Meet Yanelly Loor | CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yanelly Loor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yanelly, what do you want people to remember about you?
I would love for my legacy to be that I helped people and their pets in anyway I could with love and dedication behind it. I would love for people to remember how much their pets mean to me and that I appreciated the trust they gave me in taking care of their pets. I would love to be remembered for the moments I was able to capture with my photos of their babies during their stay with me. I would love to be remembered as someone who cared for the pets of others as one of my very own. All the details I put behind such as the photos I give the Pawrents, the Polaroids so they can take a keepsake from their stay with me. Now as a venture to the more creative side and making handmade gifts, I hope to be remembered as someone who created a special moment for someone that can bring them joy, laughter, and a loving reminder of a special time in their life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career began at the age of 16 years old. I was given the opportunity to be part of something called Advanced Academic Internship program which allowed me to take a class catered to what I wanted to do as a career. I always wanted to be a veterinarian ever since I was three years old. This internship led to it eventually becoming my first job in the veterinarian field at Bustillo Animal Clinic in Miami for 11 years. From kennel tech, I ended up being a veterinarian assistant and worked my way up to managing. I helped to mentor students with the academic internship program I started with and some have ended up being veterinarians or certified veterinarian technicians. I decided to leave to experience what it was to work in a more corporate setting. Although it was great experience, I realized that it is not a right fit for me since I like to know my patients and clients personally and with a high number of clients, that can be difficult. I started as a pet nurse assistant and ended up being Lead Vet Tech and then was promoted to Practice Manager. Working here, I met a Board Certified Veterinarian Dermatologist, Dr. James and would be her exclusive technician. She would eventually open up her own office at Pet Dermatology of South Florida. I learned how to perform allergy tests and would formulate the allergy serum and the allergy test kits. I also helped with surgical procedures and other dermatology related cases. I learned so much about dermatology for pets and it has taught me things that always take with me. From there I became the Practice Manager at Edgewater Pet Clinic in Edgewater (by Wynwood) in Miami with Dr. Stredel and helped to start the clinic. From a staff of just the veterinarian and myself, the clinic now employees 7 staff and 2 doctors. I was able to learn about veterinary dentistry since Dr. Stredel has specialized training with that. Due to the distance and some physical factors, I resigned in the beginning part of 2020 and help remotely with pet insurances, prescriptions and upkeeping important aspects such as licensing and maintaining the DEA. This facility is state of the art and even has an oxygen chamber. Pretty cool field 🙂 The road of the last 23 years has definitely not been easy but one that I would cherish for it taught me all I know. The only thing I regret is the physical toll it took on my body since I am dealing with things now that is attributed to it. But I will NEVER regret loving animals and being their nurse. The long days and nights make it worthwhile when you are able to save a patient and keep a family happy. The difficult emotion toll is dealing with euthanasia or seeing sick patients. That is something that no matter how long you do this in life, it will always be difficult. The only positive way to see that is as a pet nurse, sometimes you are the last person who holds the pet while they transition so it is better that they are in the arms of someone caring rather than alone. It is the most difficult part of the job. The experience within the veterinarian hospital would have me create Barks and Whistles when I was 19 years old. My first client had multiple cats and I still remain in close contact to this day. I realized that I could have my own business and I never looked back. I would be busy between school, the veterinarian jobs and creating my own business but I have always wanted to have my own thing. I have thoroughly enjoyed helping others see their dreams become a reality, but I want to be my own boss and use the same energy in what I want to create. I decided to focus more on my wishes and eventually play a less significant role. Barks and Whistles was created to take care of pets and have their Pawrents feel safe and happy while they are a way. Because of my experience, I am often recommended families whose dog or cat may have a medical condition which would require extra services such as injections or medications. My longest cat stay for example was 1 month when a client had to go to Japan for family and had two diabetic cats. The fact that I was able to help her doing a difficult time in her life with her father brings me joy. Keeping her feline family happy is what I strive for and work hard at every day. I am thankful to receive referrals from veterinarian hospitals and veterinarians. I also am thankful for my existing clients who refer me new clientele. Since I do not spend money on marketing, this reminds me to keep my brand as I have always intended, personal and with a lot of love. I do all my social media, I do all the responding and setting up the meet and greets. Any marketing event or charity event is 100% done by myself. I want my brand to stay authentic and true and I always make sure that everything is looked over. Since I have worked hard for everything I have, I want to make sure that those who confide in me and trust in my work get my undivided attention.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Miami life – always something to do and somewhere to go. Hubby and I love water life so I think coming to Miami, one needs to take advantage of the amazing weather and boating life. I would definitely take a drive and go to the Keys because it is beautiful. Lots of cool state parks with breathtaking views. For food, wow – so much to choose! I would definitely go to Wynwood area because it is so cool and so much to do. I love Beaker and Grey – so yummy. If in the Design District or Coral Gables, check out Caja Caliente! A cool Cuban Taco infused restaurant ran by my successful and hard working friend Mika. Amazing food and vibes. Miami Beach is a must check out spot, I love North Miami for the beaches. The North Miami Bandshell is such a cool venue when things go back to normal. Walking area there is Bayside with tons of restaurants and shops. If you like Latin food, this is the perfect city with different types of ethnic foods to choose from from Cuban, Peruvian, Colombian, Venezuelan and more. If you crave it, you can find it. Lots of cool dog parks for the pet friendly audience 🙂 If you have never checked out the Venezian pool, a must in the Gables area. I love dancing and live music so I tend to go all over to be able to dance and have a good time. For dancing locations, Treehouse Miami is my fav venue to go to. Amazing vibes, great sound system. There is also Do Not Sit on the Furniture and of course Space Miami. When the Electric Pickle was open, that was such a cool spot. Definitely miss it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To my loving husband Leoncio who has ALWAYS supported me and all of my dreams. He is my voice of reason, he is my rock. I may be the Bark but he is the Whistle. His encouragement and love helps to fuel my drive to go further and try new things. I am forever grateful and blessed to have him by my side. We have gone through the worst life can throw your way but through it all, our love never dies. Thank you for all the love you give me to me and our furry kids. Thank you for being there when our baby transitioned to heaven. Thank you for staying in the darkest of times giving me the love I needed to get me through. Thank you for being the best husband, loving father to our fur kids, loving son and brother. You have been such a loving uncle to our nieces and nephews and I love you endlessly for that. To my loving mother Fabiola whose encouragement from a young age is the reason I am who I am today. Without her dedication to her daughters, none of this is possible. From her taking me to the library for a stack of books, she gave me the tools for me to love unconditionally. She always encouraged me to never give up, work hard and never stop dreaming. As a single mother with 3 daughters, to see how hard she would work to make sure we had everything we needed, wow. Speechless of what the drive and the strength a woman can have. Thank you for it has made me drive further and harder in life. I love you mom and I hope I have made you proud 🙂 To my loving grandmother Zoraida “Mima” who migrated from Cuba to create a better life. Her love to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is something to be proud of and encouraged to be like. She ALWAYS told me to not stop pursuing my career with animals. She also spoiled me with the best Cuban food which is very hard to match 🙂 Te extrano Mima. Te amo. ( I miss you Mima, I love you). To my firstborn son Noah Diangelo, I miss you so much. I love you so much. Although I was only able to be a mother for 19 1/2 weeks with you, I will always cherish being your mother even if we could never meet in person. Thank you for the wind, the moon, the stars, and the trees. You will always be my baby and I hope you are playing with our furry baby angels- Chaos, K’La, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Thank you Noah for always sending me signs. I know you are busy being a guardian angel. I love you. Even if I am not a human mom, you inspire me to love more furry babies and love deeper. You taught me that my heart is full of love I want to spread any way I can. 28 forever. To my fur babies- Chaos, K’La, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix (all fur angels), Zaya Star aka Snoot, and Akai aka Papa Love- you are my reasons for creating a company where I can spend all day and night spoiling and playing with dogs. The unconditional love and devotion you show everyday of your life is an inspiration of how life should be. Loving unconditionally, playing as if no one is watching, and absolutely no judgement. We should truly live our lives more like dogs 🙂 I miss hugging and kissing my angels so much but so grateful for all of the memories and moments we shared. Never regretted any dog hair I ever found. I love you all so much. To Chaos aka Boobito Boo, Daddy and I miss you so much but we are so grateful for your love. You will always be the most handsome American Bulldog ever and there will be no other one like you. Thank you K’La for being there for me when our angel transitioned. The love you showed me every day I treasure and remember dearly. The best cuddler and always protective of your family. There will never be a American Pitbull/American Bulldog mix like you. I miss you immensely. To the rest of my family and friends- thank you for always understanding my crazy schedules. My sisters Leviette and Joeicy for believing in me and always reminding me that we are strong independent women who have made our mark in our career paths. You both have been the best sisters I could have ever asked for. Thank you for your support and love. Thank you for your encouragement and being the best examples of what hardworking women look like. PS. thank you also for always playing Wonder Woman when we were younger. :0) To my niece Lailany, thank you for always taking care of my babies whenever I have needed a pet sitter. No one else better for me to trust with my kids than you and your lovely wife Didi 🙂 Thank you Didi. And thank you Kali for the love you give to Zaya. 🙂 To Lailany and Nick, there is a moment in time that will always be engraved in my mind and it was you both cheering me up and being with me when Noah went to heaven. Those moments truly saved me and the love you gave me got me through such a difficult time. I love you both so much. I am extremely proud of who you have become and continue to become in life. You have both picked amazing women to have by your sides and I love you all so much. To my aunt who always was there for me to vent to and give me great advice. Thank you for always encouraging me to continue to drive far in life. To my uncle, thank you for the most delicious Cuban Coffee ever. No one compares to you. I love you both. To all of my nieces and nephews- Lailany, Nickolas, Katie and Jonah- strive hard, work hard and know that dreams do come true. They take time to manifest but it becomes a reality if you just believe. I am always here for you no matter what. You can always count on me, I love you. To my dad- thank you for always wanting to teach me about trees and nature. Have loved eating your cooking and seeing how much you love to prepare food. Thank you for the advice when I needed it. I love you. To all the veterinarians- thank you for all you taught me. I will always value the time you have taken out of your schedule to teach me something, check my drug calculations or explain a medical condition. The trust that was given to me to care for your patients does not go unnoticed. This goes out to – Dr. Bustillo, Dr. Stredel, Dr. Guzman, Dr. Ferreira, Dr. Morales, Dr. Bonnamy, Dr. James, Dr. Noguera, Dr. Cabrera, Dr. Meaux and Dr. Armstrong. I respect you all so much since I know how hard it is to become a veterinarian and all the time one puts into it. Thank you for helping to save fur babies in this world and for all the help you gave my personal pets. To the veterinarian staff who I spent so much time with. Thank you for helping me in cases and helping me to avoid getting bit 🙂 From my first job with Johann (who is now a veterinarian 🙂 – thank you for everything. Your continued friendship for over 20 years is something I hold dear such as the rest of your family. Other amazing technicians who mean the world to me- this is a special shoutout to Katherine aka Kitty Kat and Enrique aka Quiqui. Even though we are far and we have not worked in the same location for a few years, our moments together got me through the most difficult time in life. We were a dream team. Thank you for everything. Barks and Whistles, Pawsitive Vibes Miami and Paws Here Pet Travel would not be possible without the trust by my dear family members. To trust someone who will take care of your babies is the hardest thing to do and being gifted that trust is something I cherish to the highest degree. When they take the time to bring you something from their travels to show you that they are thinking of you makes my heart fill with joy and I am forever grateful. To my first client ever – Amanda- thank you for letting me care for the feline bunch! I am so happy we have stayed in touch and I am so happy you are so successful in your musical career. You have worked so hard and I love seeing the Grammy’s that you and your hubby have won. Amazing work. Thank you for everything you have done 🙂 To Jennifer, my longest client, thank you! It is so funny how being neighbors when we were younger led us to me caring for your angels Roxy and Mad Max and your current babies Dobby and the new one I need to meet 🙂 Thank you for your referrals always. To Thom and Juan (for the trust of angel Ebon, the princess Etta and the prince Rocco)- you have done so much for me and I am forever grateful for your dear friendship. Thank you for always recommending me to others and thank you for helping me to complete a very special charity event (Barks, Bites, Beats and Brews). I love you both. To Kathy and Julian with your darling babies Kaui and Koa, thank you for the trust you have given me and for helping me to achieve a dream of hosting a charity event. I miss my nieces but love being their Tia 🙂 You both are so loving and so much fun to be around. I know New York is truly benefiting from your move 🙂 Keep on running! Love to see your marathon pictures. To Luis, thank you for helping me to acquire the space at the Wynwood Yard to be able to host the first ever Barks, Bites, Beats and Brews. I am so happy we connected over the cutie pie Mr. Jones. All the help you gave me and the advice made the process so smooth considering it was my first event ever. Thank you for helping us to raise $1200 and getting 2 of 5 dogs adopted. To Delia, owner of the Wynwood Yard, thank you for providing the space needed for the humans and the pets were comfortable! I am forever grateful that you trusted Barks and Whistles to have an event at your beautiful place and especially on a reggae Sunday 🙂 Much love and continued success on all your endeavors. To Feeding South Florida and the Humane Society of Greater Miami, thank you for participating and trusting us with everything from marketing to having the event and providing the staff to help us. I look forward to being able to help raise funds for you both and do more events like this. Thank you! There are so many others I would love to thank but I guess I should live it for my memoir? lol Even if you were missed in this dedication, I love and cherish you all dearly. To all the pets I have ever taken pictures of, thank you for letting me! It’s not easy staying still for the perfect pose but you all do it so well! Thank you 🙂

Website: www.barksandwhistles.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barksandwhistles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barksandwhistle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barksandwhistles/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/barks-and-whistles-cutler-bay
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/barksandwhistles

Image Credits
All images belong to Yanelly Loor @barksandwhistles, @pawsitivevibesmia