Suzanna has spent her entire life appreciating the special relationship we have with our pets. Raised on a small farm in rural Oregon, she was actively involved in all aspects of the proper care and feeding of animals both great and small. As the only granddaughter of Dr Kim Girouard, DVM, an early adopter of combining both traditional treatments with holistic therapies and a member of Oregon State University’s first graduating class of Veterinary Medicine,Suzanna learned at a very early age the importance of using all of her senses to truly “hear” what our four-legged friends can’t always tell us. In addition to time spent caring for the family’s abundance of furry companions and farm animals, Suzanna began volunteering at the Humane Society as a young teen where she often worked with those who had special needs, either because of physical disabilities or trust/abandonment issues. As a result, she has an innate ability to recognize when a little extra TLC is needed and takes exceptional care to provide it. Because of the variety of dogs that she has worked with, Suzanna has also developed a special understanding of the similar nature yet unique characteristics of dogs, from pocket puppies to big breeds, and uses these skills to encourage safe and happy play time activities amongst diverse groups. Since 2007 Suzanna has provided daycare, boarding, training and grooming to hundreds of dogs both privately and previously through Paws University. Having recently moved back to Hawaii with her Big Island-born baby girl Kona at her side, we’re thrilled to be able to offer Suzanna’s skills, experience and aloha spirit to our Healthy Hounds Hawaii family.
