Ben Riggan
CEO

Ben Riggan, CEO, was inspired to create a better experience for grieving pet parents after the devastating loss of his two dogs.  Through his experience, he developed and founded PawPods® Biodegradable Pet Caskets & Urns. He knew that families needed a better experience when saying goodbye to their beloved companions.

After years of traveling the country with PawPods, Ben realized that he could impact change for many more pet families, so he decided to take the next step – opening his own pet crematory and memorial center, Loyal Paws Crematory and Memorial Gardens.

Ben is passionate about helping people and in pushing the status quo.  He takes great pride in what he does and understands the impact he and his team have on every family that walks through their doors.  He knew that there was more that could be done to help grieving families he treats his employees and the pet families they serve as part of the Loyal Paws family.

Ben has developed an environment that ensures that all pet families are taken care of and treated with warmth and integrity. Under Ben’s leadership, an amazing team of caring and dedicated people tend to every detail involved in caring for pets and their families.  He ensures that his team makes every effort to go above and beyond to serve these families in their time of need. “The answer is “yes”, what is the question?” is something you will frequently hear from Ben.

When Ben is not at Loyal Paws, he is home with his wife Megan, twin boys Jack and William, and Labradoodle Remington, who keeps Ben active and on the go.

Roberta Knauf
Client Services Director

Roberta’s vast career has spread over 30 years in the pet industry. She is accredited in Pet Loss and Grief Therapy and guides our pet families through the process of creating a fitting pet memorial. You will often find her providing various grief counseling sessions as well as pet memorial remembrance ceremonies throughout the year. Roberta share her life with husband Eric and their Labradoodle Remi, who is their 4th therapy dog. Roberta and Eric also enjoy visiting grandchildren in Pennsylvania, Seattle and Florida.

John Cream
Lead Cremation Specialist

John has been with Loyal Paws since the beginning and brings 25 years experience as a crematory operator. John oversees daily aspects of the crematorium. John takes care of quality control, ensuring each pet is taken care of as his own. He has spent his years helping many people through their losses and makes sure each pet family is taken care of and that he can make their tough time just a little easier. When John is not at work you can find him at his cabin with his wife Jackie and 2 sons.

Kate Wilder
Director of Marketing

Kate has over 30 years in business ownership and marketing with a focus on Internet Marketing. She develops web marketing strategies that include branding, campaign development, SEO, social media strategies, web reputation, and all forms of marketing planning. She holds a Master of Science in Marketing and is an animal lover. She has rescued and had parrots for 30 years and enjoys wildlife photography. Kate spends half her time working in Michigan and half in Florida.

Jason Dickman
Community Outreach Director

Jason is our accomplished Community Outreach Director, who manages our Franklin location. His entrepreneurial and client relations experience makes him a great addition to Loyal Paws. Jason helps Veterinarians and their client’s pet cremation and memorial needs. He manages special events held throughout the year. When he is not at work he is at home spending time with his wife Doreen and daughters Evie and Jillian and their Bichon Teddy. They love to travel up north in the summer and south in the winter.

Nick Baldwin
Lead Logistics Specialist

Nick has been with the Loyal Paws and Paw Pods family from the beginning. He has been interning with us for over 6 years and then came aboard full time after graduation. Nick manages administration and logistics. Nick’s energy and enthusiasm allows him to be involved in many different aspects of our business. Nick graduated from Oakland University in 2020 with a finance degree. When Nick is not at work you will find him spending time with his friends and on the golf course.

Shanaya Johnson
Certified Cremation Specialist

Shanaya comes to us as a Certified Cremation Specialist. Shanaya’s love for animals shows through as she works so carefully with every pet that comes through our facility. She takes the utmost care and treats all of our pet family’s animals like they are her own, with dignity and respect. When Shanaya is not working you will find her spending her time working out and enjoying time with her family and friends.

Angelo Cream
Customer Care Transport

Angelo is a dedicated customer care transport specialist. His passion for pets eases our veterinarians when he arrives each day to pick up each pet. Angelo is on the road at least 6 days. He enjoys being at home with his 2 cats and his dog as well as weightlifting, movies and cooking. One day Angelo would love to share his passion for animals and open a dog farm for others to share in his joy of pets.

Bryon Rompa
Customer Care Transport

Byron is a high-energy customer care transport specialist. His energy and love for pets make him a favorite among our veterinarians. He handles each pet as if it were his own. When Byron is not working you will find him at home with his wife Meghan and chasing his 2 daughters Sophia and Emma. Byron also enjoys cross fit and loves being a DJ on the weekends for weddings and different events.

Molly Brett
Paw Print Specialist

Molly is our best Paw Print Specialist who has a creative background allowing her to create perfect paw prints for our pet families. She is currently studying business. Molly enjoys being in our art studio and spending time with her dog Willow. Molly is always experimenting to come up with different ways to make our paw prints special for our pet parents.

Jamie Webb
Memorial Art Specialist

Jaime came to Loyal Paws with a creative eye and tenacious spirit. Her art background has brought a new eye to our art studio where she will create different techniques for unique, custom engravings and canvas printing for our pet families to memorialize their pets. When Jamie is not at Loyal Paws you will find her studying criminal justice and spending time with her 2 dogs Venus and Mercury.