puzzle so that every walk is seamless and every pet is accounted for.
Desk Style: Precision Tetris Master.
Fueled By: Making chaotic schedules look effortless.
Superpower: Being in three places at once digitally.
Therese
Financial Assistant Manager
Therese is the guardian of the treasury. By keeping the business side of Sparky Steps healthy, stable, and perfectly balanced, she ensures the field team can focus 100% of their energy on belly rubs and long walks.
Desk Style: Spreadsheet Samurai.
Fueled By: Clean math and organized data.
Superpower: Making budgets balance faster than a treat disappears.
