Our Story

Lily & Ryan Whitaker — The Couple Behind WhisperPaw Songs

A music teacher, a golden retriever named Bailey, and a custom pet song written from the heart — this is how WhisperPaw Songs, a Montana custom pet song studio, began.

Where It All Began

Lily playing guitar and Ryan writing in their Montana studio, surrounded by Scout the Border Collie, Moose the rescue mix, and cats Luna & Shadow

Lily & Ryan in their Montana studio with Scout, Moose, Luna & Shadow

Lily Whitaker grew up in a Montana town where the piano was the heart of the house. She became an elementary school music teacher — but her greatest student wasn't in any classroom. It was Bailey, her golden retriever, who seemed to understand every chord she played.

When Bailey fell ill, Lily wrote him a song called Waiting by the Door. After he crossed the rainbow bridge, that song healed her family — and revealed a truth she couldn't ignore: every pet family deserves a song that tells their story.

She shared that dream with Ryan, her husband and a former Nashville sound engineer. Together they built a quiet studio on their Montana farm, surrounded by Scout, Moose, Luna & Shadow. Today, they've written over 1,200 songs — and they still read every story as carefully as the first.

Every song begins with a story only you know: custom songs for your dog, songs for your cat, Rainbow Bridge tributes, birthday anthems, and gifts for pet parents who have loved without reservation.

Credentials

About Lily & Ryan

Handmade on their Montana farm — never outsourced.

  • Lily holds a degree in Music Education from the University of Montana and taught elementary school music for 8 years before founding WhisperPaw Songs.

  • Ryan spent 6 years as a professional recording engineer on country and Americana productions in Nashville before returning to Montana.

  • Together they have created over 1,200 custom pet songs, including 200+ Rainbow Bridge memorial songs for families across all 50 US states.

  • 5.0 average in our featured customer stories. Every song is written, recorded, and produced by Lily and Ryan — never outsourced.

  • Reach them directly at hello@whisperpawsongs.com

Meet Lily & Ryan

Two people. One small farm studio. Every song handwritten and recorded by them — never outsourced to contractors, never assembled from templates.

Lyrics & Songwriting

Lily Whitaker

Lily grew up in a small Montana town where her parents' upright piano sat in the center of the living room. She completed a Music Education degree at the University of Montana and taught elementary school music for eight years before founding WhisperPaw Songs in 2022.

She personally reads every customer's pet notes before drafting a single lyric. Her writing process is slow on purpose: she takes each story's details (the chewed slipper, the head tilt, the favorite trail) and arranges them into verses that sound like the pet, not like a template.

Lily handles every Rainbow Bridge memorial order with extra editorial care — gentle language, no jokes unless invited, always following the family's tone.

  • Education: BA in Music Education, University of Montana
  • Prior career: 8 years as K-5 music educator
  • At WhisperPaw: Lyricist on 1,200+ custom pet songs since 2022
  • Specialties: Memorial songs, gotcha-day songs, child-narrated pet birthdays

Production & Recording

Ryan Whitaker

Ryan spent six years engineering country and Americana sessions in Nashville before returning to Montana. He built the WhisperPaw vocal booth himself on the family farm, wrapping it in acoustic treatment so a tender lullaby and a full-band Heartland Rock track can both sound clean in the same room.

Ryan records and mixes every WhisperPaw track himself. Standard delivery files are mastered to broadcast-friendly loudness so the song plays at the same volume as anything else on the customer's phone or speaker.

He matches the musical genre to the occasion: Folk Lullaby for memorials, Heartland Rock for adventure dogs, Gentle Pop Ballad for first-birthday surprises.

  • Prior career: 6 years recording engineer, Nashville (country / Americana)
  • At WhisperPaw: Producer on every song since founding (2022)
  • Studio: Built the WhisperPaw vocal booth and farm studio himself
  • Specialties: Vocal recording, mixing, genre-matching to occasion

Why this matters

Most personalized-song services route orders to rotating contractors or template engines. WhisperPaw does not. The same two people write and record every order — which is why the same warmth and care that Bailey's song carried is in every song delivered since.

"We never set out to build a business. We simply followed what made our hearts happy — writing songs for the animals who make our lives whole. Bailey taught us that every pet has a story worth singing. Every family we serve becomes part of ours."

— Lily Whitaker

What We Believe

These aren't company values on a wall. They're the convictions that guide every song Lily and Ryan create.

Every Pet is Family

There are no 'just pets.' Every dog, cat, rabbit, and bird carries a story worth telling — and a song worth singing. They're not animals we own. They're family we get to love.

Music Captures What Words Can't

A melody can hold joy and nostalgia at the same time. It can say 'I love you' in a way that transcends species — reaching the heart of both the human and the pet who inspired it.

Songs That Last Forever

Long after paws stop padding across the floor, the song remains — a timeless keepsake of the love, the laughter, and the life shared. That's why we pour our hearts into every note.

1,200+

Custom Songs Crafted

5.0

Avg. Satisfaction

7 Day

Standard Delivery

How Lily & Ryan Create Your Pet's Song

It's a deeply personal process — and it starts with your pet's story.

01

You Share Your Pet's Story

Their name, their quirks, their favorite moments — the things that make them uniquely yours. The more you share, the more your song feels like it was written just for them. Because it was.

02

Lily Writes & Ryan Produces

Lily reads every word you've shared before she writes a single lyric. She channels her years as a music teacher and her love for animals into every line. Ryan shapes the melody and production until it feels just right.

03

Your Song Arrives in 7 Days

A studio-quality recording, delivered to your inbox — ready to play during car rides, cuddle sessions, or any moment that deserves a soundtrack. A keepsake you'll treasure forever.

Ready to Begin?

Let Lily & Ryan Write Your Pet's Song

Join 1,200+ pet families who have turned their companion's story into music.

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