About Us

Welcome to Escape to the Country!

Hi, I'm Emma Godley and I own Escape to the Country Dog & Cat Kennels. Established in 2011, I work full time with my partner Tony and the 'Escape Team'!

We are all animal lovers and wanted a place that we would ‘leave our own furry kids’. Like many people, we worry about our family members too! The dogs and cats in our care become part of our family. The dog kennels and cattery are an extension of our home as we live onsite, which means we are always available to your pets!

Your dogs and cats are able to feel relaxed and comfortable in the peaceful surroundings. This is a true country retreat for your loved ones! It's also extremely accessible being only 12 minutes West of Okotoks and 30 minutes SW of Calgary.

From puppies and kittens to seniors, pedigree or rescues, special diets, medication or nurturing nervous guests, we always go the extra mile to make them feel at home! Both you and your pet can have a worry free vacation. Our aim is to ensure your loved ones have a better holiday than their owners! You can even see how they are doing with our Facebook video and picture updates!

Tony & Emma – Pet Retreat Owners

Hi, we’re Emma & Tony, Owners of Escape to the Country Pet Retreat. Since opening in August of 2011, we have grown significantly and are completing our new Pet Retreat expansion! We are super excited to look after your pets, as we treat them like our own!

Emma has always had dogs, cats and horses in her life having grown up on a horse farm. She has a love of travel and learning. To combine the two, she’s always staying on top of the pet care industry standards and continuing education. When she’s not on the property running the Pet Retreat, you will find her taking educational courses and certifications across Europe, USA and Canada.

Tony is the property handyman! He’s actually a motorcycle mechanic by trade and maintains all the equipment around the property. When he’s not being pulled in one direction or another with the kennel maintenance, he’s repairing motorcycles.

 Ann – Pet Care Manager & Kennel Custodian

My name is Ann and I’ve been working in the pet industry for over ten years and absolutely love it! I have been a groomer, kennel assistant, kennel manager, pack walker and pretty much everything else in between.
I have enjoyed working at Escape to the Country since July, 2022. Our team is fantastic and we treat each and every pet as if they are our own. I am proud to be apart of this wonderful pack of people and pets!
Outside of work my family and I spend a lot of time in nature with our three dogs camping, finding swim spots and just adventuring!

When Emma and Tony are travelling, my family and I move in to keep the pet retreat running smoothing along side our amazing team!

Katie – Pet Care Technician & Social Media Supervisor

Hi, I’m Katie! I’ve been working at Escape to the Country since March 2022 and have been loving the experience thus far! I’ve always grown up with dogs and currently have 3 myself. My passion has always been the care of animals and I am currently pursuing being a veterinarian as my career. When I’m not studying or working at the kennels, you will most likely find me in the Rocky Mountains hiking and paddle boarding with my dogs! I also do a lot of dog training and have especially been into dog sports such as dock diving, agility, herding, barn hunt, disc etc. I capture most of my adventures with my dogs on Instagram @shepsinthewild – I share my photography, training videos, adventures, and cute moments with my pups!

Jaidy – Pet Care Technician

 Hello my name is Jaidy. I’ve worked at Escape to the Country Pet Retreat since May 2024, and I am absolutely loving it! I’ve had dogs and cats my whole life and from a very young age I always knew I wanted to work with animals in some way. I’ve been working with dogs professionally for about 2 years now and I hope to never look back! I have 4 dogs myself and if I’m not working you will usually find me out training my pups or just spending quality time with them out hiking, swimming, and camping. On occasion I also enjoy working on cars!

Desi – Pet Care Technician

Hi, I’m Desi! My profile bio will be added soon.

Paige – Pet Care Technician

Hello, I’m Paige!
I’ve been working at Escape to the Country Pet Retreat since August 2024 but love every minute of it, especially the Pup Bus!

I’m a born and raised Albertan and from a very young age I’ve had experience caring for our own little happy farm, ranging from calves, to baby goats, horses and even a pot belly pig named Precious! During the Flood of 2013 my family and I moved to British Columbia, from there my mother inspired me to Volunteer with Angels Animal Rescue, in Merritt, BC. During this experience I’ve grown to love and care for dogs even more! I moved back home in 2015 to graduate high school in High River, AB! These days I have two dogs of my own (Leo and Terrance) as well as two kitties (Joeseph and Whiskey).

When I’m not caring and loving your bestfriends you can catch me outside camping in the 92 YJ, attempting to hike with the dogs, or I’m working on my small Art Business painting murals, making soaps or just simply drawing!
I look forward to meeting everyone and working with this amazing team we have.

Charlee – Pet Care Technician

My name is Charlee and my bio will be updated soon!

Kayla – Pet Care Technician

My name is Kayla and I’m a high school student. I’ve just recently retired from 8 years of competitive cheerleading. I love all animals , as I live on an acreage with my cats, dogs, horses, and alpacas! I’m very excited to join the Escape Team as I’ve just been hired in February 2024 and am looking forward to starting a career in the pet care industry!

Kelly – Pet Care Technician & Cat Whisperer

My name is Kelly and I have worked at Escape to the Country for quite a few years wearing multiple hats. I have a full time government job, but working with the animals is what fills my soul! As a cat mom of 10 (yes, they started as ‘rescues’) I completely understand the dynamics of felines and enjoy the companionship of the dogs too!