Miranda Murphy of the North Paw care staff oversees hijinks on small-specific play equipment. Hey, here comes Sparky!
Laura Strimpel always knew she wanted to work with animals, but not in the way most people expect. “Going to work with my pets was always one of my goals in life,” Strimpel says.
Before she opened North Paw, a dog and cat daycare and boarding facility, Strimpel had to be covert about taking her animals to work. “I used to sneak kittens into my old job with UW housing,” Strimpel says. “I could get in trouble for it, but the college students loved having them there.” Growing weary of working for someone else — and having to pussyfoot around taking kittens to work — Strimpel left her job at UW-Madison in August and opened North Paw two months ago.
Although Strimpel wanted to work with animals, she knew she would never be a veterinarian. “I couldn’t pass chemistry,” she says. Instead, she pursued a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education. When she got a puppy (now a nine-pound terrier/chihuahua mix named Timbre) a decade ago, she became interested in dog training. Strimpel became certified as a dog trainer by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and opened Taproot Dog Training five years ago.
North Paw, 2320 Mustang Way, specializes in small dogs and cats (one of the few spots locally that does). While Strimpel likes bigger dogs, or “bigs,” as they are referred to at North Paw, she knew she wanted to focus on small dogs — “littles.”
Laura Strimpel with her kitty, Tilly Riser. In the kingdom of cats, kittens are king.
“I grew up with smaller dogs. They have specialized needs and health issues and people don’t always have the resources to know how to help them,” Strimpel says. Large dogs are allowed at North Paw under special circumstances, such as being the sibling of a little.
Strimpel prides herself on being a leader in the industry for “better” practices for small dogs; for instance, not allowing situations where littles feel intimidated by larger dogs.
“The ‘best practices’ that are said to currently exist do not focus on smaller dogs and their specialized needs,” Strimpel says. “North Paw aims to be a leader in this regard.”
Strimpel focuses on making the small dogs feel safe. She limits numbers to avoid crowding and takes pains to keep play groups under control.
There’s also an introductory “audition” period. All North Paw animals start with a meeting and tour of the facility. “You can’t [just] make initial reservations online,” Strimpel says. When boarding, dogs spend one night before a multi-night stay to ensure that they feel safe in the space. “What is best for dogs is always placed first,” Strimpel says. “We partner with each pet parent to understand what is best for their dog and try to meet those needs.”
Strimpel also took care when designing the building. The play structures in the spacious outdoor area are at a smaller dog’s level, small pea gravel is best for small paws; inside, a rubber floor helps minimize physical impact — good for smaller dogs with knee issues — and environmentally safe cleaning products are used because “smaller dogs live close to the ground,” Strimpel says. Another example of going the extra mile: North Paw is painted with epoxy, a more expensive paint, to resist urine and accompanying problems with hygiene.
Cats are welcome at North Paw. “Cats and smaller dogs have more in common than most people realize,” Strimpel says. When cats are boarding at North Paw they stay in cat “bungalows,” with various levels and perches for sleeping and exploring, and also have the ability to roam the facility at certain parts of the day. There may be some dog-cat interaction if both animals are fine with it (and the dog would usually remain on leash). “Some dogs prefer cats for buddies!” says Strimpel.
Strimpel is trained in neonatal kitten care and has nursed back to health — and fostered — more than 70 kittens for the Dane County Humane Society. “As a neonatal foster parent, I understand how important socialization and safe spaces are for our feline friends. At North Paw we will board cats of any age, but what’s important to know here is that cats and dogs really can be friends.”
When Strimpel is fostering kittens that are too young for adoption, the kittens spend the day at North Paw in the “Kitten Kingdom” and go home with Strimpel at night. The Kitten Kingdom is located right inside North Paw’s front entryway and visitors, including some of North Paw’s canine guests, are welcome to interact with the kittens.
In addition to kittens, Strimpel also fosters a sense of community at North Paw. “There is a Staples delivery guy who stops by to play with the kittens,” Strimpel says. “And I don’t even get Staples deliveries.”
North Paw
2320 Mustang Way, Madison
608-405-5800; northpawdogs.com
