It’s fair to say the town is falling into ruin.
That’s a good thing for Newington mother-daughter duo Jennifer and Kayla Walker, who are consolidating their dog-related businesses under one roof in their hometown.
Jennifer Walker, 52, owns Muddy Paws Barbershop at 100 Fisk Drive in Newington, and Kayla Walker owns Hound and Home on Berlin Turnpike. The businesses will merge at 1042 Main St. downtown.
Hound and Home is an independent pet shop, while Muddy Paws Barkery sells artisanal treats for dogs and also offers self-washing and grooming stations, the latter of which has been open for just over a year.
“Hound and Home has been open since 2020, starting during the pandemic,” Jennifer Walker said. “We started selling dog treats at craft fairs and farmers markets, and we started selling wholesale.”
“Kayla was running a mobile food store but was outgrowing the space and wanted a space to bake,” she said.
When the downtown store officially opens in early July, Kayla Walker, 24, will take over many of the day-to-day operations.
“This has been a journey for both of us,” Jennifer Walker said.
Walker’s sister has lived in Newington her whole life and runs the business in addition to working in public relations for UConn Health.
“She has her skills and I have my skills and we complement each other, which is a good thing,” Jennifer Walker said of her daughter. “If you would have told me five years ago that I’d have three dogs and I’d be starting a dog treat business, I would have said you were crazy.”
“It’s fun to watch Kayla reach her goals,” she said. “I work full time, so she’ll take over the day-to-day operations of the store and I’ll handle sales and marketing. It helps us that we’re in this together. She’s always been a baker in her family, so it’s nice to see her take it over.”
Jennifer Walker said the custom-made items would draw customers, and the company said the products are made with human-grade ingredients.
“I sell treats wholesale, and the treats are all-natural and have a maximum of four ingredients,” Walker said, “I also do birthday cakes and ice cream for dogs. I sell a lot of stuff you can’t find anywhere else. I carry things you can find in other stores. We’re a boutique for dogs. We’re part of the community, we’re part of the community that we live in.”
Kayla Walker said she is looking forward to having both businesses under one roof.
“I’m really looking forward to merging with my mom,” says his brother, Weicker. “Her treats are already in my store, but no one knows they’re her homemade dog treats until I tell them. It’s great to have my mom’s bakery in the store. She makes delicious treats and I want to give her the recognition she deserves.”
Giving back
The Walkers also rely on students from East Hartford High School and Newington High School to help with various tasks.
“This was starting to take a toll on me while working full time,” Jennifer Walker said. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue this any more. But then someone posted on Facebook that they were looking for student employment.”
Several students from the East Hartford High School Life Skills Program are helping label, bag and fold the towels.
The school also has a separate class that helps with baking.
“Special education students can stay in school up until age 22 if they need to. In addition to students in the (high school) grades, we have students who need more services and they stay with us through the transition program,” said David Hippler, secondary transition coordinator for East Hartford Public Schools and a special education teacher in East Hartford for 24 years.
“That’s where Hounds and Homes comes in,” he said, noting that East Hartford has two special education programs, one for grades 9-12 and another for ages 18-22.
“The older group wants to go out into the community and further develop their employment skills and volunteer skills,” Hipler said. “We’re getting real world experience and on-the-job training. Socialization helps with self-esteem. Our relationship with Hounds and Homes is great; they come to our school and teach the skills to our students.”
“The owner came to the school and showed us how to bake,” he says. “The school has a kitchen and on occasion the owner has brought ingredients and equipment to the school and helped the students bake biscuits to raise funds for school trips and such.”
Hipler likened it to a home economics class and said it was a partnership that would give the students real employment opportunities. “It’s hard to get students with intellectual disabilities real-world experience that will allow them to work independently and earn more than minimum wage,” he said. “This is a great benefit to the kids and a great partnership.”
Jennifer Walker said students will help with baking, stocking and other tasks at the new store depending on their ability. “It gives our business a whole new purpose. The students are working so hard.”
More space
The extra space will also allow Muddy Paws Barbery, which opened last April on Berlin Turnpike, to expand. Kayla Walker makes collars, T-shirts, bandanas and cups, with the help of her 84-year-old grandmother.
“Our store is different because we have a lot of handmade items,” Kayla Walker said. “We have my collars and my mom’s sweets. It’s a family atmosphere. It’s a boutique atmosphere. We build relationships with our customers, and those relationships are what keep them coming back.”
Kayla Walker said the store offers grooming and a self-serve wash station, in addition to a gift shop and a store stocking natural, healthy pet food and treats.
“We originally didn’t plan on offering grooming services, but the demand was so high,” Jennifer Walker said. “Our new store is located near the Newington Dog Park, and the self-serve grooming station will be a lifesaver on those muddy days.”
Grooming has been the most in-demand service at Muddy Paws Barkery since it opened a year ago, with dogs being groomed one at a time.
“Dogs are Kayla’s passion,” Jennifer Walker said. “She’s always looking to rehome dogs. She also sells on TikTok. Her Easter baskets went viral. She’s on top of what’s going on. She’s selling a lot on TikTok.”
She goes live on TikTok and her stream can be found by searching “Hound and Home” on the social media platform.
Jennifer Walker said the younger audience has been big for the business.
“Everyone loves dogs, and I think some millennials don’t have kids yet and they think of their dogs as their children,” Walker says, “and then there are parents who think of their dogs as their grandchildren. A lot of us are empty nesters.”
The Walkers also regularly attend charity events supporting organizations such as Desmond Army Animal Law Advocates in Winsted, Dog Star Rescue in Bloomfield and the Connecticut Humane Society and Animal Protection Group in East Hartford.
“It’s important to us to give back in different ways,” Jennifer Walker said. “We want to help people who are doing good things.”
Last fall, Kayla Walker received a $10,000 Women’s Business Development Council Ignite grant for Hound and Home, and Jennifer Walker was recently informed that Muddy Paws Barbery had been awarded a $10,000 grant for a new business opening a kitchen within the new space.
The businesses also received small business grants earlier this year through the Greater New Haven Community Foundation’s New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem program, Jennifer Walker said.
