From the front of house Pet Parent Coordinators to the back of house Canine Coaches – we wouldn’t be able to do this without each other! Playroom care and directions may be on camera but there’s so much behind the scenes… spa pampering, introductory tours, meal preparations, skills work, wellness checks, boarding care and then there is all the cleaning!
This team works hard and has a wide range of skills and abilities. All staff must complete Canine Coach 1 training before being left alone with dogs here in North Worcester. After in depth training on line, staff then shadow more experienced staff until they are able to complete a skills observation and test. That’s just the beginning! Multiple levels of Dogtopia training, Dogtopia Foundation training, Safety Officer training, Canine/Feline CPR & First Aid and on-going directed training on various subjects working with our colleagues from across the country – all learning together!
The Leadership Team
Sophia – AM Shift Lead
Ivy – PM Shift Lead
Erik – Canine Coach Trainer
Ren – Assistant Manager
Arianna – General Manager
Steve Hager – Owner
Meet the Team
Steve Hager, Owner
Steve and his wife, Greta, opened Dogtopia North Worcester because of their love for their own pack:
Dak, Bianca, Gidget & Django.
He loves seeing all the happy parents and even happier dogs! From our smallest – Django – to the largest – JR – he feels joy at seeing each one! Steve enjoys hearing from parents and is always working to improve everyone’s experience – Dogs, Parents and Staff!
Arianna Setzco & Wesley Samuel, General Manager
Arianna and her Goldendoodle, Wesley, opened Dogtopia North Worcester with Steve & Greta in 2023! She takes pride in the team and facility and strives to always lead by example. She knows that everyday is about learning and growing as a business and an individual! She believes her job is to help pet parents take joy in their dogs and help reduce the obstacles to pet ownership. Dogs are considered part of the family and she teaches the team we are all here to help dogs live long, healthy and happy lives!
Arianna is also passionate about the Dogtopia Foundation and actively supports Employment for Adults with Autism and Service Dogs for Veterans. She hopes to start a Therapy Dogs for Students team soon!
E-mail: [email protected]
Ren, Assistant Manager
Originally from Westchester NY, he moved to Worcester to pursue his undergraduate degree in Media, Culture, and the Arts at Clark University. Ren stayed at Clark for a fifth year to get his Masters in Communications.
After graduating in 2025, Ren joined our Dogtopia team as the Assistant Manager in Fall of 2025 and has been working evenings with our Dogtopia North Worcester Families to help create the most exciting days ever!
E-mail: [email protected]
Erik, Canine Coach Trainer
Erik joined the team in the Fall of 2024 with experience fostering and working with future service dogs. His experience and perspective in the playrooms helps each of us grow every day! He helps ensure each team member is prepared for the fun and excitement of a playroom! He also works with pet parents individually on basic home skills and understanding their dog’s needs.
Ivy, PM Shift Lead
Ivy is a Senior Canine Coach that has been helping take care of your pups since opening day in the Fall of 2023! She was recently promoted to Shift Lead & is passionate about creating a safe & healthy environment at daycare.
Benji has been Ivy’s loyal & fashionable companion for the past seven years. You may find him in Toybox, or helping out at the front desk!
Sophia, AM Shift Lead
Sophia’s love for animals started with her Peruvian horse Edicion Especial and her standard poodle ZoomZoom at a very young age. Dogs are true companions and never fail to put a smile on our faces. Here at Dogtopia she strives to make sure all pets are safe and happy along with making sure the parents get the best care possible for their pups. She says it is an honor to work with Dogtopia and the incredible staff since Summer of 2025!
Nolan, Senior
Nolan helped to set up the daycare before we opened in Fall of 2023! He can be found in any room or position! While he has never had a dog of his own, he loves them dearly, so being able to care for them almost every day is a true passion. Nolan is grateful to experience the foundation and growth of the business so far, and is looking forward to the future. Outside of work he enjoys watching UFC, vacationing in Cape Cod, playing video games, and pet sitting for friends & family.
A special shout out to all the pet parents for sharing your pups with us and trusting in our services. Thank you! 🐾
Jessica, Canine Coach
Hi everyone! I love getting to meet each and every dog and form a special bond with them. I mainly run the romper room the days I work and lets just say those pups keep me on my feet! But i wouldn’t want it any other way.
Big, medium, or small, I love them all:)
My dream is to become a veterinarian which I am in college for right now! When I am older, I really want to open my own no-kill shelter for animals all around the world.
I have always loved animals, and I am so blessed to be working with your AMAZING dogs since Spring 2024!
Meghan, Canine Coach
Meghan has worked with dogs for many years and is currently a Biology && Chemistry student at Clark University with a pre-veterinary concentration. From summer internships at animal hospitals across Western MA, where she is from, to joining the Dogtopia team in Fall of 2024, dogs are a major part of her life.
Meghan has a career goal of becoming a veterinarian, and Dogtopia has played an important role in helping her develop a deeper understanding of dog body language, and other essential animal care skills. Being a full-time college student, she loves coming into work to see all the furry smiles and to get all the puppy love – dedicated to understanding dogs today and healing them tomorrow.
Jenalyse, Canine Coach
I have always been a dog lover since I was a little girl. My most favorite dog breed is a Pit Bull. Even though I would pronounce them as a “pimple” when I was a child. My #1 Pit Bull will always be my childhood best friend, Kapone.
Jenalyse joined the team in the Fall of 2024!
Savannah, Canine Coach
Savannah’s childhood dog was a shih-tzu-pug mix named Brimley. He was found wandering the streets of Worcester before they took him in. She also had six chickens all with names that she took care of for years. She also loves fish–especially goldfish.
Most recently, Savannah gave end-of-life care to an abandoned house cat found in her neighborhood. While not currently a pet owner, she loves to live vicariously through the sweet pups that visit Dogtopia since late-winter 2024!
TyghnanBrey, Canine Coach
Outside of the playrooms, she is in the final stretch of earning her Bachelor of Science in Animal Care & Behavior! She completed an internship at Southwick’s Zoo in MA in 2025. She plans to use these experiences, and her degree, to continue her career in training domestic and zoo housed/wild animals. Since early-winter 2025, Dogtopia has allowed her to develop skills in managing pets’ social, emotional, and physical health. Working with the numerous breeds and personalities has given her insight and experience to better their behaviors and needs.
Anika, Canine Coach
Anika has experience in teaching, science, and healthcare, as well as a developed skill set and passion for working animals. She is a dog lover and cares deeply for our furry friends at Dogtopia, emphasizing safety, skills training, cleanliness, and healthy socialization in the playrooms.
Autumn, Pet Parent Coordinator
Autumn joined as a Canine Coach in Spring of 2025 and has become a Pet Parent Coordinator. Being a Dogtopian became her grand passion as she has always loved nurturing animals.
She has three dogs of her own; Two Siberian Huskies and an Australian Shepherd.
Follow the leader activity is a common fun practice in both her home and work life.
She believes that high energy dogs keep you young!
Christopher, Canine Coach Assistant
I love dogs!
As a Canine Coach Assistant I get to help support all 3 playrooms as well as spa and hanging out with overnight dogs!
I love the weekends – I can cuddle each pup!
I’ve always wanted a job working with dogs – I even thought I’d be a Veterinarian at one point. I am so glad I found this place. Great place to work, great people and of course great dogs – so cute and behaved!
Paige, Pet Parent Coordinator Assistant
Paige joined in the spring of 2025 and loves getting to know all the pups that come through the door. One of her favorite parts of the job is chatting with pet parents about their fur babies and making sure every dog feels safe, happy, and loved. Paige is currently putting herself through college at Roger Williams University, where she is majoring in psychology. After graduating, she hopes to continue her education by earning a master’s degree in social work so she can work in a school setting and support children’s mental health.
Robert, Canine Coach
Hello everyone, my name is Robert. I am a Canine Coach for Dogtopia and I love my job here! I am responsible for keeping the many dogs in my playroom happy, healthy and safe. Although new to the career of Canine Coaching, I am learning rapidly and growing attached to the dogs in my care. I am happy to be learning all about dogs specifically their body language, their behavior, and the many different personalities that I have been encountering as a Canine Coach.
My journey to Dogtopia and working with animals started when I was a child. I have always been fascinated with all sorts of animals whether they were cats, dogs or other species. Later in life I started to volunteer for the Worcester Animal Rescue league and would encounter such animals daily. During that time, I learned that working with them was rewarding and that I would not mind a career working with animals. While doing some research on kennels, daycares and other animal shelters I found Dogtopia. After much studying and training I have become a Canine Coach. I have been enjoying my work and expanding my knowledge of dogs in the process. I come to work excited and happy to start a new day and cannot imagine any other job that has brought me such happiness.
Olivia, Canine Coach
Olivia has two dogs, a bernedoodle named Logan and a bichon frise named Luna, that love coming to work with her at Dogtopia North Worcester. Olivia and Logan participate in an obedience class at her agricultural high school where she studies veterinary science.
She is passionate about the importance of training and loves to teach tricks to the pups in the playrooms. She loves working with the other staff and managing playrooms to ensure the pups have the best day possible!
Ella, Canine Coach
Gabriella started working at Dogtopia in summer of 2025. Since then, she has grown to have a true passion for taking care of the dogs here.
She is always open to learning new things and will always take notes if you have any for her!
Jose, Canine Coach
Jose came to Dogtopia in the fall of 2025 as an animal lover with a desire to learn more! This role has inspired him to pursue a career as an animal behaviorist. He is committed to ensuring dogs feel safe and loved, and he’s eager to learn and grow on this journey.
Maribel, Canine Coach
Maribel is passionate about Dogtopia! She takes pride in learning every day, being patient, and growing as an individual to better keep the dogs safe and welcome.
She’s excited to work with all the dogs!
