Our Brighton Township 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! And the pack keeps growing with the opening of their third location in January, 2016 - their first ever Lil' Campers location in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan.

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.

Meet Kim, our bark-tastic Camp Manager since July 2023. She's the top dog who joined us because of her pup, Benny, who was already a Camper. With almost a decade of experience as a Vet Tech, Kim has been the team alpha, with experience assisting in surgeries and general practice and even being the tech lead at multiple clinics. She holds a certification in animal psychology and has a pawsome talent for developing great relationships with the Campers and their parents. Kim's fur baby, Eggs Benedict, affectionately known as Benny, is an energetic Dalmatian. But when he's not chasing his tail, he loves to cuddle up with Kim. In her free time, Kim likes to do water sports, paint, and play board games. She's not just a Harry Potter fan. She's a wizard at reciting almost all of the books by heart. Additionally, Kim is a champion supporter of the Vegas Golden Knights. Paws up!

Jessie is a Co-Manager and has been working with us since July 2022. She loves working with dogs and animals! Her favorite time at camp is yard time because she likes being able to interact with the dogs and see all the Campers together. Jessie has three Guinea pigs named Cashew, Sunny, and Winnie. In her free time, she likes to hang out with family and friends, She also likes to draw, paint and read. A fun fact about Jessie is she can juggle!

Allie is a Co-Manager and has been working with us since July 2022! She has always loved being around dogs so naturally she loves working at Camp! Allie has two dogs Ren and Tango. Ren is a 9-month-old White lab. He is very crazy and loves to go swimming. He also really enjoys coming to camp and playing with all of the dogs. Tango is a 4-year-old yellow lab. He is very sweet and loves to cuddle and run around outside. They both also love going on car rides. She also has two cats Gizmo (a long-haired tuxedo cat) and Oliver (a Russian Blue mix), and three goldfish. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, playing video games (specifically animal crossing), drawing occasionally, and baking sweet treats!