Pet owners are in for a treat at Amy’s Pet Spa.

Lila Fierek Lifestyles Editor and Copy Director

On the corner of South Cherry and West Adams, husky howls and barking can be heard in the air, though usually only for a few minutes. On that corner in downtown Muncie, sits Amy’s Pet Spa. Owner Amy Shears has been busy since she opened in November 2022, and her business is only growing. Kelley Stewart, Shears’ neighbor and owner of Sit-Stay-Play Pet Grooming Kelley Stewart, recently broke her wrist, leaving Shears to help Stewart’s clients in the midst of a pet grooming shortage.

Throughout the time after the pandemic, according to Groomer to Groomer, the pet population increased by 24 to 30 percent in the United States. Though there are plenty of pet groomers, about 310,000 according to IBISWorld, there aren’t enough to keep up with the new demand.

From working at a parrot rescue in Ohio to fostering hundreds of dogs, Shears knows pets. In Muncie, she has volunteered at Animal Rescue Fund, Muncie Animal Care and Services, Action for Animals and Grateful Rescue.

Though Shears primarily works with dogs, she also offers grooming to cats, exotic birds and other small animals.

And if you’re wondering, yes, Shears has heard the joke before. “Amy Shears’ Pets” was a no go. Pet grooming is in Shears’ blood. Her mother was a pet groomer when Shears was a child, so said. “I was always that weird kid that was sitting over with the cat that doesn’t like anybody, but it was in my lap.”

Shears moved to Wisconsin and became an apprentice for a pet groomer named Jenn Nelson in 2010. Then, when she lived in Ohio, she would visit kill shelters and take home dogs who were supposed to be euthanized that week. Working with all these pets and trainers helped Shears become more confident with animals.

Sophie Richau, friend of Shears and customer at Amy’s Pet Spa, said Shears is a miracle worker when it comes to Richau’s husky, Koda.

“He doesn’t freak out with her, and I’ve never seen anyone be able to do that,” she said.

Though Koda has separation anxiety, Shears was able to calm him. Richau said Koda is always excited to see Shears, and after visiting Amy’s Pet Spa, he was the fluffiest and best smelling he’d

Shears prides herself on being able to take care of animals who aren’t always the easiest to work with.

“The best ones are when people come here as a last resort … and they think no one will take them,” she said. “Being able to do that for the dog and put the people at ease because they’re just trying to take care of their pets, and sometimes, it’s just a little harder than they would hope because of issues they have had before or just

Shears said it helps that she uses what she calls “gentle grooming.” Instead of having a bunch of pets in her spa all at once, she only schedules one animal at a time, unless they are family or live in the same household. This way, the pets don’t have to worry about being distracted or made anxious

“We just take our time and figure out what they like, what they can tolerate,” Shears said. “If they get too stressed out, especially the little ones, then they can have heart attacks or strokes, so you have

Gentle grooming allows Shears to give the pets breaks when they are anxious, leaving the animals

Shears said loud noises like the dryer can be scary for animals. She tries to act calm and upbeat, so the pets can pick up on her feelings.

Animals aren’t the only ones to be concerned with during the grooming process.

When Shears finishes off an appointment and blow dries the pet’s hair, she puts on a mask or a head net mesh, similar to what a beekeeper wears. Shears said she has to wear the mask to keep from getting animal hair in her mouth.

“It gets in your eyes and in your mouth,” she said. “I’ve had a hair stuck in my ear before, and it’s itchy for like forever.” bathe, trim nails, check ears and glands and blow dry the animal. With full grooms, she performs all of those tasks and cuts the pet’s hair as well.

Due to all of the hair in the air, pet groomers can develop groomer’s lung. According to Groomers Online, this is when pet hair travels into the lungs and inflames the lung lining, scarring airways and causing a chronic lung condition.

Still, wearing a mask is a small price to pay for doing something Shears loves.

“I love it because I get to help the dogs,” she said.

Marie Jones, returning customer at Amy’s Pet Spa, said she has taken her and her mother’s dog to Shears a few times, and said she could tell how much Shears loved animals from the first time she met her. Jones’ mother’s dog, Zoey, can be a bit tempered, yet Shears is able to calm her down enough to put her to sleep.

“Amy is a dog whisperer,” Jones said.

Jones’ dog was taken from her by an exhusband, so after having to go through nine months of attorneys and the police to get her back, she is cautious of who she takes her dog to.

“I knew there was no else I’d want to trust to take care of my baby,” she said.

Shear said she doesn’t want owners to be ashamed to bring their pets if the animals have difficulties or if the owner’s haven’t brushed them out in a while. Shears said poodles, for example, get matted easily, so sometimes owners are embarrassed to bring in their dogs.

Shears wants to help and do what is best for the pet. She also doesn’t mind letting an owner stay if they are worried about their furry friend.

“It means a lot to me because this is their baby, to leave them with a stranger can be nerve racking,” Shears said. “That’s really rewarding.”

“It’s kind of zen just working on a dog in here.”

In 2009, Shears started doing pet photography, and she opened Fur in Focus Portraits. She plans to combine this with Amy’s Pet Spa in the spring.

Currently, Shears’ packages at Amy’s Pet Spa are a bath, a bath and trim, a full groom, nails and shed less treatments. Each package differs in price based on the type and size of the animal. The packages range from $15 to $85.

According to Thumbtack, the average pet groomer costs between $60-$90 a session.

As a part of the bath package, Shears will brush,

Shears and Stewart are looking forward to having events where people from the community can bring their pets and learn tips to help them. Shears said they want to have a movie party where guests can bring their dogs, an Easter egg hunt and a “Howl-a-ween” event.

Amy’s Pet Spa and Sit-Stay-Play Pet Grooming will host a dual grand opening to celebrate their businesses March 4.

Contact Lila Fierek with comments at lkfierek@ bsu.edu.

People Abusing Their Right To Have Guns Leads

TO MORE GUN VIOLENCE VICTIMS.

Meghan Sawitzke Columnist

Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of gun violence, domestic violence, mental health and suicide.

She looks into his eyes, then down the barrel of the gun.

She stutters through her tears as she tries to talk him down, terrified the slightest move will end her life.

That’s how I imagine my friend’s final moments.

Her laugh was contagious with a smile that lit up the room. When you were in a bad mood, she would make funny faces around silent peers just to lighten your spirits.

She was in love with drowning out the world around her with music, and she would share that peace with anyone willing to love her. Every time you passed her in school, she would have her earbuds in; but if you stopped to talk with her, she would offer you one to listen with her. This habit continued outside of school; she would even fall asleep listening to Juice Wrld.

Her hugs were warm and cozy, reminding you of a fire on a cold winter day. She loved her friends like family, leaving her vulnerable to the tragedy that awaited her.

She was a strong and confident young woman with a beautifully kind heart. It’s still hard to believe a simple piece of metal paired with evil took her from us.

Her name was Alyssa Pinardo. She was 18 and excited to go to Cuyahoga Community College to study computer science and technology before starting her own business. 11 days before graduating from Brunswick High School and 18 days before senior prom, her boyfriend, Logan Robertson, shot her in the head.

“I won’t be able to walk her down the aisle and give her off to someone that loved her,” Nick Pinardo, her father, said because he got a phone call every parent dreads…

“We lost our daughter today.”

As a journalist, I want to make a difference through stories that add value to the world. I do not want to write about my friend’s brutal murder to make a point, but I must.

Alyssa’s story is one of so many stories we increasingly hear. They shock and enrage us for a time, and then we fall into complacency without making change. Then, another shooting, and another and another — still no major change. Our government refuses to take action, so we must.

One of Alyssa’s closest friends was Tori Dexter, a survivor of domestic violence herself. She received a phone call from Nick around 5:30 a.m. saying she was gone.

“I didn’t want to believe it. I thought he was lying,” Dexter said. “All she wanted was to be loved and cared for. [Robertson] would constantly verbally abuse her, but that can be just as detrimental as physically… She always said she wanted to escape.”

Within 24 hours, the news was out and people gathered in support of each other.

On May 4, 2022, a candle lighting was held at her school parking spot where her family, friends, teachers and community came together to release purple and white balloons in remembrance.

Teachers and counselors came with boxes of tissues as tears fell from the eyes of those who attended. Some of her closest friends wore shirts saying, “Justice for Alyssa,” which continued as a hashtag on social media platforms.

According to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, “Ohio has weak gun laws and a correspondingly high gun death rate. The state fails to require background checks on gun sales and has very weak protections for victims for [sic] domestic violence and violent hate crimes.”

Much like Indiana, Ohio is a free carry state, supporting other state laws by allowing the purchase and ownership of guns at the age of 18.

The United States has the highest ranking in civilians with guns in the household which directly correlates with the high number of homicides, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Although this data was taken in 2017 and 2019, the results are astonishing. As gun laws continue to adjust in the U.S., the numbers presumably rise.

We trade the right to own guns for the reality that we shouldn’t walk alone at night. We carry pepper spray and equip our homes with alarms. We can’t honk without fear the driver may pull out a weapon, and we avoid heated discussions because we might anger someone.

Scientific research has proven that the young adolescent mind is not fully developed at the young age of 18, yet we still place guns in their hands with the assumption they won’t harm themselves or others. Furthermore, drinking and purchasing alcohol

Homicides In The United States Are Linked To Domestic Violence

Source: American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law from an abusive relationship.

Alyssa used to ride on the back of Nick’s bike when going on rides for the organization, so she received the name Orsetta, meaning little she-bear, from all of the BACA brothers and sisters.

Nick’s passion to help those in need started long before Alyssa’s passing; in fact, he was never aware of her situation until he found pamphlets, a break-up letter and a plan to escape in her book bag following her murder. He taught her how to defend herself whether the other person is armed or not, but Robertson never gave her the opportunity. Nick wants to be able to help others and teach them how to seek the assistance they need.

Gun Deaths In The United States In 2023

Source: Gun Violence Archive under the age of 21 is perceived as unsafe, because it can cause “aggressive behavior, property damage, injuries, violence and death,” according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Society prohibits the purchase and consumption of alcohol, yet they allow minors to acquire a gun. Why is owning a gun any different than obtaining alcohol at such a young age if the outcomes are similar?

The interpretation of the Second Amendment evolves with our gun laws, which can lead people to perceive weapons are less harmful than an alcoholic beverage.

“A lot of people don’t understand that when this amendment was made, it was made so people could protect themselves from a tyrannical government. It was not made so that people could have arsenals,” David Knerem, history teacher at West High School in Columbus, Ohio, and mass gun violence survivor, said.

The Second Amendment has progressed with society’s new perspective; our right to bear arms is now perceived as our right to protect ourselves and our property from harm, rather than to overthrow a government that holds too much power.

The ability to own a gun seems to give minors a sense of control increasing the propensity for violence. Now, we sit and mourn the loss of a

Source: EveryTown

ALEX BRACKEN, DN DESIGN loved one because an 18-year-old male legally had access to a gun, killing an innocent young woman who tried to escape.

Robertson abused his right of the Second Amendment by using it against a normal civilian simply because the government continues to allow this behavior with inadequate restrictions.

Alyssa’s family did everything they could to allow the Brunswick community to be part of the mourning process with them. This community support came in the form of a service, a vigil, painting her high school parking spot, signing her cap and gown and so much more.

Nick is part of the Ohio chapter of the international group Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA). They have established a strong foundation, and their mission is to help anyone who may be suffering

“Tell friends, don’t hold it in. You are not the only one going through this, and there are many, many others. There’s different ways to get help. So many people want to see you succeed and grow up,” he said.

Death is a natural part of the circle of life, but being murdered is not. It’s been over nine months since she passed, and I am still struggling to process it.

It’s emptiness. It’s feeling helpless. It’s loneliness. It’s fear. It’s a combination of emotions, to each extreme, colliding together in a swarm of consciousness.

We will never gain the ability to forget the feelings that accompany a tragedy, but we do have the ability to make a difference. We find strength in our moments of weakness, so we need to build a better foundation for our community, city, state and nation. We need to set an example of compassion, empathy and love rather than converting to hatred. We need to do something, and we need to do it now, before society bleeds out, before people keep dying in the hands of bloody murders. Inadequate gun laws and mental health should not be the cause of an innocent soul reliving their life before it all goes black nor an excuse for one’s evilly-driven actions.

Gun control has simply gone unchecked by the government and mental health has been dismissed by our society. It’s time to end the helpless feelings and descending hole of fear that surrounds our communities. We must not let violence destroy us. We must rise above and create a safe space to volunteer peace in the midst of war.

If you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who is suffering, please reach out. The national domestic violence hotline is happy to help; all you have to do is call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Contact Meghan Sawitzke with comments at meghan.sawitzke@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ MSawitzke.wtvw