Amanda remembers having a puppy when she was a child. Sadly, he escaped the yard and was hit by a car. “My dad wasn’t keen on getting another dog after that. I think he was heartbroken.” The experience of puppy love stayed with Amanda though.
There wasn’t any debate as to whether Amanda and her husband, Jerry, would be pet owners. The only question was, “when?” That was answered when they moved into their new Calgary home and added two pugs to their family (see MeiMei’s and Miko’s delightful mugs above). Unfortunately Miko developed food intolerances so Amanda went to work on the web to learn about health issues for dogs. Along the way she found several dog and cat-related items that intrigued her. She bookmarked them and continued her learning curve.
After completing her research Amanda and Jerry decided to prepare the dog’s food themselves. That way they’d know exactly what was going into the food and that it’d be fresh. They felt even better about their decision when the recent pet-food degradations began affecting dogs and cats across North America.
In the meantime word got around that Amanda was a wellspring of information when it came to puppy products and health issues. She was happy to share her knowledge with friends and co-workers who called for advice. Amanda soon gave more than that and welcomed a friend’s puppy with a gift basket that was a big hit. Other folks hinted that they’d like one too, okay, some did more than hint – and Pawhaus was born.
Names are important. In this case the name was carefully chosen with a cheeky nod to
Bauhaus. “To most people Bauhaus may mean a modernistic approach to architecture, but you can use the concepts of Bauhaus to provide easy solutions for making your home fully functional while retaining the aspects of you. We wanted Pawhaus to be the same idea – modern designs with functional aspects that are a part of your everyday life.”
Amanda’s devotion to your furry friends means that none of the gift packs include edible products. Miko’s health issues made her realize that pets, as with humans, seem to be getting more sensitive to foods. Her aim is to create a gift packs and have products available with the idea that you can use it for a long time without worry.
Eleven different packs are currently offered that Amanda personally designed. The Baby Makes Four gift pack is especially appropriate given Calgary’s current baby boom. Amanda developed this gem when a Humane Society worker told her that many of their surrendered dogs arrive when the owners bring home a new baby and find that the two aren’t compatible. The gift pack contains a CD of baby sounds to help the pet grow accustomed to gurgling and crying, a book written by a behaviorist that addresses many concerns of pet-owning parents, a baby receiving blanket, lotions and potions for mom and toys for puppy. This way everyone is remembered.
Visit the Pawhaus website and be amazed at how detailed these packs are. Amanda has thought of it all, including spa packs for pooch, luxury packs so that your small pet can travel in style, and (my favourite), the Big Dog pack so that you can easily transition from having a puppy to a quickly growing dog with all her big-dog needs. Amanda still remembers that long-ago puppy and addresses the painful loss of a beloved pet with a sympathy pack called In Loving Memory Pet Remembrance.
“My ideal day includes my dogs,” says Amanda. “We’re looking for space to have a retail store here in Calgary. When that happens I’ll walk to the store with my dogs where I can research for new products while getting direct input from customers. At the end of the day we all walk home together.”
In the meantime, Amanda keeps the pulse of the public through trade and pet shows such as the McKenzie Towne Spring Trade and Craft Show and the Calgary Home and Interior Design Show (they will be sponsoring the Pampered Pet Fashion Show to help the Calgary Humane Society). In the fall look for the Pawhaus presence in craft shows throughout Calgary.
If you attended a Calgary Humane Society, Meow Foundation or Calgary Zoo Gala fund raiser you might’ve put in a bid for one of her donated packs and were disappointed to not have the winning bid. Remedy that now and visit www.pawhauspetboutique.com and take advantage of Amanda’s research skills to find the perfect gift for the pet-lover in your life – and that can include you.
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