Meet Our Team
Our caring, friendly, and fun staff is here to provide the best home-away-from-home resort experience for your best friend!
People and Culture Manager
Rachel Pendergast
For Rachel, working at a hotel for dogs was a childhood dream, and THPR is that and so much more. Rachel has been thrilled to join the THPR family, and loves how her role allows her to support the staff in meaningful ways, partner with local employment programs, hang out with pups, and get glimpses into our client's days. When not at work, you can find likely Rachel, and her dog Max hiking, kayaking, or at the dog beach.
Operations Manager
Bonnie Crawford
As an active and fun-loving individual, Bonnie enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and hanging out with her Cane Corso mix, Cuevo. When she's not enjoying SLO's many outdoor activities, she visits her family in Victorville, Ca. Her love for dogs led her to the Pet Resort. She's glad to be a part of the THPR family, spending time with the dogs and getting to know them and their personalities.
Client Experience Manager
Jenni Thompson
Jenni has a lifelong passion for animals and often jokes that she would have a zoo if she could. She currently resides in Santa Margarita with her beloved pup, along with goats and snakes. When she’s not caring for animals, Jenni enjoys aviation, camping, and can often be found hiking or kayaking with her dog by her side. With over 20 years of customer service experience, Jenni has a natural affinity for working with people. Her genuine compassion for both pets and their owners makes her a perfect fit for our team, and she looks forward to providing exceptional care and support to every family she serves.
Groomer
August Clement
August grew up in San Luis Obispo County and is happy to work at a job in the area that makes it their mission to help people. August grew up around animals, and they have a dog and three cats that they love very much.
Lead Resort Host
Patience Parker
Patience moved from the Central Valley to obtain an Animal Science Degree at Cal Poly. She loves working with the dogs and really enjoys spending time with them at THPR. When she is not taking pet pictures for report cards, or attending class, she can be found spending quality time with her beloved cat, Church, crocheting or playing video games.
Lead Resort Host
Karen Acosta-Beltran
Originally from the central valley, Karen moved to Slo to pursue a degree in Animal Science at CalPoly. She hopes to become a veterinarian some day, inspired by the numerous pets back home, which include: 6 dogs, 3 cats, chickens, horses and sheep.
Lead Daycare Host
Martha Ojeda
Martha's long-time love for horses and animals began on her family's ranch in Mexico. Inspired by that love, Martha moved from Bakersfield to San Luis Obispo for Cal Poly's Animal Science program and fell in love with the area. While she is exceptionally passionate about horses in her free time, she also loves caring for her Doberman puppy, Beowulf, playing with her six-year-old Chihuahua, and putting together Lego sculptures.
Lead Resort Host
Mandy Yang
Mandy traveled to San Luis Obispo all the way from Fresno in order to attend Cal Poly to pursue her Animal Science degree. To wind down from study time, Mandy loves to go on hikes with her Border Collie mix, relax at the beach, and stargaze the night away. Mandy’s passion for animals only grows the longer she spends at Thousand Hills!
Receptionist
Astrid Bernard
Originally from Texas, Astrid has called San Luis Obispo home for over two years. As a U.S. veteran with a bachelor’s degree in Communication, she loves spending time outdoors, especially with her dog Murphy, exploring the Central Coast. In her role as receptionist, her goal is to make every pet parent feel at ease. “I know how hard it can be to leave your pet behind, so I do my best to make sure every family feels confident and comfortable while their furry friend is with us.”
Dog Bather
Sophia Lorenzo
Sophia is known as Sophie by her friends and she has two dogs and a bird. She used to have two rats and would have an "aviary of rats" if she could. She also likes to draw, play the piano, and also crochet -- let her know if you need a potholder!
Dog Trainer
Matt Fletcher
Matt enjoys making music, playing video games & playing with dogs. He is a physics major and is also learning dog training at our Gentle Touch Pet Training program. He loves animals, and working at Thousand Hills gives him plenty of time to play with the dogs.
Resort Host
Anya Petrilli
Hi! I am Anya Petrilli. I am from the Bay Area originally but I grew up here in SLO county. I currently live in Los Osos and I love animals! I own two dogs named Logan, a Husky/Lab mix, and Jethro, a Chihuahua/Terrier mix. I also own a cat, Duke, and a Turtle, Frank. I am currently working to become a dog trainer. I want to work personally with helping train service dogs. I love horror movies and reading mystery books. Fall is my favorite season!
Resort Host
Ashlin Wallace
Ashlin is from the area, and chose to stay here in order to attend Cal Poly. Ashlin is an animal science major, and has a huge passion for animals! She enjoys spending time with her friends and family in the great outdoors; aside from exploring nature, Ashlin loves animals and theme parks! At home, Ashlin has four cats, a dog, and a bearded dragon, and is a self-proclaimed cat lover! She is ready to spoil your feline friends when they stay at Thousand Hills!
Resort Host
Mickey Depache
Mickey started out in Santa Margarita, but moved back to San Luis Obispo to raise her two amazing daughters. She loves to be creative through sewing, and has been sewing since she was 5 years old. Her background is in historical clothing, which gave her lots of experience in her art. Now, she loves making cheerleading bows for her SLO High School’s cheer teams. At home, she and her family have a super cat named Spike. Lovingly referred to as an adventure cat, Spike goes everywhere with them, including camping at the Grand Canyon!
Resort Host
Amy Busch
As a Cayucos native and an animal lover from the very start, Amy has enjoyed caring for all of the boarding and daycare animals here at Thousand Hills. When she is not caring for animals here, she spends her time playing with and caring for her own animals. Her two dogs and four cats are always happy to greet her when she comes home from work!
Resort Host and Receptionist
Ali Standage
Originally from Thousand Oaks, California, Ali came to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. She is currently getting her major in History and her minor in Spanish, and is on track to graduate after only three years! Even as she works and goes to classes, she still manages to make time for her myriad of hobbies, including swimming, surfing, hiking, and camping. When she is not spending time in the great outdoors, she loves listening to music and spending time with her three dogs and three cats.
Resort Host
Alesio Lorenzo
Alesio was born and raised here on the central coast and has always had a love for animals. He has three dogs at home: Amos, Koia, and Bebe. In his free time, he enjoys drawing and playing board games. He likes working at Thousand Hills because the area is beautiful, and being around dogs all day is great.
Resort Host
Sarah Castellino
Sarah is a long time resident of the Central Coast. After a decade in Engineering, they decided to pursue their passion for animals and is excited to be a part of the THPR team. Sarah has hopes to become a dog trainer and exotic vet assistant in the near future. They love their companion Springer Spaniel, Confetti, and their multiple pet frogs. In their spare time, Sarah runs their own small business selling their art and handmade jewelry.
Resort Host
Evelyn Benton
Evelyn moved to the sunny Central Coast last year with her Border Collie, Banner. She started dog sports from a young age influenced by her mom and grandma who used to do dog sports. She began her agility journey with her first dog, an Australian Shepherd, and now continues that passion with Banner. Her training experience at Gentle Touch Pet Training eventually led her to join the team at Thousand Hills. Evelyn loves working here because it allows her to bring Banner along and connect with a wide variety of dogs and their owners every day.
Resort Host
Mekenzie Raffel
Mekenzie is originally from the Lompoc area and is majoring in Animal Science at Cal Poly with the goal of going into the Zoology field. In her free time, you can find her paddleboarding at the beach, hiking, or reading. She has always grown up around animals and currently has a Great Dane named Indy and two Bengal cats named Naja and Kimba.
Resort Host
Rosa Santana
Rosa was born and raised in San Luis Obispo and she has always had a deep love for animals. She shares her home with two cats, Nina and Nico, who keep her company and constantly entertained. She enjoys working at Thousand Hills because it allows her to spend time with all kinds of pets. She is currently studying Psychology at Cuesta College. In her free time, she enjoy's crafting and relaxing with her cats.
Resort Host
Jenavieve Martinez
Jenavieve is a student at San Luis Obispo High School with a lifelong love for animals. She moved to SLO in third grade and has adored the Central Coast ever since. After graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Animal Science or Zoology. Outside of school and work, you’ll likely find Jenavieve enjoying the outdoors — whether it’s hiking the local trails or soaking up the sun at the beach. At home, she shares her heart with two dogs: Jax, a pittie mix, and Nyx, a chihuahua.