We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Garza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Early in my career, I worked for a few doggy daycare companies and trainers in different cities in and outside of San Antonio. When it came time to start Pup Pup & Away, I knew San Antonio was the place to do it and that I could offer something a little more outside of the usual doggy daycare box. But, would a training-based dog daycare be something San Antonio would be interested in, especially if the service cost more than other daycare facilities?

I decided to move forward with the concept of a more structured doggy daycare that was centered around mental enrichment though it had never been done in SA. Marketing the value of the elevated service was important to help clients understand why it was important. With hard work and hustle, Pup Pup & Away has been expanding despite opening its doors 2 months before COVID.

San Antonio loves their canine companions and have proven that they care for them as members of the family. It’s this love and devotion to their pets that have made my clients partake in our premium service.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to work with animals, though I thought I would be a veterinarian. With that dream, I attended Texas A&M only to realize getting into vet school would be harder than I thought. While in College Station, I began working for a vet clinic that also had boarding and daycare services. I quickly learned there was more to the pet care industry than the veterinary field and that canine hospitality was quite fun.

After graduation, life eventually took me to Houston where I began to work for a company that offered daycare and dog training. It was here that I began to find a passion for dog training. With mentorship and lots of practice, I eventually became a certified professional dog trainer. I taught group classes and held one-on-one lessons with clients.

Pretty soon, it was time to make the big move back home to San Antonio and I knew it was time to open my own business. While a facility was the dream. I knew I couldn’t take the big leap without first creating a name for myself and building a clientele. So, I started Pup Pup & Away in 2016 as a dog walking and pet sitting company that also offered one-on-one private dog training lessons. With time, I grew a team of dog walkers and pet sitters and created partnerships with other business to host my group classes.

In 2020, it was finally time to take the biggest leap and start my facility to expand services to include boarding and doggy daycare. But I wanted my doggy daycare to be special and different. As a dog trainer and behaviorist, I knew doggy daycare could be done better and safer. Our daycare groups are smaller than most facilities, and includes mental enrichment and training exercises to help the dog go home physically and mentally stimulated.

Our training and behavioral edge has also led us to create other programs for dogs who need to get more energy out than their families have time to expend but who might over stimulate in traditional daycare settings. Our Beta Daycare allows these energetic pups to make friends in an even more structure environment that is safe and effective for everyone. Our Board and Train program allows our trainers to give a more intense training plan to help families with busy schedules still get real life results from their training. Our Play & Train offers even better results as it keeps the family a bit more involved in the training plan and also allows the family to keep their nightly snuggles with the furry best friend.

I have other big plans for Pup Pup & Away and services to introduce that will supplement healthy lives for the Canine Sidekicks of San Antonio and create happy families.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

One things, besides our behavioral edge, that sets us apart from other daycare facilities is how small we are. We offer a premium service which allows us to keep a smaller clientele of like-minded individuals who want more for their pets. This means each client feels like they are more than just a client. Many clients have mentioned how personal it is to know the owner of the business and that I know almost all by their first name. When you leave your beloved canine companion with someone for the day, the weekend or even just a few hours, it is comforting knowing they actually care.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I envisioned Pup Pup & Away in the planning stages, my goal was to have a business that offered every aspect of pet care. I wanted a one-stop shop for clients to get grooming, vet care, training, pet care services and a boutique for shopping. But I quickly found that the thing that set us apart is specialized, not generalized. Our training and structure is what sets us apart from other companies. It is this specialty that I have decided to focus my time and future plans for the company on. I will continue to create services for clients who want an elevated, enriched experience for their dogs to learn and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.puppupandawaysa.com
• Instagram: @puppupandawaysa
• Facebook: @puppupandawaysa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-garza-cpdt-ka-cbcc-ka-314742105/
• Other: TikTok: @puppupandawaysa

Image Credits
Gaby Caskey