Elissa Ferguson

Elissa Ferguson's love of animals began early when her family took in stray cats. Her desire to help homeless animals only grew stronger throughout her life. Even when Elissa’s career veered toward art and advertising, she spent her spare time practicing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), rescuing and adopting friendly stray dogs and cats, and caring for her brood of rescued and special-needs pets. In 2009, while working for Tree House Humane Society, Elissa ventured into the pet sitting and dog walking business.

In 2011, Elissa opened a dog daycare center, Rockstar Pets. After years of expanding that business, Elissa decided to change direction in 2020. Inspired by her research into enrichment programs, she completely revamped the systems in place. This meant re-training her staff to focus on enrichment and training, updating the outdoor space, and changing the daily schedule to create Chicago’s first Canine Enrichment Center. The new Rockstar Pets center caters to dog’s health - both physical and mental.

Elissa's journey in the world of animal care didn't end with the success of Rockstar Pets. In fact, it was just the beginning. After selling Rockstar Pets at the end of 2023, Elissa took all she had learned and founded Pinecone Pups, the ‘Canine Montessori Center’ in Old Colorado City. Here, she continues to be in her happy place – working with dogs and dreaming up all kinds of new enrichment programs, a testament to her unwavering commitment to animal care.