Our Team

Michael Friedenberg

Proprietor

Born and raised in New York, Michael Friedenberg has always been an animal lover. He grew up surrounded by his family pets and always had a fondness for dogs and cats. As an adult, Michael’s beloved dog Jack came into his life. Jack was Michael’s best friend, as the old adage goes, and they were inseparable for 15 years until Jack’s passing in 2011.

From the time Jack was a puppy, Michael utilized one of New York City’s largest dog care providers for day care and boarding. While he was satisfied with the service most of the time, he recognized that there were areas for improvement. When he approached the company’s management with his vision, they hired him to run their Upper East Side location in 2004. Having worked for the past 20 years as a Project Manager for large-scale construction projects, this was quite a career change for Michael, but he saw it as an opportunity to impact the success of the place where his dog spent much of his time. Under Michael’s supervision the doggy gym saw substantial growth as well as a drop in negative incidents, and Michael found his passion in animal care. Jack was able to go to work with Michael every day for four years and nothing could make him happier.

It was during this time that Michael met Aaron Tropp, and they realized that they shared the same goal of opening their own pet care paradise, a place that would honor the memories of their two beloved dogs. Their combined skill sets and experience made them perfect partners in this venture. Ruby & Jack’s Doggy Shack reflects the quality of personalized pet care that Michael and Aaron would have wanted for Jack and Ruby

Michael is proud to present Ruby & Jack’s Doggy Shack in memory of his best friend. Michael lives in New York with his wife and two children. You can stop by Ruby & Jack’s Doggy Shack any time and meet with Michael!

Aaron Tropp

Proprietor

Ruby came into Aaron’s life while Aaron was in college in South Florida. She was an energetic, intelligent Boxer pup and a special gift from Aaron’s parents. Like most young relationships, they fell instantly in love and spent all their time together. Aaron’s childhood had been filled with family critters from the start, so his love of animals blossomed over the years…but Ruby was the first dog Aaron could call his own, and he credits Ruby with shaping the direction of his life and career.

Shortly after Ruby’s arrival, Aaron began working at the Humane Society of Broward County. His responsibilities over his six-year tenure included clinical work, screening of potential adopters, creating and evaluating training regimens, animal behavioral counseling, and coordinating special events. A 2003 move to NYC found Aaron continuing his work with animals, this time at the largest and most respected dog care business in the city. He was hired as Front Desk Supervisor, responsible for the performance of his staff and accountable for check-in/outs, evening closeout and client relations. That’s also where he met Michael Friedenberg, the Store Manager.

Within his first year of employment, Aaron was promoted to Director of Operations for all store locations, where he implemented company-wide policy changes and procedures across all areas. Not long thereafter, he received another promotion: Store Manager of a brand-new location. This position exposed Aaron to a variety of additional opportunities and challenges ranging from the hiring and training of staff…to promotion and marketing…to payroll and accounting. The store thrived under Aaron’s supervision, and he was entrusted to oversee the construction and operation of yet another equally successful branch.

Sadly, Ruby died in 2009. Aaron is delighted to present Ruby & Jack’s Doggy Shack in memory of his late friend. Aaron currently lives in NYC with his Shih Tzu/Spaniel mix, Bissli. Stop by Ruby & Jack’s Doggy Shack to meet Aaron and take a tour!