Professional Dog Grooming and Doggy Daycare Caretakers
The River Paws Way
Amanda Masarik - Owner
Amanda is the owner and founder of River Paws. She and her fiance Ben live in DeForest with their two kiddos Evie, Kai, dog Journey, and 2 rescue cats, George, and Monkey. Amanda attended UW Madison where she studied communication and Animal Science with an emphasis on behavior. While in school she worked at the UW Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. She was a technician in the Pharmacy for the past 9 years. She enjoys working with many animals but especially loves horses, pigs, cows, monkeys, and of course DOGS! Amanda is fascinated by the communication between us humans and our pets and is continually researching the best way to really understand our dogs.
Kayla Spahn - Daycare Lead
Kayla loves animals and has always worked with them. Kayla has two German Shepherds Porter and Briar. Porter is a year and a half and got her into the sport of IGP. Briar is her new puppy and was bred to be a working dog specifically to excel in IGP. Before doing dog sports, Kayla had a horse that she would compete in hunter/jumps with. Kayla is also in school studying to be a Vet Tech.
Stephanie Eder - Groomer
Hello Everyone! My name is Stephanie, but some people call me Steph. I have been a groomer for over 3 years now and have been in the animal field for about 5 working with swine and dairy cows. I have always had a great love for animals and continue to each day. My passion in the animal field is definitely dog grooming. I love getting to know each pet and making them feel and look their very best! When I am not grooming I like to spend time fishing on my boat with my 2 pups and boyfriend or trying out new hiking trails. I look forward to meeting you and your pet!
Erin Horton - Grooming Manager
Hi there! I’m Erin. I have loved dogs my whole life. I worked at a dog boarding facility for almost 5 years before taking a break to go to beauty school. After a while away I realized how much I missed being around dogs all day and I am so glad to be back working with them again! I can’t wait to meet all of you and your furry friends!
Alana Clare - Photographer / Social Media Management
Hey, I’m Alana; & here’s a little bit about me-
I’ve had an admiration for animals all of my life and my creative photography passions have carried with me through the years as well, but especially the past three.
If I look familiar to you- back in 2017 I worked here as a caretaker in which I absolutely adored the position. But, eventually college had to become my main focus and in 2019 I graduated as a CVT from MATC. After working in the vet tech career for two years I had finally decided I was ready for a change. I wanted to work in an environment where both I and the pets would be thrilled to see one another on a regular basis.
To build a loving bond with them on a much more intimate level. Fast forward to 2022 -> Amanda and I reached out to one another and discussed the opportunity to do social media photography work and pet portraits! Of course, from there I thought, what better way to mesh the two things I love and adore the most than to come back to River Paws ?! I am so very thrilled to be back here! I eventually hope to own a pup of my own in the near future in addition to my two kitties, Taz and Deja. But in the meantime, I will continue to love the daycare pups as my own! I look forward to meeting all of you wonderful pet parents and your fur pals. :)
Suzie DiMarco - Groomer
Hello! I am Suzie, and I have been a groomer for almost 11 years now. I graduated with a degree in fashion design but was completely derailed by my desire to work
with animals. Art and animals have always been my passions, and this is a great way to combine the two. I have worked as a groomer in several states throughout
the country and that has given me a unique and varied experience in which to learn and grow. I try my hardest to never stop learning new ways to keep your
babies looking their best.