Our Springfield East Team

Meet the Carusos!

Have you met our pack leaders? Husband and wife team, Tony and Jamie Caruso are the proud owners of four Camp Bow Wow Franchises, two in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan and two in Springfield, Missouri.

A Man and His Dog

The Caruso family Camp Bow Wow story all started in April of 2007. Tony’s Hungarian Vizsla, Abby, ignited Tony’s passion for dogs and drove his entrepreneurial spirit to invest in a Camp Bow Wow. As Tony worked to grow the Camp business, his personal pack also grew…by four.

Abby's relationship with Tony crossed the "Man's best friend" boundary into what he refers to as "jealous ex-girlfriend" territory. However, Abby has graciously learned to share the man in her life with the other family in his: his wife Jamie, their daughter Ella (born in 2011), and their son Enzo (born 2016). And don't forget about the fur-family members; Bella, a Mastiff that thinks she is a lap dog that the family adopted in 2012, and an Abyssinian cat (born in 2007), that thinks he's a dog named Louie. He is Ella's partner in crime and often the victim to her fashion prowess. When Louie isn't causing trouble with the dogs or meowing for attention, he can usually be seen in the season's latest fashions (i.e. Ella's accessories). Ella and Enzo are clearly the pride of the pack (shh, don't tell Abby!) and have grown up in a house full of animals.

Growing Camp!

As dog lovers, the Caruso family love what they do. They were excited to grow their pack even more when the opportunity arose to take on a second location in Springfield, Missouri in March of 2015 . With a great team of Camp Counselors at both locations, they were able to make this expansion and bring their passion for dogs to Springfield! In January 2016, the Carusos decided to try something new when taking on their third location - Camp Bow Wow Lil' Campers of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, one of only two concept locations especially designed to care for our littlest Campers.

They feel right at home in the Camp Bow Wow Franchise as they are both pet owners themselves. Being able to fetch peace of mind for pet parents is something they understand from both sides of the fence. The opportunity that Camp Bow Wow brings to foster and further the relationship between man and his best friend, is an opportunity that’s just too good to pass up.

Community Outreach

The family cares and loves being involved in their camp local communities. Tony and Jamie’s passion for animals allows them to help with charity fundraising and participation with multiple rescue groups in Saint Clair Shores and Springfield. They host bite prevention readings with the “Scout Says, Dogs Get Nervous Too” book at Ella’s school and other local elementary schools and libraries. Tony also uses his dog training knowledge and experience to train volunteers at our local rescues and work with the dogs on a one-on-one basis. You may even catch Tony dressed up in the Scout mascot suit at our events.

We are also excited to announce Tony has received his professional certification by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)!

Outside of Camp

When Tony and Jamie aren’t busy scratching butts in the play yards at Camp you can usually find them in Downtown Detroit at a Lions or Tiger’s game, in Kansas City watching a Royals baseball game, or hitting the links for a game of golf (Jamie supervises the cart).

Next time you are at Camp, make sure to say hi to Tony and Jamie!

We are excited to introduce Ashton Sims to our Camp Bow Wow family. Ashton will be taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer for our Brighton Township, Grand Rapids Airport, St. Clair Shores, MI, and Springfield, MO locations. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Ashton worked his way up from a Camp Counselor to a General Manager. For the last 3 years he has worked for the Camp Bow Wow corporate team as a Franchise Business Coach supporting new and existing franchise owners with a high focus on customer service, daily operations, and dog safety.

Ashton is committed to building positive relationships with people and serving dogs within their communities. Ashton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Business Administration, providing him with a strong foundation to excel in his role.

In addition to his work, Ashton enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and rock climbing. He also enjoys attending professional sporting events and catching comedy shows or concerts. He is a self-proclaimed foodie, always searching for the best chicken parmesan, and he loves indulging in anime and video games in his free time.

Ashton’s dedication to Camp Bow Wow along with his motivation to inspire others makes him an invaluable Leader. His commitment to providing the best experience is fueled by his love for dogs and people.

Tris is the Guest Services Representative at Camp and has been working with us since October 2021. She wanted to work with us because she loves animals and wanted to work with them. She’s very knowledgeable about dogs because she used to volunteer at a shelter when she was younger. Both of her parents are also certified trainers and have a dog boarding and training company that she helps with. Her favorite part of the job is working with the dogs and learning each of their personalities. She also loves expanding her knowledge of how to care for them through experience and the training Camp offers. Tris has a Shiba Inu, Aussie, and Retriever Mix named Nova. She is very hyper, hard-headed, and smart. She loves any kind of food. In Tris' free time, she enjoys doing aerial arts. She also likes painting and cross-stitching.

Skills and Experience

Background: Beverly has known and worked with Camp Rangerette Jamie since 2001. You read that right, that’s 17 years! Beverly loved working with her and thought it would be fun to combine her love of marketing with her love for dogs.

Additional Skills/Qualifications: Beverly works hard behind the scenes for Camp but she also has personal experience in training. She trained one of her dogs in level one, level two, agility, freestyle, and fly ball in 2000. Beverly loves working with dogs and truly sees the value in socialization and training. Beverly isn’t the average marketing consultant – she’s the paw-fect person for us, right?!

Fun Facts

What I love most about my job: Beverly’s favorite part of her job is working with people who love dogs as much as she does. She loves sharing the Camp Bow Wow brand with other dog lovers! Beverly gets to spend a lot of time on social media, looking at cute dog photos, dog videos, and planning fun events for you and your pup. She can’t get enough of it!

My pets: At home, Beverly has two dogs. Midnight is a Labrador Retriever/Corgi mix who she rescued in 2013. Midnight was six years old at the time and Beverly happily gave him a better life! Minna is a Miniature Schnauzer who thinks she is human. She was more than happy when Beverly brought home Midnight and quickly taught him how to play and chase squirrels!

My hobbies: Outside of her marketing world, Beverly is a proud Army Wife! She loves spending time with her husband, Bobbie, her adopted son, Zeke, and her step-son, Eliott. Beverly is a coffee addict who enjoys traveling, playing board games, going to the beach, cuddling with her dogs, and spending time outdoors!

Meet Marisa, one of our dedicated Senior Counselors who keeps the tail wags coming and the fun nonstop. If she were a dog, she would be a cheerful Corgi, full of charm and always ready to make new friends. When she is not leading the pack at Camp, Marisa loves baking up sweet treats and binge-watching her favorite shows. Her favorite food? Anything dessert-related, of course!

Meet Cassidy, one of our animal-loving Camp Counselors who brings a natural knack for caring to every furry friend she meets. When she is not at Camp, you’ll find her hanging out with her Siberian Husky and cattle dog mix, Chase, who keeps things interesting with his mix of lazy snoozes and playful bursts. Cassidy also works part-time at the Dickerson Park Zoo and has a true gift for being around animals, whether it’s out on the trails or during a cozy nap with Chase by her side.