We were lucky to catch up with Emily Fawcett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I guess this all began when I was little. I was the youngest kiddo in the family, and was always the one saving the rolley polleys, earth worms and the baby birds who had fallen out of the tree. When asked; “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, my answer was to be “a worker at Sea World, where I save animals and teach people to love them”. Now, mind you, that was back in the 80s, so dont come for me.
Growing up, we always had dogs and it seemed they ‘got me’ better than anyone else did. I bonded with every pet we ever had and we were a family that took the health and well being of our pets seriously and we were brought up to appreciate our pets and their needs. Responsibility was definitely instilled in us and I’ll always be thankful for that.
Now, I’m getting older and was moved from a large city and giant school to a small farming community, with a school that had as many students in it, as just my class did, in the city. To say it was an adjustment and difficult, may not be enough to fully describe the transition. The kids were not exactly welcoming of the “kid from out of state” or the “city girl”. Also, being the “bankers daughter” brought on its own challenges. Again, the constant companion I had, were our dogs. No matter how difficult of a day I had endured, one thing was for certain- a wagging tail, and wiggling booty, were waiting for me, when I arrived home.
By the time my high school career was concluding, I had decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. So, off to college and working for veterinarians, it was.
I immersed myself in the animal world. I couldn’t get enough. From schooling, to working at vet clinics, pet shops or volunteering at shelters- I was hooked and a sponge, soaking it all up. I was also introduced to the world of rescue and adopted my first pet, with many more to follow. It was also during this time, I fell in love with the comradery that enveloped law enforcement. So why not join up.
So, now I’m steeped in law enforcement and animal health/education. While I’m on this journey I decided to take a job in Boston, post graduation. I think this scared my parents and my father approached me with a business idea; starting a business that honors, nurtures, celebrates and tries to influence the human/animal bond. Dad and I agreed to this adventure and in 2005, that dream was born. We created a business that provided everything needed, to help any pet parent succeed, while focusing on rescuing any and all animals, and placing them in safe and appropriate homes. It was a novel idea, especially given the location, but we were on a mission and wanted to lay the foot stones, for others to follow. This was a shop where the staff was educated and we encouraged continued education. We rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed, everything from fish to reptiles to dogs and everything in between. We offered only the best products and had employees with specific areas of interest, so we could navigate and help anyone who came in. We valued our customers and their pets and created relationships with them. We also had trainers who offered classes and the very best groomers. We even had self dog washes, daycare, boarding, and taxi services.
Within 10 years, I found myself taking on bigger issues such as animal laws/ordinances or taking on local governments to save animals needing a voice. Fortunately or unfortunately, I found out I was good at it. I have the gift of creating movements and “getting loud” when necessary. My dad told us growing up; “when you do whats right, you’ll never be worng. Whats right is right and whats wrong is wrong. Always fight the right fight”. That wisdom has followed me through all my years.
Sadly, due to Amazon, I had to make the difficult decision to end the dream, and move onward. In 2018, we closed the doors and bid a very emotional and difficult goodbye to our one-of-a-kind brick and mortar.
I relocated and then had to deal with a whole new problem- Covid. To say that timing was a monster, is most certainly an understatement. Here I am, defeated by the popularity of Amazon, in a new town, having to reestablish myself and now I have to deal with Covid. Jobless and what not, I looked down at my feet, and what do I see- my dogs. My loyal, faithful, loving without terms or conditions, dogs. All are rescued and they know exactly how I feel, so they show me unwavering love, respect and support.
Living here and essentially starting over, has not been easy. In fact, I struggle each and everyday. I often find myself saying; “if it weren’t for these dogs, I doubt I’d even still be here”. The truth is I owe these furkids my life, so I dedicate my daily life to advocating for them. Ive recreated my old business, found a way to be relevant. The business is on a much smaller scale and has taken the vision, into peoples homes. All the while, rediscovering my admiration for law enforcement and marrying my passions, to create a charity dedicated to vesting, protecting and advocating for Police and Working K9s. We are in our third year and going strong. In October, I was shocked to grab the attention of the Kelly Clarkson show, and made it on her show as one of her “favorite things “.
I’ve found myself awe-struck by the jobs these loyal dogs do. They often are the first line of defense and run into danger without the knowledge or concept, that pain and even death, are on the other end of the “run” they’re on. Officers know, but these 4-legged heroes don’t. I lost sleep knowing this and set out to make change. I wanted the public to value, understand and appreciate these magnificent animals and join me in the movement of at least providing ballistic vests to them. Vests are incredibly expensive and often not in the budget. To me, if this is something I can do to show fellow officers, how much I appreciate the hard job they do, all while assisting in helping their furry partners, its a win/win.
Now, of course, this charity has evolved and we do so much more. We now help with medical costs, food, supplies and have taken on State politics and have assisted in the passing of bills, helping to protect K9s.
After all, whether its the precious, saved lives, gathered around me while I do this interview or its 4-legged law enforcement officers that protect our communities- they all do it without question and therefore we owe it to them to be their voice.
This is why what I do is, has been, and will be- my mission.

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

As mentioned before, this has been a life long journey and a place I knew I’d always end up.
Starting with The Pampered Pet and transitioning to Pampered Pets LFK and creating Friends of the K9 Vest Midwest, are definitely products of my entire life.
Whether my time growing up in Tulsa Oklahoma or my time in Clay Center Kansas, taking this path in life shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows me.
I went off to Kansas State University to be the best Wildcat I could be.
I opened The Pampered Pet in Junction City, Ks in 2005. After feeling I had done all I could there, I relocated to Lawrence KS in 2018.
Here, I created Friends of the K9 Vest Midwest and opened Pampered Pets LFK.
My passion to save and advocate for animals has never wavered and in March of 2024, I celebrated my 25th year in animal wellness/welfare.
Pampered Pets LFK offers jn home pet services such as ; grooming, training, pet sitting, walks, visits, consultations, taxi services, enrichment, laser therapy and we even help individuals find the perfect pet to adopt.
I’m most proud of a few things:
1) the relationship forged with my clients
2) my reputation in my community
3) myself
4) capturing the attention of the Kelly Clarkson show and now CNN.
5) winning the “right fights”

I’d want anyone new, to know my passion amd hopefully it come through, while you’re reading this.
I’d love to have you follow along on my journey with me! I also need the added support!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being honest, fair, humble and communicative. Having an outgoing (albeit sometimes ridiculous), charismatic personality, also helps.
I think you have to have balance between doing good for your community and being good to your clients.
Often, we want to say “yes” to every charity or volunteer opportunity. After all, its great exposure and its good for publicity. However, there has to be a balance.
I partner with like minded businesses, who value my work and have similar values. When we together, everyone shares the load and we get more accomplished, while not killing our bottom line.
And, when we work together, we advertise for one another. Its such a simple thing we can do for one another, but often has a great impact, especially in the social media arena.

Being honest and truthful with my clientele and caring about them, has brought me more and more business.
I take what I do very seriously and consider it an honor and a privilege to do what I do. The day I take it for granted, is the day I need to get out.
And, having great partnerships with other amazing local businesses, has only had a positive impact on all I do.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson: be a strong leader. Find a balance between caring about your employees and being their boss.
Being a good leader takes a lot of error and humility. I can admit that it took a long time to learn how to be a great leader. I had to make mistakes in order to improve. Those acknowledgments have helped shape me into a better leader.
I often cared too much and saw my staff as my own “kids”. As much as I thought I was a strong leader, I wasn’t. I allowed my love and my emotions to cloud my better judgment and I often caved to them, as to avoid drama and their emotions. Well, this eventually back fired, it also made me resentful as my life was always the one put on hold, because keeping everyone else happy, was what I thought made the wheels turn. (Wrong!)
Im thankful though. Had I not gone though that, I wouldnt of be lent the opportunity of clarity and the ability to learn.
I’m a much better manager now. I have found the balance and have boundaries. I have also hired an assistant manager who is like minded and supportive. Having her, is gold! I cannot stress enough the importance of having another leader who has your back. She’s been an absolute asset! Find that match and never let them go!
I still care for my staff, without taking so much personally and have established healthy boundaries. I thank them often and praise the work they do. After all, its important to appreciate those representing your brand. I value my team and its always our goal to have them feel valued and supported. We have an open door policy and encourage them to communicate with us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsk9vest?igsh=MTdhOTVnNmh2a2l0Mw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/jzunon1R2BPw7KKb/?mibextid=qi2Omg
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/AXZZef6x3EXDVjy1/?mibextid=qi2Omg

  https://www.facebook.com/share/2FyrJFfE78Z2HnXg/?mibextid=qi2Omg

Image Credits

1) finally capturing a lost Husky that I had been tracking for several hours.
2) our K9 Charity logo on our St Patricks Day float
3) Friends of the K9 Vest Midwest float in March
4) celebrating with Friends of the K9 Vest Midwest, team members
5) myself giving a talk with children at St. Xavier Catholic School in Junction City ks.
6) myself and Service dog, Einstein, at the Missouri Capitol, helping pass legislation for dogs
7) making the front page of the paper
8) Myself and Corporal Henderson, along with K9 Mack, Lawrence Police Department, during the taping of the Kelly Clarkson show.

All pictures have been taken by myself