Our Staff

Luis Baro

Luis is a former music industry worker from Chicago who found his way to New York via Washington DC, where he had a successful career as a Program Director at Sirius XM Radio. However, his life took a different turn after he started working for a dog walking service on the Upper West Side in 2009. Inspired by his two dogs, Oliver and Suzy, Luis transformed his health, losing over 120 lbs in just a few years. In 2011, he founded Not The Rug in his home neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he has lived since 2006.

Marcus

Marcus, a former Petco trainer and resident of Coney Island, has been offering professional pet care services for over 6 years. He's a huge movie buff and also has a deep passion for ferrets.

Joseph

Say hello to Joseph! He has over 5 years of professional dog-walking experience and is a genuine animal lover. Joseph has his own dog named Ginger, who is almost 12 years old! When not walking dogs, he enjoys listening to music and watching old concert footage or movies.

Nina

Nina is a professional pet caregiver with over four years of experience. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has lived in both Brooklyn and currently resides in Bayonne. In addition to her pet care work, Nina holds a phlebotomy license and has aspirations of becoming a nurse.

Léa

Meet Léa (pronounced lay-uh). Léa has lived all over, including places such as Connecticut, Georgia, & Honduras. Léa moved back to New York after high school, and has been a dog walker for more than 5 years. She is Not The Rug’s most recent addition to the team, and has already built a special bond with all of her pups. Outside of Not The Rug, Léa is a freelance dog sitter in Sunset Park. She is currently going to school, studying environmental science and early childhood development. Léa has a mutt mix of her own named Miso that she loves dearly (mixture of lab, husky, & pitbull). Léa loves working with more challenging & special needs dogs.

Ivan

Meet Ivan! He’s the definition of an animal lover. Currently, he has an 11 year-old daschuand named Lucy, two fish tanks (including one 50 gallon tank), cats, and a Parrot named Casper. Ivan, a recent graduate of Brooklyn College, spends his time on the weekends traveling to PA to help his parents build a house from scratch. With over 3 years of professional animal experience, as well as a lifetime of personal experience, we are excited to have him with us!