By Cyrus Guccione
Mail

Woofie’s of South Scottsdale is the newest mobile pet service to establish itself in the East Valley.

A nationwide franchise of professional pet care services, the local, independently-owned operation is helmed by two “chief barking officers” and best friends, Emily Brumfield and JoDee Tester.

Offering services in dog walking, grooming, nail trimming, in-home overnight stays and other personalized services, Brumfield and Tester are pet parents who treat their pets like family members.

“I tell people all the time, I am that neurotic pet parent. I have been kicked out of daycare, my pets have not,” says Tester.

Both women are retired nurses and animal lovers (Brumfield has two Golden Retrievers named Scout and Bruce, and Tester has a Golden Pittie named Liam) who were drawn to Woofie’s dedication to offering the best personalized care for pets all under one business.

Woofie’s of South Scottsdale offers services for a variety of pets including dogs, cats, birds and lizards where pet owners can track their pets while they’re out on a walk, see pictures and provide feedback in real-time through the Woofie’s app.

“The app has a GPS to see exactly where the walker goes and every animal gets a journal entry with little things that happened throughout the day like fresh water, belly rubs, that kind of thing,” Brumfield said. “It makes people feel more secure and safe.”

Woofie’s of South Scottsdale services Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Higley, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Rio Verde.

The owners

Brumfield was a nurse for 23 years before becoming a family nurse practitioner, a role she held for 18 years. She has experience as an infectious disease nurse and has worked in community health centers, private practices and also on a military base.

Tester was a career ER nurse, spending 25 years on the frontline and as a travel nurse with her husband Mike Tester for 14 years.

The two met 18 years ago while working in the ER following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Emily Brumfield with her Golden Retrievers, Scout (left) and Bruce (right). (Photo courtesy of Flash and Hound Photography)

“We’ve always talked about owning our own business for years, and you get to a certain age and it’s either now or never,” Brumfield said. “We were researching franchises because we always said we don’t want to reinvent the wheel, and this one clicked right away for both of us.”

Brumfield and Tester went through in-person intensive training at the Woofie’s franchise headquarters in Virginia while Tester’s husband Mike became “head of pack” operations, securing and driving the mobile service van from Indiana to Arizona.

Woofie’s of South Scottsdale held a soft opening and is planning a grand opening ceremony this month.

Grand Opening event

Woofie’s is launching its premier pet care services at the Phoenix Legacy Foundation Spring Pet Adoption event Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Park Terrace, 2577 W. Greenway Rd. in Phoenix.

Brumfield and Tester will have a Woofie’s booth offering raffles to win mobile spa services and merchandise while also offering in-home luxury baths to the first five dogs adopted at the event.

“We believe in the cause of the Phoenix Legacy Foundation. It is very closely aligned with our personal paradigm,” Brumfield said, adding that 50 dogs were successfully rehomed last year. “We expect a really big turnout. It should be a lot of fun.”

JoDee Tester with her Golden Pittie Liam (Photo courtesy of Flash and Hound Photography)

As Brumfield and Tester begin their new journey together, they want the community to know they will offer their pets the same personalized care they gave in their decades in the healthcare industry.

"We are that pet parent who considers their animal as a part of the family, not just a pet,” Tester said. “At the end of the day, myself, Emily or somebody from our team will be there and that is a guarantee. Go and enjoy your vacation because we have your fur baby.”

To schedule an appointment with Woofie’s of South Scottsdale or to find out more, call 480-652-9484, send an email to southscottsdale@woofies.com or visit woofies.com/south-scottsdale.

Woofie’s of South Scottsdale is currently hiring overnight pet sitters, professional pet groomers, pet bathers and dog walkers. Those interested can apply online at woofies.com/south-scottsdale.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Cyrus Guccione can be reached at cguccione@iniusa.org.