About Southpaws Playschool

The Staff

Sonya Wilson is a native Texan whose family taught her early to love and respect animals, especially dogs.

She has had several turns in her work life: after graduation from Texas A&M University, Sonya spent several years as an elementary school teacher. She then entered the business world and worked as a production planner in the high tech industry. While at Texas A&M, Sonya adopted Talley, a big beautiful black Lab mix with an overabundance of intelligence and energy. Sonya began her training career with Talley, taking her from being an out-of-control animal that could knock her over and run off, to a loving and inspiring companion that won numerous obedience titles. Talley became Sonya's inspiration for creating Southpaws Playschool, though sadly, Talley passed just before the playschool doors opened in 2002.

Now Sonya is excited to combine her skills as a business owner, behavior and pack management specialist, trainer, and canine health care and nutrition writer. She continues to pursue her passion for all things dog-related with her four rescued dogs, numerous foster dogs and with all the dogs that attend Southpaws daycare.

Sonya shares her life and the Southpaws Playschool business with her husband, Tim Smith, also a native Texan. After studying engineering at Richland College and working in several business and administrative positions, Tim found himself captivated by Sonya's ideas for a canine daycare business.

Tim does an excellent job of helping to ensure that Southpaws runs smoothly. He's there to greet owners and their dogs in the morning and to return the dogs to their owners in the evening. In addition to playing with the dogs and teaching them manners, Tim handles many of the administrative and maintenance tasks at Southpaws Playschool. He's as easy to recognize by his high energy and efficiency in caring for the dogs as by the love and respect they show him.

Tim and Sonya take classes in all aspects of the canine daycare business as often as possible. They are both certified in canine CPR and First Aid and have studied animal communication, behavior and disaster management. Sonya is currently focusing on homeopathy and flower essences and how each affects the canine body and mind.

All other Southpaws staff members are trained in pet CPR and first aid and are given extensive instructions in canine behavior and pack management.

Sonya and Tim are avid and outspoken advocates of spay/neuter. Many of the dogs that now attend daycare are foster dogs of Southpaws clients or are fosters of Tim and Sonya themselves. In order to get the spay/neuter and rescue message out to the public, Sonya and Tim also design and publish the Greater Austin Pet Resource Guide, an annual publication that provides information on pet-related goods and services in the greater Austin area.

Sonya and Tim are happy to share their knowledge and skills with anyone interested in dogs, including clients, rescue groups and individuals, pet service professionals, and other canine daycare and boarding facilities.

Our Mission

The mission of Southpaws Playschool for Dogs and Puppies is to provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating environment in which our clients can leave their dogs and puppies with confidence during working hours. We sponsor activities at our facility and in the community that promote enhanced human/canine relationships.

We believe that giving back to the community is important no matter what one's business. Southpaws Playschool sponsors activities that will benefit service animals and animal rescue organizations.

Bill of Rights

Your dog has the right to be treated humanely at all times.
You have the right to inspect our facilities at any time during business hours and by appointment after hours.
We have the right to interact only with dogs that are non-threatening and non-aggressive.
We all have the right to a healthy environment that is flea and disease free.

Location

We're located two miles south of downtown Austin at 2324B South Lamar Blvd (just North of Bluebonnet). [Map]

Hours

Monday-Friday: 7am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-2pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Contact information can be found here.