On A Positive Note: Paw and Order Dog Training help dogs get ready for their forever homes
BULGER, Pa. (KDKA) — On any given day on a field in Bulger, Washington County, you can see nearly a dozen dogs running free with the ponies and cows.
But those animals are part of an important operation at Paw and Order Dog Training. Run by Steve Sentner and his wife, Elissa Weimer, they take a special approach to make sure every dog is ready for a forever home.
They run a profitable business, but they also do non-profit organization work with the Washington Area Humane Society.
"The dogs that are coming into these rescues are coming from animal control," said Weimer. "They are strays in the street or they're coming in because their owner can't handle them because of certain behavior problems."
And the shelter director just passed along a favorable statistic.
"She actually told me since hiring a dog trainer, and them being so specific on where everybody is going, their return rate went down to 4 percent," Weimer said.
And helping Paw and Order Dog Training with its business tactics is Denis Olson of the Small Business Development Center at Duquesne University.
"I was lucky enough to get assigned to them. I'm a dog lover. I'm a Golden Retriever guy, so it was exciting to bring them in," said Olson.
Part of the Small Business Administration, the center offers consulting services, education and support at no cost.
"We're right now in the process of a five-year plan to grow their business, and we offer that service to anybody who wants to use us at Duquesne," said Olson.
"Ten years and I'm still perfecting things to make it the best and do the best we can for these pet owners, dog owners and rescues," said Weimer.
And the non-profit component of the business is something that Duquesne University and Olson like to brag about.
"If any of the businesses are working in that space, makes us feel proud," Olson said.