Meet the Owner, DeDe
An entrepreneur, with a love for dogs
I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I had a dream of owning my own business, and I love helping others, so I went to school to pursue my undergraduate degree in psychology, and then a Master's in Counseling Psychology so I could one day own my own private practice.
But while in college, I adopted my dog, Penny, and my life changed forever! I have always loved dogs my whole life and had had dogs as pets since I was 6 years old, but this was my first experience owning my own dog as an adult. I fell in love with her and watched my life transform before my eyes! Suddenly, my entire world revolved around Penny.
I would take her swimming at the greenbelt, play frisbee at Zilker Park, only eat at dog-friendly restaurants, and I started bringing her to doggie daycare twice a week. She LOVED it! And I loved seeing Penny so happy getting the exercise and socialization she needed!
It brought me so much JOY to take care of my girl Penny! That is when I realized I wanted to dedicate my life to caring for dogs and owning a Dog Daycare was the perfect combination of my love of dogs and my dream of owning my own business.
A true Austinite
Although I technically was not born in Austin, I consider myself as close to a native Austinite as one can get. I have lived here since the year 2000, attending elementary school through high school in Austin.
When it came to college, there was nowhere else I wanted to go besides the University of Texas at Austin. Having attended every soccer, basketball and volleyball camp that the University of Texas athletic department offered during my youth, and even sleeping in dorms during those camps, I always knew I was destined to be a longhorn. The University of Texas was the only college I applied to, and I was accepted early, in the Fall of my junior year of high school, and my dream of being a longhorn came true. Hook’em!
Opening Pups & Pals
While in graduate school, pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, I found myself feeling a bit jaded. I had always wanted to pursue a career centered on helping others, but suddenly I was not feeling inspired by my career choice. I realized something was missing…the joy.
My family always joked about how, with the number of dogs we had combined as a family, we should start a dog daycare! Especially when we gathered for the holidays, our living room was overrun with dogs and often felt like a dog daycare!
What started as light hearted dinner conversation with family, turned into a reality when I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was destined to build a career working with dogs. I felt that this would check all of the boxes I was searching for in a career. I’d be providing a service to my community, helping others, but also, the key ingredient: JOY.
In December of 2015 I called my Dad and said, “I think I’m going to do it! I think I’m going to take the leap and open a dog daycare.” And 11 months later, on November 14th, 2016, I opened the doors to Pups & Pals Pet Lounge.
Opening a second location
About 18 months after opening the first Pups & Pals location, we were at full capacity every day. We were waitlisting our existing pack daily, so we decided to close enrollment and started a formal waitlist, initially quoting 3-6 months for new clients. But, as the waitlist grew with more names being added every day, the estimated wait to become a client became 6-9 months, and then 9-12 months. I knew that we needed to expand, and I started exploring real estate in the Austin area.
I found a property on HWY 290 in the Oak Hill part of town. A charming house situated on 3 acres, right on the highway with great visibility, not too far out of town, and with commercial zoning. What really solidified it as the perfect property was the amazing trees. There were so many enormous oak trees offering so much shade and natural beauty. I knew I could turn this into a paradise for dogs. I signed a lease in August 2018, and in October 2018 the second location of Pups & Pals - The Oak Hill Location, opened its doors.
Building a workplace where people feel seen, valued, and belong
From the very beginning, I knew I wanted Pups & Pals to be a different kind of workplace—one that truly valued its employees. After years of working for other companies before opening my own, I gained a clear understanding of what I valued in a workplace—and what I didn’t. I drew inspiration from the companies I had worked at that did things right, while also reflecting on the ones that fell short. Those experiences shaped my vision and led me to create a workplace that truly values its employees.
My goal was to create real opportunities for growth, with clear paths for advancement, consistent raises that staff could look forward to receiving every three months, and benefits like health insurance and a 401K—things typically reserved for large corporations, not small businesses. I wanted to take what was often seen as a temporary, part-time job for college kids, and turn it into a place where people could build a long-term, meaningful career.
But as Pups & Pals grew, so did my understanding of what it truly means to support a team. Over time, a deeper mission developed naturally within me: to create a safe, inclusive environment where every person feels seen, heard, and valued. In particular, it became incredibly important to me that Pups & Pals be a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ community—a place where they can grow, feel accepted, and find not just a job, but a sense of belonging and family. Today, that commitment is at the heart of who we are, and it’s what makes our culture so special.
The heart and soul behind the care
The culture that we have built amongst our staff has led to low staff turnover, which allows us to maintain a team of long-term, dedicated employees. That consistency creates a deep sense of trust with our clients—they know when they walk in the door, they’ll see the same familiar faces month after month, year after year.
Our team isn’t just caring for the dogs; they’re forming real bonds with them and truly getting to know each pup’s personality, habits, and needs. Many of our staff have worked at Pups & Pals for 2 - 4 years! And a handful of our staff have been at Pups & Pals for 5 - 10 years! Our long term staff have literally watched pups grow up over the years from their first day as a 4 month old puppy, to the day they join the seniors group of dogs who make up our "Chills” play group!
The level of attentiveness and passion our staff brings is incredible! They often notice small changes, like bumps or lumps, that pet parents may not have caught yet! That kind of care and connection is a big part of why families in our community trust us so deeply with their fur babies.
I always tell our team, Pups & Pals is not these 4 walls, Pups & Pals is us—the people who work here. We are the heart and soul of Pups & Pals.