Meet The Founding Pawderosa Ranchers
Pawderosa Ranch is a locally-owned company that was started in 2006 by San Antonio Native Kim Smith and Atlanta-born “Got to Texas as fast as I could” Mike Mitchell.
Mike Mitchell was raised in Atlanta but after college, he moved away to serve our country with the USMC based out of Camp Pendleton, California. In 2003, he served overseas in Operation Enduring /Iraqi Freedom. Having returned to the States after his service, he moved back to Atlanta and decided that playing with dogs all day was just what he needed. He and Kim sat down in a pizza parlor in downtown Atlanta and the concept of Pawderosa Ranch was born.
Having lived in Atlanta for a few years after college, Kim discovered the fun that was “off-leash play” for dogs. She worked at a prominent Atlanta doggie daycare and volunteered at the Atlanta Humane Society. Dogs were always a part of her family and, having grown up in San Antonio, she had never heard of an all-day-play daycare and boarding facility like the ones they had in Atlanta. She decided it was time to move back home and offer San Antonio pups the same excitement and socialization opportunity that the dogs in Atlanta had access to. Why should Georgia dogs have all the fun?
After months of planning, construction, sweat and yes, some tears, the kennel doors were opened in June 2006. Mike and Kim lived onsite in the 1960’s house-turned-office with the Kennel Building situated on the formerly vacant lot next door. The half-acre of the property was perfect with lots of room for dogs to run and play. The location was great in that it was almost adjacent to the San Antonio Airport runway.[/highlight]
In December 2008, Mike and Kim opened their second location in Northeast San Antonio (Schertz) to provide a fun place for dogs that lived too far from the Airport.
Home Away From Home
Both locations have been host to hundreds of wonderful dogs and their fabulous families. We have enjoyed many great times with them all. Though we knew there would be challenging times in starting this venture from the ground up, we grabbed the dog by the tail and have created a “home away from home” and a “family away from family” that we hope you appreciate as much as your pup does.