Waggie Pet Zone

Shannon Casto

Co-Founder, Waggie Pet Zone

Shannon grew up immersed in the world of dog training. Her mother was an amateur field trial trainer who campaigned her Golden Retriever, “Quar,” across the United States, ultimately earning his Field Championship in 1975. From a young age, Shannon was involved in socializing puppies and teaching early obedience, focusing on “good citizenship” skills that helped puppies grow into well-mannered lifelong companions.

Her passion for training only grew stronger over the years. She spent countless hours reading training books and attending seminars with some of the most respected trainers in the field, including Ian Dunbar, Terry Ryan, Karen Pryor, and Connie Cleveland. In 1990, Shannon founded K9 Kindergarten in College Station, where she taught group and private training classes and continuously refined her curriculum through ongoing education.

In 2000, Shannon graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management. After graduation, she helped manage Wellborn Road Veterinary Hospital with her parents, Drs. Joseph and Dorothy Mikeska, until their retirement in 2004. It was during that time that Shannon recognized the need for a premier pet care facility in the Brazos Valley—one that provided the level of care and enrichment she wanted for her own pets. With the support of her parents, she launched what would become Waggie Pet Zone (originally Aggie Pet Zone).

Since then, Shannon has built Waggie Pet Zone into a trusted, thriving pet care and training facility. She takes pride in leading an incredible team and cherishes the relationships formed with clients, many of whom feel like extended family. For Shannon, providing a safe, enriching, and loving environment for pets while their owners are away is more than a job—it’s a calling.

When she’s not at Waggie Pet Zone, Shannon enjoys time with her husband, Adam, their daughter, Leighton, their two dogs, Millie and Billie, and their three horses, Dudley, Dusty, and Queenie.

Rosalyn Garcia

Master Canine Training & Behavior Specialist

Rosalyn has been a dedicated trainer at Waggie Pet Zone since October 2022. She graduated Starmark Academy for Professional Dog Trainer’s intensive program to become a Canine Training and Behavioral Specialist in 2020. After graduating, she was offered an internship position at the Academy and she gladly accepted. Following her internship, she was immediately offered a teaching position which she held until she had her daughter and moved back to College Station. During that time, she secured her Master Canine Trainer and Behavior Specialist certificate.

Since 2015, Rosalyn has been active in the Assistance Dog industry, working as a Service Dog Puppy Raiser (raising 1 pup from 8 weeks until it was paired with its final handler) and an apprentice trainer for one organization and as an administrative assistant at another with her end goal being to know everything (from holding the leash to filling out grant applications) about the non-profit Service Dog industry. As a family of veterans, it was clear to her early on that dogs can help people, especially veterans with severe PTSD, in a way that humans can’t, thus igniting her interest in Assistance Dogs.

As both a Combat Medic and an Operating Room Technician in the military, Rosalyn’s love of human medicine easily transferred over to dogs. She greatly enjoys helping dog owners learn about basic and advanced pet first aid and lifesaving CPR techniques. 

In her down time, Rosalyn enjoys competing in agility trials, teaching old dogs new tricks, participating in nose work club with her dog Chips, and spending time with her family. Her passion to help owners clearly communicate with their dog through proper timing, consistency and motivation is contagious and she believes that an unbreakable bond can be built through proper training, exercise, touch/massage, and confidence building.

Amanda Curtis

Trainer

Amanda began her journey with Waggie Pet Zone in January 2017 as a part-time kennel technician. Her natural ability with animals and eagerness to learn quickly led her into dog training. She spent countless hours shadowing trainers and diving into every learning opportunity available, eventually becoming a key member of our training team and rewriting the obedience curriculum we use today. She is a member of the APDT and an AKC-certified dog trainer. Amanda’s training philosophy centers on building strong, positive relationships between dogs and their owners. In 2021, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology. Now serving as Waggie Pet Zone’s General Manager, Amanda also teaches training classes part-time in the evenings. At home, Amanda stays busy with her three dogs—Axel, Verde, and Otis—who inspire her daily. She enjoys keeping them engaged with new challenges that are both mentally and physically enriching.