Blissful Buddha - About Us

Tess Brock, Owner

Tess has been working with animals for over twenty years and her experience includes pet sitting, pet rescue and fostering, and working as a veterinary technician. Tess believes that our pets are not "like family", but are family in every sense of the word. Tess decided to open this business in 2008 because she had difficulty finding a pet sitter that she truly trusted and she was sure others were feeling the same way. It might not be too difficult to find someone who can fill a bowl of food, but it is a challenge to find a dedicated and knowledgeable pet sitter that takes the time to get to know your pets and make sure they feel comfortable, happy, and loved while you're away. Blissful Buddha Pet Services is an extension of Tess herself and the love and dedication she personally feels toward her own fur family and all animals in her care. In addition to being a passionate animal lover, Tess is also a loving wife and mother to four human children. Her interests mainly take her outdoors and she loves hiking and kayaking. She is an avid traveler and has been to over 60 countries around the world. She has dedicated her life to being a loving caretaker both personally and professionally.

Taylor Ransom, Lead Manager

Taylor was born in Athens, GA and grew up with dogs and cats in a family of musicians. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in music composition and a music business certificate. Following graduation, Taylor and his girlfriend (now wife) began working at a dog daycare and pet boarding facility. There, he rose to the position of shift leader and helped lead a staff who oversaw the care of up to a hundred and sixty pets per day. This experience was formative and in 2020 after a move to Savannah, Taylor began working as the lead manager of Blissful Buddha Pet Services. Taylor is steadfast and committed to delivering an exceptional level of care. He feels that the bond between pets and their caretakers is something truly special and is central to his commitment to providing high quality, compassionate care to all of Blissful Buddha's clientele. Taylor and his wife Chandler have three beautiful dogs at home: Niko, a Siberian husky, Ellie, a boxer/pit mix, and Juliet, a golden retriever.

Katie Buschbascher, Weekend Manager

Katie has been an animal lover her entire life. Her first cat "picked her" when she was just six years old. There was a neighborhood stray that didn't let anyone near him, although every morning when she was brought to her babysitter's that cat would be waiting to play with her through the glass door. After months of this happening almost daily, the babysitter had trapped the cat, got him all his shots and gave him to her for her birthday. Ever since then her love for animals has only grown. Katie was thrilled when she found Blissful Buddha where she could make a living doing something she loves. Katie is a dedicated pet sitter and it’s clear to all who know her how much she loves her job and the fur babies she cares for every day. Katie now works as Blissful Buddha’s weekend manager and is newly certified as a dog groomer.

Josh Joslin, Staff Manager

Josh has a lifetime of experience spending time with animals. He grew up in the farmlands of Tennessee and had all sorts of pets of his own. Before relocating to Savannah in 2021, Josh worked for an independent pet store and pet sitting company in Nashville. It only made sense that upon moving to Savannah, a city he fell deeply in love with, that he would find employment with Blissful Buddha Pet Services. Josh’s dedication to animal care, high standards, and client relationships quickly earned him a promotion to management. Josh is now Blissful Buddha’s main staff manager and our team is flourishing with his guidance and enthusiasm. Josh and his partner Raquelle have three dogs (a pug, a Staffordshire terrier & a chihuahua). They live in downtown Savannah and you just might see them taking a stroll together in Forsyth Park!

Jan Blackshire, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jan has been living in and loving Savannah for over 15 years. She has a diverse professional background that reflects her passion for the outdoors, history, and art. Her other hobbies include graphic design and photography. In addition to being a dedicated and compassionate pet sitter at Blissful Buddha Pet Services, she is also a tour guide in historical downtown Savannah. Jan has one adorable pup, named Rufus (pictured left). She brings a sense of humor to her job and finds her canine and feline companions to be the highlight of her day!

Felicia Walker-Hayes, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Felicia has been a veterinary technician for over 15 years. She has experience in all levels of animal care including preventive care, diagnostics, surgery, and first aid as well as caring for pets as a professional pet sitter and dog walker. Felicia has one kitty named Minnie who is very loved and spoiled. In addition to working with Blissful Buddha Pet Services, Felicia is lead veterinary technician at Forsyth Park Animal Hospital. She has a degree in Mass Communications and has begun her pre-veterinary coursework.

Eleza Sebesta, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Eleza was born and raised in snowy central Minnesota. She moved down to Savannah to escape the chill of Minnesota winters and to seek out new adventures with her husband. Eleza grew up treating animals like they were family by being raised on a hobby farm and always having pets of her own. She is also currently a volunteer dog foster for One Love Animal Rescue and lives in a house full of her own animals as well (3 rescue dogs, 1 rescue cat, and 1 rescue turtle). Eleza has a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and took a break from her career counseling children to pursue her other passion… animals! She hopes to make a future combining both by working in animal assisted therapy.

Mechelle Hunter, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Before joining our team at Blissful Buddha, Mechelle got her Associates of Applied Science – Criminal Justice from AASU in 2015. She volunteered with the Tybee Island Police Dept., but decided that she wanted to pursue her passion for working with animals. Mechelle is acquiring a certificate in Zoo and Aquarium Sciences, and volunteers with Savannah Wildlife Rescue where she will work toward getting her Wildlife Rehabilitation license. She also took part in a short internship at Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Between her grandparents’ house in Newington, Georgia, and hers on Wilmington Island, she grew up with many farm and domestic animals. Currently, she has a German shepherd (Rylee), a Chihuahua mix (Rascal), and a cat (Tom).

Kendra Bulman, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Born in Iowa and raised military, Kendra is the one child of seven that brought the animals home. Ranging from lizards and frogs to dogs, and especially cats. Kendra's life is all about animals. She graduated college with an AAS in Veterinary Technology from St. Louis, Missouri. With two years of veterinary clinic experience and one year of emergency animal medicine under her belt, Kendra now calls Blissful Buddha home. She has three dogs and three cats and the occasional foster pet. It is a full house indeed!

Christina Cueto, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Born in Fort Hood, Texas, Christina grew up in a military family that was always on the move. But no matter where she was, her love for animals always followed. While working toward her Fine Arts degree in middle Georgia, Christina found herself volunteering and fostering for a rescue group dedicated to disabled and abused animals. After three years of rescue work, graduating, and having three fur kids of her own, she relocated to Savannah and began working with a local law firm. Realizing that she was not doing what she loved, Christina left to follow her heart and decided to join Blissful Buddha where she can do what she loves every single day!

Jamie Dyess, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Growing up, Jamie would spend her summers in Savannah and knew that this was the place to be! She has had a passion for animals for as long as she can remember, so naturally she sought out jobs in the animal field. In high school, she worked for her local veterinarian in Oklahoma where she was blessed to have a supportive, close-knit staff to teach her everything she knows! Jamie hopes to one day become a certified veterinary technician and to continue her education in animal studies. Jamie has one pup of her own named Leo. They both love hiking and anything related to the water!

Fernanda Noguera, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Fernanda was raised in Savannah, Georgia. She studied veterinary science and became certified as a veterinary assistant in 2015. For the past two years, she has worked as a veterinary technician at a local vet clinic and has experience caring for small mammals as well as birds and exotics. Currently, she is an undergraduate at Armstrong University studying General Biology. She absolutely loves working with animals and enjoys meeting new pets everyday. She also loves spending time with her own dogs, Lola and Bruno. Their favorite activity to do together is running on the trails and parks all over Savannah.

Devry Ream-Toth, Pet Sitter & Dog Walker

Devry has been working closely with animals of many different furs, feathers, and scales for 10+ years. As a child, she volunteered with her family helping rescued strays with daily care and medical assistance and preparing them for their foster and forever homes. In high school, she volunteered at two local animal shelters for 3 years. As an adult, Devry has continued to follow her heart with her love of animals and is close to completing her degree as a Veterinary Assistant. She plans to further her education in the field at every opportunity. She is Pet CPR and Pet First Aid certified. Since joining the Blissful Buddha team in 2016, she has never been happier or more satisfied in her career.

Sophie Amick, Dog Yoga Instructor

Born in Nice and raised in the French Alps, Sophie became a certified yoga instructor in 2001. Sophie's path in yoga began fifteen years ago and became a way of life. Owner of The Yoga Room and Doga Instructor for Blissful Buddha Pet Services, Sophie has found a way to blend her two greatest passions - the practice of yoga and her love of animals. Sophie teaches our dog yoga classes regularly and one hundred percent of the proceeds are donated to Tess's rescue, IF THE PIT FITS: Pit Bull Rescue & Rehabilitation. Sophie is the proud mom of three human children (Tess, Amber, and Scott), four pups (Palau, Cecile, Luc, and Tulip), and seven cats (Lotus, Gucchi, Prada, Abu, Galaxy, Mistigris, and Shadow). She continues to study with yoga teachers from various disciplines; Iyengar, Anusara, and Vinyasa. Her goal as a yoga instructor is to provide students with tools to face the challenges of life in a healthy body and a peaceful mind.

Cara Martin, B.S.A, E.B.W., Canine & Equine Massage Therapist

Cara has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. She is never too far from one of her horses, dogs, or cats. In 1995, Cara earned her bachelors degree in Animal Science from the University of Georgia. Upon graduation, she worked at the UGA college of Veterinary Medicine. She then went on to get a bachelors degree in Medical Technology from Armstrong Atlantic State University. After many years working in a clinical laboratory, she decided it was time to get back to doing what she loved - working with animals. In 2006, she obtained her equine massage certification from Equinology. Initially, her practice was exclusively for equine clients. However, after her own dog suffered a severe pelvic injury, she began using canine massage and acupressure techniques to see if it could help facilitate the rehabilitation process. Cara has recently added dogs to her practice after seeing positive results on her dog and studying the works of several canine bodywork masters. When she isn't working on dogs and horses, you can find her spending time with her family or riding dressage on one of her two horses.