You won't find a staff that cares more about your dog anywhere else.

EDWARD FLORES

Owner/General Manager

Edward Flores is an owner/manager at Mud Puppies. After six years as a banker and teller manager, he was very excited to become a partner in Mud Puppies in 2008, achieving his dream of working with dogs every day.

Edward has always had a passion for animals, and has a special connection with dogs. He really enjoys bringing his own dogs, miniature schnauzers Miley and Gwen, to work with him, and of course, they really like it!

His specialty in banking was customer service, and he brings that expertise to Mud Puppies. Edward loves talking to our customers about their pets, and always knows every dog by name after their first meeting.

His involvement with dogs goes beyond his daily interaction with them at Mud Puppies. Edward is co-organizer of the Austin Schnauzer meet-up, and is a volunteer with Austin Dog Rescue, where he serves as a foster parent for rescued dogs, and is a member of the advisory committee.

Edward's goal is to become an expert in dog behavior. He recently received instruction from one of the leading experts in the field at a conference conducted by Dr. Ian Dunbar.

Edward was born and raised in Brownsville, and moved to Austin after college in Temple, where he attended on a tennis scholarship. Edward still enjoys tennis, softball and most sports.

DEBBY JOYCE

Owner/Manager

After graduating from Anderson High School and earning a bachelor's degree at Southwest Texas State University, Debby Joyce spent several years buying and selling several successful small businesses. But, her love of dogs motivated her to seek out a business involving animals. Soon she discovered Mud Puppies, which in 2004 was only a dog wash business. As an owner/operator, Debby played a vital role in the expansion of Mud Puppies into the full service dog business it is today.

Debby not only loves playing with Mud Puppies' dog clients, she also enjoys training them. In 2008, Debby graduated from Triple Crown Acadamy as a Canine Training Specialist.

Debbie has a chow mix named Abby, and while at Triple Crown, she trained a rescue dog named Gandolf, whom she adopted. Gandolf is now a regular at Mud Puppies, and can often be seen greeting customers behind the counter.

KELLEY STRUVE

Owner/Manager

Kelley Struve loves animals, and after a few minutes in Mud Puppies, you can tell they love her. After three years at Mud Puppies, she still looks forward to coming to work every day because of the gentle, fuzzy faces that greet her. She says they're always happy, and have a smile for her.

Kelley is especially happy about Mud Puppies' involvement in the animal rescue community, and dedicates much of her time to making a difference in their lives.

She believes she's fortunate to be working with dogs, and she plans on making it her career.

JANE PATE

Head Groomer/Owner

Mud Puppies is proud to have Jane Pate as our head groomer. Not only is she one of the most experienced and talented groomers in Central Texas, she is also an award winning dog handler, showing her own standard poodle, Winter, and the latest addition to the family, Chile, a silky terrier. Jane and her husband Harold recently added a third addition to the family, another standard poodle, Jovie.

Jane has been grooming dogs for more than 35 years. She has owned her own grooming and boarding businesses, and has worked as a groomer in two veterinary hospitals.

She is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, International Society of Canine Cosmetology, International Professional Groomers, Inc., National Dog Groomers Association of America, and is Pet Tech Instructor #1245.

Jane says she was born an avid animal lover. Her first pet was a skunk, Stinky, which inspired her interest in all kinds of animals, including a goat, sheep, cattle, pigs, sugar gliders, fox squirrels, hedgehogs, ferrets, aquarium fish, a bearded dragon, snakes, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, horn toads, mice, cats, alligators, kangaroo rats, raccoon, horses, dogs and a pet rock.

Most importantly, Jane LOVES grooming. She says she loves working with the dogs, improving their outer health, and returning them to their smiling owners.

STACEE KNOX

Groomer

Stacee Knox is our newest groomer. She recently moved back to Austin from College Station where she was the head groomer in a shop for over three years. Her most famous clients were Reveille 7 and 8 (the Texas A&M Mascots). Stacee is a graduate of Leander High School and is glad to be back in the Austin area.

Grooming runs in the family. Stacee's aunt and uncle were both groomers and champion French Bulldog breeders. Her joy in grooming started with part-time work during high-school and college for her aunt. In 2003 after encouragement from her aunt, Stacee completed a 200 hour grooming course which included extensive hands on training. After completion, she started her own mobile grooming business.

Stacee is committed to helping dogs in need. Prophetically, Aunt Linda predicted that within the first year of grooming, Stacee would have twenty dogs and she wasn't far from the truth. Eighteen dogs made up her crazy household after rescues and unwanted dogs found their sanctuary with Stacee. Stacee is thrilled to work with a company like Mud Puppies that supports the pet rescue community.

Stacee's goals include keeping up with the latest grooming techniques and trends. She is also interested in education for training in dog behavior and the Tellington Touch method.

Stacee's love of dogs is her driving force to be the best. Her rescued pug, Coolee, can vouch for her dedication to canine health and well-being. She is excited about this new opportunity at Mud Puppies and hopes to meet you and your pet soon!