Meet Aixa Tearne | Doggy Daycare Owner/Operator & Dog Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aixa Tearne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aixa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I grew up poor and feeling like I didn’t have much to lose, so I take calculated risks. Running a doggy daycare is full of risk, everything is a constant experiment because behavior can be unpredictable at times. We do our best to be educated on the possibilities and to be familiar with disaster prevention methods so that we can manage the risk to the best of our abilities and we do a great job at it because we care a lot about our patrons and their pets

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
PawsUp is a daycare like I have never seen anywhere else. We boast the most outdoor space for dogs to roam and play than any other daycare in town. We also design and structure play groups so that size, play style, and temperaments match up as close as possible. We also keep the groups small enough to make managing active play as safe as we can reasonably make it.

We are most proud of our ability to maintain safety and that dog fights are extremely few and far in between. Nothing matters more than being able to keep the dogs and staff safe from harm.

I landed ownership of the daycare when my old boss wanted to move onto new projects. She let me pay off the debt through the profits of the daycare which was an incredible opportunity for me since I didn’t have any of my own capitol. It was a long three years of pushing through payments and responsibilities while still needing to do regular shifts. I knew that the outcome would be worth my strife and I surrounded myself with people who wanted to team up and help.

I had to learn how to set better boundaries and expectations with customers and employees. It’s hard to be a business owner when you wear your heart on your sleeve, but I manage to work and live in my core values as much as I can muster it because that makes me feel like I am doing things the right way.

I am not sure I need the world to know anything about PawsUp and our story, but it’s nice to be known in our little corner of the world. We believe in community. We care deeply about dogs and their owners. It’s pretty simple and straight from the heart

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have a favorite bakery called Dedicated, gluten-free bakery, that I would absolutely show my visiting friend. I also love to be outdoors and might try to take her to the end of Speedway to Douglas Spring Trailhead to hike a trail and stare at wildlife. There are also a lot of cool horse back riding stables in Tucson that we might try out, thought I don’t remember the names of the two I’ve been to before

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout it out to my closest allies and teammates in my career, Desiree Widdows and Amber Tait, for sticking by me and helping create a safe and trusted atmosphere for coworkers, patrons, and the dogs we service. I could not have done it without their dedication and support

Website: pawsupdoggydaycare.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawsup.daycare

Image Credits
Amber Tait Hayley Guerrero Desiree Widdows Aixa Tearne