Paws Hoofs Claws has provided a home service for small and large animals allowing them to stay in their home and receive the care they need when the owners are working, sick, or on vacation since 2018. However, with the stay-at-home orders, this spring business slowed as people were staying home.
Owner Karen Busch said that before the coronavirus, she was busy every week and is looking to restart the business now that people are returning to their lives. “I started my business about three and a half years ago, and its been consistently busier and busier,” said Busch. “Before mid-March, I was busy pretty much every week and every month. Then, of course, when people aren’t going anywhere, they don’t need me because I come into their homes. I come into their homes and do basic care for companion animals and farm chores for farm animals.”
Busch provides care for companion animals, from food and treats to medicine and exercise. “The companion animals are staying at their home, and I come to them,” said Busch. “That’s where animals want to be if we could ask them – they’d say they want to stay home. They are in a comfortable environment, and I go in and have a meeting with the owners and animals to get acquainted. And know where the food is, treats, medicine, and I give love. Sometimes a dog is elderly, and they don’t go for a walk, but they’d sure love for me to sit on the floor and love them up for an hour. I also walk dogs, of course, but also I’m a runner. I take care of a lot of hunting dogs, and they just purely love me because we run. They aren’t necessarily running, but they are trotting fast, and they like that. That’s what I offer the companion animals.”
Paws Hoofs Claws will also work with farm animals. Busch said she’s familiar with many farm animals but is willing to be trained to work with others. “I was raised in Newfolden, and I had my 4-H horse, Suzie, for years until college,” said Busch. “So, I’m comfortable around farm animals. So, I’ve had horses of course and also, goats, lamas, a lot of chickens. I’m not against any of the animals I don’t know, I just come in for training. Sometimes a couple of times for new animals that have vitamins or that sort of thing. I’m trainable, and if somebody wants to have me check on their cattle or whatever they’d like me to do, I’m willing to do that.”
Busch works every day she’s needed by owners and has a basic service charge and then works with owners for additional needs and working out mileage costs. “I work every holiday, weekend, day, month,” said Busch. “They just need to call me, call, or text me at 218-464-2154 and start the conversation. When can I come to do training, what do you want me to do, how many visits? Some of my clients are just one visit like outdoor dogs, but we want to go for a walk even. All the way to a puppy, maybe that’s four visits. A lot of times its morning and evening, sometimes its three times. That’s not my decision, that’s the owner’s decision. The pricing we’ll talk about, but if you’re in Fertile, it’s a pretty good deal because I don’t have to put gas in my tank to get to you. A basic service charge is $10, and then, we just decide on what’s fair gas wise. I have to charge somebody in Bagley a little bit more than somebody in Crookston.”
Busch said the most important thing for someone who might consider using her down the road is to meet and set up a contract. “Let’s have a conversation,” said Busch. “Let’s have me come in and see what I can do for you. Also, if you think you’re going to use me in a month, I can’t work without a contract. Once you have me under contract, you can call anytime, even the last minute. I had lots of clients before the virus that would call – I have the flu, I can’t do my farm chores, can you come out in a couple of hours. And I say – yep – but I can’t do emergency sort of things if you’re not in my three-ring binders, I don’t have a contract.”
Visit https://www.pawshoofsclaws.com/ for more information or call Busch at 218-464-2154.
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