Meet Sydney Schaefer, the New Owner of Paws at Your Door

If you have searched for Paws at Your Door and found a name you did not expect, this post is for you. My name is Sydney Schaefer. In 2025 I became the new owner of Paws at Your Door, the mobile dog grooming service that has been pulling into driveways around St. Louis for decades. I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself, thank the person who built this business, and explain what you can expect now that I am the one behind the wheel.

First, a thank you to Barbara

Paws at Your Door exists because of Barbara. She spent decades building a mobile grooming business the hard way: one dog, one driveway, one happy owner at a time. Long before "mobile dog grooming" was something you could type into a search bar, Barbara was bringing a full grooming salon to families across Ladue, Clayton, Frontenac, and the surrounding neighborhoods, earning the kind of trust you only get by showing up, year after year, and treating every dog like it was her own.

Many of the dogs I groom today have known Paws at Your Door longer than I have. Some of their owners have been clients for a very long time. That history is not something I take lightly. Barbara built a reputation for gentle, careful, personal grooming, and my goal is simple: keep that reputation exactly where she left it, and carry it forward.

So, Barbara, thank you. For the business, for the clients, and for the standard you set.

A little about me

I did not come to Paws at Your Door from outside the grooming world. I have worked as a professional dog groomer at several salons and grooming businesses before this, learning different styles, different breeds, and different ways of handling nervous, wiggly, senior, and brand new puppy clients. Every place I worked taught me something, but the thing I kept coming back to was how much better dogs do when grooming is calm, unhurried, and familiar.

That is exactly what mobile grooming makes possible. When the van pulls into your driveway, your dog never leaves home. There is no crate full of barking strangers, no long wait, no car ride home with a wet coat. It is just your dog, me, and a quiet, fully equipped grooming van parked a few steps from your front door. When the chance came to take over a mobile grooming business that already did things that way, and did them well, it felt less like a career move and more like finding the place I was supposed to be.

Why dog grooming matters more than people think

A lot of people think of grooming as a haircut and a bath. It is that, but it is also one of the most important parts of a dog's ongoing health and comfort.

Regular grooming keeps coats free of mats, which pull on the skin and can hide irritation, hot spots, or parasites underneath. Nail trims keep paws landing the way they should, which matters for joints and posture as dogs age. Bath and brush visits lift out dead undercoat so skin can breathe, and de-shedding sessions make a real difference for double coated breeds in a St. Louis summer. Ear checks, paw pad checks, and simply having careful hands on your dog every few weeks means small changes get noticed early, long before they turn into a vet visit.

And then there is the part that does not show up on any checklist: a dog that feels clean, comfortable, and free of tangles is a happier dog. They move better, they sleep better, and they are a lot more fun to cuddle.

Why I do this

I groom dogs because I love dogs, and because I am good at helping them through something many of them find stressful. There is a specific kind of satisfaction in taking a matted, anxious, overdue dog and sending them back inside soft, trimmed, and visibly relieved. I get to do that every single day, in driveways all over the St. Louis area, for people who care about their dogs as much as I do.

I also keep my schedule small on purpose. I would rather groom fewer dogs and know every one of them by name than rush through a packed calendar. If you have booked with Paws at Your Door in the past, you will recognize that philosophy. It is the one Barbara started with.

What is changing, and what is not

What stays the same: the name, the service area, the mobile grooming van, and the way your dog is treated. Full grooms, bath and brush, nail trims, de-shedding, face trims, and teeth brushing are all still here, right in your driveway.

What is new: me, a fresh website, and an easier way to request an appointment online. Current clients can use the returning customers option to rebook. New clients can tell me a little about their pup and I will reach out within a day to find a spot that works.

I am proud to be the new owner of Paws at Your Door, and grateful to be trusted with the dogs and families Barbara cared for all those years. I serve mid county St. Louis, including Frontenac, Ladue, and Clayton, and I am currently accepting new clients. If you are looking for a mobile dog groomer who comes to you and takes her time, I would love to meet you and your dog.

See you in the driveway,

Sydney Schaefer Owner and Groomer, Paws at Your Door