Our Team
At Barktails, great care starts with people who truly know and love dogs. Our small, experienced team is committed to providing every guest with personalized, compassionate care in a safe, home-style environment.
Experienced care. Familiar faces. One Barktails family.
Our small, experienced team allows your dog to build relationships with familiar caregivers who understand their personality, routines and individual needs.
Michelle Rangel
Michelle Rangel is the founder and owner of Barktails, bringing decades of hands-on experience with dogs to every aspect of the business. Her lifelong passion for animal welfare has included extensive rescue work, fostering hundreds of dogs, and helping more than 5,000 dogs find loving homes.
Through years of rescue and fostering, Michelle gained invaluable experience caring for dogs of all ages, breeds, personalities, and needs—including those requiring extra patience, medical attention, or behavioral support. That experience shaped her belief that every dog deserves care that is personal, attentive, and tailored to who they are.
After a successful corporate career, Michelle founded Barktails in 2023 to create the kind of dog care she believed families deserved: a safe, loving, home-based environment where dogs are known as individuals rather than treated as just another reservation.
Today, Michelle combines her experience, compassion, and deep understanding of dogs to ensure every Barktails guest feels safe, comfortable, and genuinely at home.
Joe Rangel
If you’ve spent any time around Barktails, you’ve probably heard Michelle mention—or had the chance to meet—her husband, Joe.
Joe has been one of Barktails’ biggest supporters from the beginning. After working his full-time job, he can often be found helping with dog walks, transportation, overnight care, rescue pickups, supply runs, and whatever else needs to be done.
Together for nearly two decades, Joe has embraced Michelle’s passion for animals as his own. From fostering hundreds of rescue dogs to caring for their permanent pack at home, he has been there through countless adoptions, medical cases, challenges, and happy endings.
Dogs seem to know immediately that Joe is one of the good ones. His calm, patient presence helps nervous dogs feel comfortable, while energetic pups quickly discover they have a willing playmate.
Joe may work mostly behind the scenes, but he plays an important role in the Barktails family—and in keeping those tails wagging.
Deborah Stigall
Behind every successful business is someone keeping things organized behind the scenes, and Deborah helps Barktails do just that.
As Michelle’s mother, Deborah has supported Barktails from the beginning. After a long career in information technology and business systems, she now provides technology, administrative, and business support to Barktails as an independent contractor through her company, Stigall Digital Solutions.
Deborah assists Barktails with its website, business systems, client records, bookkeeping, administrative processes, and technology. Her background in systems, organization, and problem-solving helps support efficient operations while allowing the Barktails caregiving team to focus on what they do best—caring for the dogs.
For Deborah, working with Barktails is especially meaningful. She is proud to support Michelle as she continues building a business centered on compassion, trust, and exceptional care for every Barktails guest.
Sarah Ralston
Sarah has been part of the Barktails family for over a year and has quickly become a trusted favorite among both our clients and their pets. Having been surrounded by animals her entire life, caring for dogs comes naturally to her. Her calm, patient demeanor helps pets feel comfortable and secure, whether she's providing overnight pet sitting, administering medications, going for walks, or simply offering companionship and cuddles.
Growing up in a family deeply involved in animal rescue, Sarah has helped foster and care for countless dogs alongside her sister Hannah and their family. Through years of hands-on experience, she has worked with dogs of all ages, breeds, temperaments, and medical needs. This background has given her a unique ability to understand canine behavior, build trust, and help animals feel safe in new environments.
Sarah is known for her reliability, attention to detail, and genuine love for every pet she cares for. She treats each animal as if they were her own and takes great pride in providing the highest level of care and comfort while their families are away.
Hannah Ralston
Hannah has been a valued member of the Barktails team for over a year, bringing a lifetime of animal experience, compassion, and dedication to every pet she meets. Her love for animals began at a young age and has grown into a lifelong commitment to animal welfare, rescue, and care.
In addition to her role with Barktails, Hannah serves as the Adoption Coordinator and a member of the Board of Directors for ICARE Dog Rescue. Alongside her family, she has helped foster hundreds of dogs over the past decade, giving her extensive experience with dogs of all ages, breeds, personalities, and special needs. Her rescue background has provided her with a deep understanding of canine behavior and an exceptional ability to help dogs feel comfortable, confident, and loved.
Whether she's caring for pets in their homes, providing enrichment and exercise, or helping rescue dogs find their forever families, Hannah approaches every animal with patience, kindness, and genuine dedication. Her experience, professionalism, and passion for animal welfare make her an invaluable part of the Barktails family and a trusted caregiver for the pets in our community.
Laurie Ralston
Laurie brings decades of hands-on experience, compassion, and a lifelong love of dogs to the Barktails team. As the mother of Sarah and Hannah, animals have always been a big part of her family’s life, and she has spent many years caring for, fostering, and living alongside rescue dogs of all ages, personalities, and needs.
Through years of welcoming rescue dogs into her home, Laurie understands that every dog is different. Some need extra patience, reassurance, and time to build trust, and her calm, caring approach allows them to settle in at their own pace while receiving the attention, structure, and affection they need.
Patient, dependable, and genuinely devoted to animals, Laurie enjoys getting to know each dog as an individual. She brings the same gentle approach and loving care to every Barktails guest that she has given the many dogs who have been part of her own family over the years.
Because every dog deserves to feel safe, loved, and at home.