There is a reason Alexandria is considered one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country. It is nearly impossible to walk down one of the city’s main streets without seeing water bowls, jars of dog treats and a wide variety of breeds taking a stroll with their owners.
It is her dogs that inspired longtime Del Ray resident Karen Johnson to start the online community PawsGo.
“Dogs bring us together. Dogs take us places we wouldn’t go otherwise. You meet so many people in Alexandria through your dogs. They break down barriers for us either through our-selves or with others…They just make our lives so whole and they make us healthy,” Johnson explained.
One day while walking her Australian Shepherd, Boomer, Johnson thought about how lucky she was to live in Alexandria and have a dog (she has since added a second Aussie to the family named Poppy). She wondered if there was a way to share this feeling and the idea for PawsGo was born.
PawsGo started out as an online community to promote an active lifestyle for women with dogs. Members can share tips and let other people know about places to visit with their dogs. Soon, PawsGo became so much more. Over time, it became a way to give back to local artisans, businesses and dog rescue organizations in Alexandria.
Johnson frequently takes Boomer to the Eugene Simpson dog park in Del Ray. A few years back, when the City did not have enough money for improvements to the park including adding lights, Johnson worked with local artists and designed a T-shirt to raise money. Sales from the T-shirts, printed with the words “My dog digs Del Ray” on them, raised $3,000 for the project.
Seeing the success of these T-shirts, Johnson decided to create more products as part of her PawsGo brand. Working with other local artists and DC Shirt and Print, she created a line of clever, dog themed T-shirts and hoodies as well as coasters, dog toys, notecards and tote bags (there are even cat coasters for those who prefer felines).
She also developed a line of T-shirts where the profits are donated to various dog rescue organizations including Lu's Labs, The Pet Rescue Alliance, Operation Paws for Homes, Project Second Chance and BREW (Beagle Rescue Education and Welfare).
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on PawsGo, which relies heavily on in-person pop-ups and festivals for the majority of sales. An attempt to do an online pop-up with a few other Del Ray businesses was not as successful as she had hoped.
“Support local, but local in Alexandria is beyond brick and mortar. There are those of us who are online only that don’t have that visibility.” Johnson explained.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Johnson found a way to give back to the community she loves. “In Del Ray, restaurants are the foundation of our neighborhood,” said Johnson.
Seeing their struggle because of the shutdown, Johnson took her usual pop-up budget and worked with local artist Lisa Carey and Chris Bishop to create 400 shirts which she gave to restaurants to sell for $25 each to raise money for their employees. The shirts in either purple or green featured two dogs eating out and the hashtag #togetherdelrayva.
Johnson is keeping her focus on the future of PawsGo. She and a friend recently started a podcast, or as they call it a “pawdcast” where they feature local dog businesses and discuss dog related topics. In February, Johnson applied for and got a press pass for the Westminister dog show and was able to interview the show’s communications director on the podcast. On another episode they spoke with Andrew Hager, a historian with the Presidential Pet Museum.
Johnson, who works full time as a lobbyist in the not-for-profit education sector, would love to see PawsGo become a national brand.
While right now it is a fun side business, she can see it becoming her exit strategy when she retires. She hopes to get products on other retail sites and stores, while still retaining the PawsGo commitment to support dog rescues and spread the joy of having a dog.
Through her work with PawsGo, Johnson is grateful for the business owner friends and repeat customers she has met. She urges Alexandrians to support small businesses this holiday season. “Help us end 2020 a little better. Even if you don’t have a dog I bet you know somebody who does.”
After all, in Alexandria, it would be almost impossible not to.
Visit https://www.pawsgo.com/ to learn more.
