Contributors
Editor’s Note
Editor In Chief Rudolfo Lopez Operations Heather Templeton Outreach Erika Mariani Bilingual Correspondent Gisela Gutierrez Photographer Christy Savarino
Our Cover Models Thank you to all of the wonderful contestants who entered our February Cover Model contest. We were overwhelmed by the number of adorable pictures received! In the end, our two winners were Jellybean and Max! We had such a wonderful time with Jellybean and Max at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming San Antonio. For more on Jellybean, Max, and Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming San Antonio, be sure to check out this month’s SA Amigo Spotlight! We are also happy to be featuring God’s Dogs Rescue, another wonderful local organization that is doing so much to help animals in need. February is also American Heart Month. Be sure to visit your local veterinarian to ensure that your pet has the proper heart care needed to be happy and healthy. Thank you for being a part of the animal wellness community! 2
Contributors Jessica Saavedra Patricia Schwebel
SA Amigo is a bilingual pet magazine created in San Antonio, Texas. SA Amigo is a publication of Any Pet Can. To find out more, visit www.saamigo.com
If you would like to advertise in our magazine, please contact us at:
www.anypetcansa@gmail.com.
SA AMIGO Spotlight
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming San Antonio is owned and operated by Jackie Kay Urbanczyk. Her passion for animals and their care combined with her extensive retail background bring San Antonio this one stop shop for premium pet supplies, grooming, and custom bakery treats. She has worked hard to assemble a grooming team that is not only highly skilled but also extremely compassionate about each and every dog they care for. Health, happiness, and the comfort of each pet and their owner is Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming San Antonio’s top priority. Jackie has a huge heart for the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, and adoption events are held frequently at her store. We had the opportunity to talk to Jackie and her team about what makes Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming so unique to the San Antonio pet community. Tell us about Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming!
We also offer a full-service grooming salon and currently have experienced groomers on staff. The goal of each appointment is to achieve a high-quality groom with the least amount of stress to your pup. Each dog is with only their groomer from start to finish, which means the appointments are 90 minutes or less in most cases. The dogs get one-onone attention from their groomer, and we make sure every client is fully satisfied with the groom before they leave the store. Every dog is different, so it is extremely important to take time with each one and be sensitive to their needs. After all, they are your babies! Our groomers treat them like royalty. Whether you need a first-time puppy cut, or a more difficult breed standard-cut, our groomers can accommodate you.
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming San Antonio provides an excellent combination of grooming services, premium foods and treats, accessories, toys, and boutique items. The most unique aspect of Woof Gang is the in-house bakery where we make custom cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. There is an amazing treat table filled with goodies every day, and we currently fill about 40 custom orders each month. Doggie birthday cakes are the most popular custom order, but we can make cakes for any occasion. Our retail selection becomes more diverse all the time, but our focus always remains the same. We aim to offer healthy, high-quality products for your fur babies.
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Antonio Pets Alive, Texas Chihuahua Rescue, and Alamo Boxer Rescue. What are some of the most memorable moments you've had with Woof Gang Bakery? When you are passionate about what you do and you truly love it, not a single day is boring or forgettable. I cherish my store, my team, and of course all of our sweet customers! One especially proud day was when we hosted Charming Pet Rescue, where we had 7 dogs adopted at a single event! We also did a remodeling of the store last May to expand our grooming salon. That was a huge undertaking, but it was definitely a rewarding accomplishment! The expansion has allowed us to serve our grooming customers better, and we are so proud of that. Every time we make a birthday cake for a pup and their parents send us the picture of their party, it warms our hearts! Their little faces, when they see they get a cake, are so priceless! Woof Gang is a special place for over-thetop dog lovers, which is what our whole team absolutely is! I’ve had so many wonderful memories here so far, and I know there are way more to come.
Meet Jellybean! Jellybean loves car rides and enjoys getting her puppy cups from Starbucks. Her favorite treats are bully sticks! We see that you have hosted many rescuefocused events. Tell us about what motivates you to do this and why it's important?
We absolutely love hosting adoption events! Our goal is to host between 2-4 per month. There are so many deserving dogs out there that need loving homes. As the owner of two rescues, I can say from experience that my fur babies have enriched my life, and that their resilience inspires me every day. When I rescued my Shih Tzu Ben in 2014, he had very limited social skills with people and with other dogs. He was badly abused for the first years of his life. After lots of love and patience, he is still growing and learning to trust, but has come a very long way! He loves coming to the store with me every day. This past October, I rescued my second pup, Kylo, from SNIPSA. SNIPSA had taken him in from a small shelter in order to avoid euthanizing him. He is a loving, high energy Schnauzer mix who will be 1 year old in February. He comes to work with me every day and loves to socialize with people and with all the other dogs. We have seen many successful adoptions here and will continue to support local rescue groups until all dogs have a forever home! Some of the various groups we have hosted include Texas Husky Rescue, Charming Pet Rescue, SNIPSA, San 4
Can you tell us a little bit about your staff? Our pet stylists are Amy Carmona, Shannon O’Hara, Erin Rentz, Jenna Vincent, Marisa Sandoval, Penelope Sanchez, and Tabitha Alvarado. Our store manager, Karen Canterbury, also has 2 rescued Chihuahua girls and a rescued Chorkie boy. She is obsessed with the health and care of ani- Photo: Karen Canterbury & mals, and has become Snowy quite the expert on nutrition. She enjoys helping customers find the right food and treats for their beloved pets.
Meet Max! Max loves cuddles and scratches. He’ll take those over treats any day. He also loves his toys, and loves being petted for hours on end! Jackie Kay Urbanczyk Is a native San Antonian who attended Incarnate Word High School. She loves being engaged in the community where she grew up in. Her own rescued Shih Tzu named Ben is at the store with her every day, enjoying his new life and inspiring guests with his story. Jackie also recently rescued a schnauzer/ terrier puppy from SNIPSA and named him Kylo. Jackie and her team feel so blessed to live their dream and provide care for awesome fur babies every single day! 5
friend will be safe, comfortable, and leave the salon looking and feeling beautiful. I do my very best to always deliver on this promise. Every dog is different, so I have to be flexible and change my approach for every situation. Some dogs need me to be fun and silly, while others need me to be quiet and gentle. There are some dogs who just need a hug. We have come a long way from treating every dog the same and having the mentality that you just need to be the "Pack Leader". Scared rescue dogs, for example, don't need that mentality. They need Grooming Philosophy - A Word From my patience and understanding. Puppies need to be Amy Carmona, Pet Stylist - Woof Gang taught how to behave during a groom and not to Bakery & Grooming San Antonio fear it. Every animal needs a different part of my personality, and that is what I take the time to figI started grooming in 2005 at PetSmart. I was pro- ure out and provide. I groom because I absolutely moted to salon manager there, and was also an in- love dogs! I love that I have a career where I can be structor at PetSmart's Grooming Academy before I around dogs all day, every day, making them feel joined the team at Woof Gang in 2014. My philos- and look their best! ophy to grooming is simple. I take the time to gain the owner’s trust and ensure them that their best
Photo: Penelope Sanchez with client 6
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God’s Dogs Rescue God's Dogs Rescue is a grass roots organization made up of many wonderful and like minded individuals. Started by just one person, they have morphed into a big loving group, whose passion involves saving dogs & puppies from all over Texas. God’s Dogs Rescue has been transporting dogs out of state to loving adopters since 2014, and have found homes for
lucky dogs throughout all of North America, going as far away as Alaska and Canada. Through their transportation branch, Your TX Rescue Connection, God’s Dogs transported 1500 dogs and puppies last year to their forever homes. God’s Dogs Rescue doesn’t just help animals in their organization, they work with other rescue groups to transport their animals as well. They
have worked with Texas Chihuahua Rescue, Tri-city Animal Rescue, Scurvy Dog Rescue, and many others to save and adopt out as many dogs as possible. God’s Dogs Rescue is always in need of good foster homes, and considers them their main and most important resources. Without the help of committed foster homes, less dogs will be saved each year.
God's Dog Rescue es una organización popular compuesta de muchos maravillosos y personas afines. Iniciado por una sola persona, se han transformado en un gran grupo, cuya pasión amorosa implica guardar perros y cachorros de todo Texas. God's Dog Rescue ha sido el transporte de perros de rescate fuera del estado para adoptantes desde 2014, y se han encontrado hogares para nuestros afortunados perros en toda América del
Norte, va tan lejos como Alaska y Canadá. God's Dog Rescue utilizó su transporte rama, Your TX Rescue Connecting, para el transporte de 1500 perros y cachorros el año pasado a sus hogares permanentes. God's Dog Rescue no solamente ayuda a los animales en su organización, trabajan con otros grupos de rescate para transportar a sus animales. Han trabajado con Texas Chihuahua Rescue, Tri-city Animal Rescue, Scurvy Dog Rescue, y muchos otros
para guardar y adoptar a tantos perros como sea posible. God's Dog Rescue está siempre en la necesidad de buenos hogares de guarda, y considera que su principal y más importante de los recursos. Sin la ayuda de cometidos en hogares de acogida, menos perros se guardará cada año.
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For More Information on God’s Dogs Rescue and how to help, please visit their website: www.godsdogsrescue.org Be sure to like them on Facebook! www.facebook.com/godsdogsrescue & www.facebook.com/yourtxrescueconnection 9
SA Amigo
Toby
Dot
Stanley
Benjamin Barker
Jessie
Max & Weenie
Shakira
Khaleesi 10
Tex
Darbie
Photo Contestants
Puglas
Weezer
Tony Barker
Duchess & Elsa
Ernie
Sully
Rocco
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Molly
Poncho
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ANIMAL AGENCIES Animal Care Services 210.207.4PET Animal Defense League 210.655.1481 San Antonio Humane Society 210.226.7461 San Antonio Pets Alive! 210.370.7612 Live Oak Animal Shelter 210.653.9140 x228 Universal City Animal Shelter 210.658.0700 Z’s Rescue and Relocation 210.248.7834 Converse Animal Shelter 210.658.4821 SNAP (Spay & Neuter Assistance Program) 210.673.7722 Rudy’s Feed Store (vaccination clinic) 210.223.2832 Pet Shotz 210.735.1004
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