Meet Our Team

,,of of  to toLauren had a passion for animals since she can remember. There was never a time growing up where her family did not have multiple dogs. She acquired her first personal dog during college, Harley (pictured far right). He lived in her pet friendly dorm going everywhere with her, even to classes and  often accompanying Lauren to the barn and for trail rides.

After Lauren got married, her and her husband rescued a second dog, Wesson (3rd from right). Wesson was a young exuberant male with some pretty intense leash reactivity. This was the jumpstart to Lauren’s career. Mastering the art of effective communication with Wesson resulted in their relationship flourishing, propelling Lauren towards her passion for assisting others in cultivating similar connections

Not too long after starting her career in pet dog training, Lauren rescued Blue (2nd from right). Blue was almost feral. She was terrified of the world and of humans. Lauren took Blue in and helped her to be comfortable in her skin and to navigate the human world. Over the years, Blue made incredible strides that really sparked a passion and interest for Lauren with dogs similar to her. These kind, shy, souls are still some of Lauren’s favorite dogs to train to this day. 

Lauren was the head trainer and manager for a previous dog training company for 10+ years. She gained a lot of experience in pet dog training, and mild to extreme behavior modification cases. Lauren is known for utilizing out of the box thinking to help her clients and dogs find solutions that work for them as individuals.

In the past couple years, Lauren has developed a very strong interest in dog sports, primarily competitive agility and conformation competing with her three youngest dogs Amble (4th from the right),  Binky (in arms), and her newest addition Eden (not pictured).

Bringing passion, experience, and a variety of skillsets to the table, we are privileged to have her on the Golden Compass team! 

Born and raised in the countryside of Northern Virginia, Kayla has always had a passion for animals. She grew up riding horses and working at her local barn and was always surrounded by some sort of fury creature. While attending UNCW and pursuing a career in physical therapy, she filled her free time with fostering puppies since she could not have one of her own. After graduating, she enjoyed her job but was always drawn back to animals, dogs specifically. Dog training was always something in the back of her mind, but she wasn’t sure the steps to take to get there. Fast forward a few years, she happened to get connected with a well-known local company where she gained a lot of experience in training all different kinds of dogs and people! She adds a bubbly, outgoing personality to our awesome group and we are excited to have her join our team!

Rebekah graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UNCW in 2019. She has always loved working with dogs whether it was working hands on in a daycare and boarding facility, or managing the facility behind the scenes doing the administrative duties! She has many years and experience with dogs as well as managing and keeping businesses a float with her exceptional administration work! She is a huge asset to the team and will be the voice you hear when you call! You will occasionally see her in person during daycare hours and support class, but she resides permanently in Raleigh, NC!