Deb Stichmann’s Paws ‘n’ Claws service cares for pets when their “parents” are away from home.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

When “pet parents” are on the move, who cares for the dogs and cats who don’t come along on the trip? Animal-lover Deb Stichmann has a new solution – a professional service that will care for them in their own homes.
“Going to a kennel can be upsetting for dogs and cats, and it isn’t always possible to count on friends,” she points out. “You want to find someone who is dependable and who treats your pet well.” Her business, Paws ‘n’ Claws, provides everything the lonely pet requires when left home alone, whether for a few days or a month – food and water, clean-up services, and a friendly human to play with.
Born in Arizona but raised in Wisconsin, Deb is a newcomer to the area. She recently moved to Dilworth from New Mexico, where she had operated her thriving pet care business for nearly 20 years. At the time of her move, she says, she had a client list of nearly 200 individuals and families who called on her when they traveled for business or pleasure.
“Pets can experience anxiety when their humans go away,” she observes. “They’re happiest and most secure in their own homes – surrounded with their familiar smells, their regular food and water, their toys, their hiding and resting places. Instead of taking them away from all that, they’re reassured. I’m the visitor.”
Deb followed a circuitous route to the pet-friendly business she operates today. She managed chain restaurants in the beginning of her career, transferred from Florida to California, Nevada, Indiana and finally Columbus, Ohio. “Then I decided enough was enough,” she remarks.
She earned a degree in horticulture from Ohio State University, then started a landscaping business there. “But then I visited the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque and fell in love with New Mexico – the food, the landscape, the sky,” she says. She moved there in 1998 and continued in landscaping. Given the climate, she readily moved from greenery to xeriscaping, developing yards and public areas with desert-friendly elements.
Her pet care business grew out of her love for animals. “I volunteered at humane shelters and, yes, some kill shelters, and saw too many being euthanized. People were giving up pets because they didn’t know how to take care of a creature that doesn’t act like a human. It was heartbreaking to see them being destroyed.”
She started offering pet care with just five clients. One month later, that had grown by a factor of four. “They doubled, then doubled again,” she remembers, “and I just kept going.”
When a potential client calls her, Deb interviews them as thoroughly as they do her. “I’m looking for someone who treats their pet well,” she emphasizes. “After all, this is the dog’s or cat’s house. If you feed them at 5 a.m., that’s when I will be there to give them breakfast. If they need to go out several times a day, we’ll talk about that, too.” She seeks to discover everything from the pet’s daily routine and favorite toys to the hiding places they favor and any special needs, including medication. In case the unexpected happens, she asks the pet owner to call the dog or cat’s regular veterinarian to give permission for her to bring the animal in for treatment. “It’s never happened so far, but it could,” she notes.
Paws ‘n’ Claws services are planned and timed around the familiar routine expected by each dog or cat … or bird or llama or iguana. (“Iguanas aren’t my favorite. They bite,” she laughs.) She spends 30 to 45 minutes at each home, caring for the animals need and then playing with them, picking up after them and giving them a good helping of loving attention. Each session is billed at $30. She is also available for overnight stays, offering the additional security of keeping an eye on the home while its residents are gone.
To find out more about Paws ‘n’ Claws pet-care services, call (505) 440-0874 or email Deb at pawsnclaws02@gmail.com