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Read about Paws and People Too! in the News
Friends of Paws and People Too! - LinksNew women’s business group offers support and more to local business ownersBy Jessica Sturgis Middletown, Del. - Early on a Saturday morning, a group of area businesswomen gathered to outline the procedures of their newly-formed group as well as share some laughs and things that might be of interest to other members. The M.O.T. Women’s Business Group held its third meeting March 21. The new group is designed to provide a casual yet professional environment and offer support to its members while maintaining a non-competitive environment. Founder Theresa Overbey, owner of Paws & People Too!, said she wasn’t finding a group in the area that fit her schedule or needs. Her business, which offers professional in-home pet sitting, dog grooming and now dog training, keeps her busy at odd hours. “I have a weird schedule and I was getting very frustrated,” she said. Overbey contacted some women in the business community who she thought might be interested and from there the group has been meeting once a month. “I know I leave here feeling really good and excited,” she said, “and motivated. It’s important to grow your business but it’s just as important to be motivated.” Other members include business owners Tracy Clevens of Clevens K9 Scoop, Jennifer McDonald of Paws & People Too!, Becky Cronin of Sew There Embroidery, Kimberly Jones of Every Occasion Specialty Baskets and Gifts, Bonnie Edson of The Organizing Assistant, Anette Schuetz of The K9 Bakery and Beth Delligatti of Shabby Chic’. Jones, who does custom gift baskets, said the group has opened doors for her to other businesses in the area and she can refer people to others in the group. McDonald said the members have helped each other as well and many use each others services. Cronin, who does custom machine embroidery, produced fleece jackets for several members and was able to put custom logos on them. She said she has enjoyed making the new connections. Edson, who helps clients with organizational issues, said she likes the non-competitive environment, especially in a small community. Schuetz, who just began her canine bakery business, said she also likes that it is non-competitive. “I get a really good feeling from the group,” she said. Clevens, whose business specializes in dog waste removal, said she has found the group to be truly supportive and filled with good ideas. Delligatti, an interior design business owner, said she noticed at the first meeting that every other member had a Web site. She had no idea how to go about setting one up, but Schuetz was able to help her do so. “I think this group gives the members a place to come in and problem solve,” she said. Delligatti said she had joined other women’s groups before, but this group has a different feeling. “I feel like they are all pulling for me,” she said, “ and that support goes a long way.” Clevens said members also remind other members of what’s going on in the area. Overbey said she wanted something that was informal yet professional, too. While the group hopes to help its members network as well as provide support, it also involves a community service aspect. Cronin said the group recently donated 20 stuffed animals to the Middletown Police department. The officers can give the animals to children they meet in stressful situations. Overbey said the police were thrilled with the donation. Each member said she enjoys owning her own business and serving her clients. For more information about the group, call Theresa Overbey at (302) 838-5140. Summit held to discuss plan for animals during state disastersBy Shauna McVey Staff Reporter In the event of a disaster, pets across the state will be kept safe with the help of many departments, organizations and pet enthusiasts, including Middletown resident Theresa Overbey. Overbey, who owns Paws and People Too, was asked to be a part of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency’s State Animal Response Summit on Nov. 14. SART was a meeting of representatives from state departments and organizations, veterinarians and other pet enthusiasts to brainstorm ways to help keep Delaware’s pets safe in the event a disaster happens in the state. Overbey said she will be a responder to help with search and rescue. Other volunteers are needed to help at shelters and veterinarians and vet technicians are needed to help with animal health care. Each state is developing its own SART program as a result of President George Bush’s Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which was implemented after Hurricane Katrina. It is an amendment to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. “In order to keep human beings safe, we have to take care of the companion animals because the human-animal bond is so strong that people will not leave their animals in a state of emergency,” Overbey said. “When people evacuate, they have to be able to evacuate with their animals and have a place for their animals to go.” Anne McCann, the DE-SART coordinator for DEMA, said Delaware’s program has been in the planning stages for about two years. She said she is working closely with Dr. Sara Busch, state veterinarian for the Delaware Department of Agriculture, as well as the American Red Cross, the Delaware National Guard, local veterinarians, the Delaware and Kent County SPCAs, and other organizations. “We competed for grant funds nationally and were awarded grants to hold the summit,” McCann said. “It gave us an opportunity to bring a lot more people into the planning effort. The next step is going to be doing even more outreach. “We want to do outreach to the animal community – the veterinarians, vet technicians and people who work in animal-related businesses who have skills to bring to the table to assist in a disaster,” she said. “The plan is so when we do have to activate shelters for people’s pets, we will know who is going to be coming and SART can make plans to try to help us.” McCann said the SART volunteers will go through disaster and animal training to prepare for an evacuation situation. Training will begin within the next six months so volunteers can be ready in time for the hurricane season, which starts June 1, 2008.She said SART is working on memorandums of understanding with the SPCAs and the Delaware Humane Association to secure emergency animal shelters. “We have a large list of places we could potentially use depending on the scale and location of the event,” McCann said. “The county emergency managers would select the sites and that information would go out on the radio and all over the media. It really would be event-driven and the number of sites would be based on the scale of the event.” She said members of the North Carolina SART conducted the summit, and are traveling to each state to deliver the information they gained after Hurricane Floyd hit the east coast in 1999. “They had three million animals die in Hurricane Floyd and they had a significant problem with what to do with the animals that were left without homes,” McCann said. “Everybody saw pictures from Hurricane Katrina, and the nation came to a consensus that this can’t happen again.” She said while SART is in its planning stages, information is available for pet owners to help prepare for a disaster. The information can be obtained through DEMA at (302) 659-3362, at various animal shelters for those who adopt animals and will soon be available at vet offices. “We really can get the word out in a very proactive way to let people know what they can be doing in advance of a disaster,” McCann said. “We must have ways of accommodating people’s animals in a disaster or people themselves won’t evacuate. The key message is that if it’s not safe for you to remain in your house, it’s not safe for your pets.” Paws and People Too
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Pet Sitters International (PSI) features more than 1,200 high-quality, name-brand pet products available through its online store. Because Paws & People Too! is a member of this professional organization, our clients can benefit from the competitive online prices and convenience of home delivery. Click here or on the PSI logo above to go to the store. |
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