Newest Team Member of Pets and Giggles

April 22, 2026

Jessica Wilmes & Spitty

Four men in suits are singing into microphones on a stage.

On a recent Monday morning, Jessica Wilmes was already laughing when she answered the phone. Reaching for it had disrupted the peaceful snoozing of all three of the canine companions sharing her bed — and soon she had the attention of the rest of her 11-dog pack.

Wilmes' life revolves around her dogs, most of which are border collie and Australian shepherd mixes. At home, they're her pets. At work, they're the stars of the new edition of Pets & Giggles at Grand Country Music Hall in Branson.

This is Wilmes' first season with the popular family show, conceived by producer Andy Parks as "kind of like ‘Double Dare’ meets pets." With young human hosts, audience interaction and a troupe of adorable, athletic dogs, “we’re really committed to kids and families having fun at the show and being part of the show and making a memory,” Parks says.

One of this year's new human performers is 18-year-old Josiah Tovar from Nixa, Mo. It's his first professional acting gig, and he says he wanted to be sure he made an impression at auditions. Doing a front flip as an introduction apparently worked!

"They called me back, and I was really excited about that," he says. "This is literally one of my favorite jobs ever! I’m always telling my friends I can't believe I get paid to have fun! We get to interact with people, have great conversations, go on stage and have a blast."

It's the job of Tovar and his three human colleagues to welcome the audience before the show — and scope out which of the kids and families might enjoy being involved in the interactive portions of it. His first scene on stage, he gets to play a Kung Fu master, he says, with volunteers competing against some of the dogs to do ninja tricks. He's also got a big improv scene in the middle of the show with five audience members on stage, wacky sound effects and romantic planning for one young show goer.

"As a kid, I loved doing impressions, always being goofy and extroverted," he says. "I also have a ton of pets at my house, so this feels like home to me. You'll always find me taking selfies with the dogs!"

Wilmes has to be a little more businesslike with her dogs while she's at the theater.

"When I'm at work, so are they," she says. "And I get paid, so they have to, too," whether that's in treats, toys or attention. She wants her dogs to enjoy what they do on stage, and she wants to take care of them so they can do it as long as they want to do it. Training, she says, is obviously key. While there are dogs that naturally take to the job, there are others who are a little more challenging. And there are some who just don't want to work.

Dexter, for example, is her oldest dog, a rescue brought home from Guam by a soldier friend of hers. "He's never been a worker," she says. There's Fidget, a border collie mix she calls her "freeloader." "She has the ability to perform, but she doesn’t really want to do it, so I don’t make her." There's Smalls — yes, named from "The Sandlot" — a cattle dog/border collie/dachshund mix she calls "amazing."

"He is so talented, so driven, so in love with what he gets to do every day! He is my big up-and-comer. He’s 2, so he’s got a long road ahead of him. He’s a fan favorite!"

There's the newest family member, a black-and-white sheltie named Mike Wazowski from "Monsters Inc." Wilmes says at 16 weeks old, he's the "most confident puppy I've ever met."

There's Maui — named from the movie "Moana" — that Wilmes calls the "most handsome boy on the team," but quickly says not to tell the others. And there's Indy — yes, he's named after Indiana Jones — the dog she went through school with to learn how to do what she does. Together, they learned Frisbee routines, tricks, jumps, patience, fortitude and how to entertain adults and kids at fairs, festivals, amusement parks, schools, daycares and libraries.

"And then this amazing opportunity at Grand Country came up last November," she says. "It’s an honor to work with such a great group of creative people. Having the ability to bounce ideas off each other, create new things, being able to collaborate in a group that's so inclusive and welcoming and passionate about what they do is just incredible.

"At the end of the day," she says of the dogs, "they're all my pets, first and foremost. They are my family. They do all the things your dogs do at home. And they sleep in my bed." And she laughs.

Pets & Giggles is on stage at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday in May. Find out more and make your reservations at grandcountrylivemusic.com.

Two performers in traditional German-style dresses stand on a stage with a band against a red, starlit backdrop.

Also on stage at Grand Country Music Hall in May are:

Grand Jubilee — This is where audiences fall in love with Grand Country performers and make the choice to come back again and again! With the quartet New South and The Rhinestone Mafia centerstage, the show has won “Entertainers of the Year,” “Branson’s Best Show,” “Branson’s Best Variety Show,” “Quartet of the Year,” “Comedian of the Year,” “Emcee of the Year” and more. You’ll hear Top 40, country & gospel classics, and rock ‘n’ roll hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, all seasoned with comedy by Jamie Haage. On stage at 7:30 p.m. every day.

Down Home Country — If you’re a fan of classic country and clean, clever comedy, Down Home Country is your kind of show, featuring Grammy-nominated, Emmy Award-winning Billy Yates. This feel-good favorite blends timeless country hits with warm storytelling, rich harmonies, and just the right dose of down-home humor. Campbell promises you’ll leave with a full heart, a big smile, and maybe a tune or two stuck in your head. Down Home Country returns April 15.

Comedy Jamboree — Branson’s only comedy improv show offers laughs, music and family fun on stage at 3 p.m. every day except Thursday and Sunday. Justin Sifford, better known to audiences as Stretch McCord, says Comedy Jamboree is not Branson’s traditional “country” humor. There’s no country music, he says by way of example; nowadays it’s rock ‘n roll and pop. And the comedy, he says, is more of the sketch style, more improv and a little bit edgier, all clean and all hilarious.