Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Gonzales.
Hi Susan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The last five years have been a whirlwind. In March 2020, with a 4-month-old and a 15-month-old at home, I was suddenly fighting for my life after being diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. While trying to keep some sense of normalcy through treatment, I continued working full-time as a Pediatric RN (luckily from home as a DON, since active chemo and radiation would have otherwise made it impossible), all while being mom, wife, and everything in between to the best of my ability. It all took a huge toll on me — mentally, physically, and emotionally. I was in pure survival mode not only through active treatment, but for years afterward as well. Due to all the trauma, never-ending follow-up appointments, and recovery that come with “life after cancer,” it felt like that fight-or-flight survival mode just kept dragging on and on with no end in sight. And while I survived cancer, I 100% lost myself in the process.
My 5-year Cancerversary was just on September 17th, and this year, slowly but surely, I’ve finally started to find — and actually feel like — myself again. Even though I’m a nurse by trade (I still work full-time as a Private Duty Pediatric RN), I’ve always had a little bit of entrepreneurial spirit. I began thinking about something I could do part-time outside of my everyday routine to start finding joy in the little things again. I wanted whatever it was going to be to feel fun and joyful, while also bringing a moment of peace and calm from the stresses we all face in everyday life. But it was also important to me that it be purposeful. With all that in mind, puppy yoga — where we give back a portion of each ticket sold to local rescues to support their efforts and needs — felt like the perfect fit.
So Paws & Poses came to life. After months of working on the logistics behind the scenes, we officially launched in July and held our first weekend of classes in August. While it ultimately grew out of a place of personal healing — a way to bring joy, connection, and purpose back into my own life — I’m hopeful Paws & Poses will bring the same to the North DFW community as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building Paws & Poses from the ground up has been so exciting but has also definitely come with challenges. But honestly, I expected some bumps along the way — it just comes with the territory of starting something new, so it’s not something I was unprepared for. As a small pop-up without a permanent space, every single weekend we open classes takes a lot of behind-the-scenes planning and logistics to make it all come together. There have been a lot of trials, but I’ve learned to pivot, move forward, and trust that everything will continue to fall into place.
Each challenge has pushed me to get more creative, more resourceful, and more determined to grow Paws & Poses into a sustainable, long-term, fun, feel-good, do-good weekend activity in the North DFW area. Seeing people genuinely smile and have so much fun — yet also find peace and calm (even through the cute chaos of the puppies running across the mats!), watching the puppies soak up all the snuggles and love, and knowing rescues benefit makes every bit of the hard work and planning behind the scenes more than worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Paws & Poses?
Paws & Poses is exactly what it sounds like — puppies & yoga!
Each class is 45 minutes of indoor, gentle, beginner-friendly yoga led by a Certified Instructor, followed by 30 minutes of puppy snuggles, playtime, and socialization.
Right now we’re a pop-up, hosting classes at least one weekend a month. Although we don’t have a permanent location yet, we partner with a few amazing venues in the North DFW area of Prosper, Frisco, and McKinney. We also partner with trusted local rescues and small-scale, responsible breeders who share our same values and mission. The heart of what we do is purposeful early socialization — giving puppies a safe, structured environment to interact with new faces and spaces during the critical 8–12 week window of behavioral development. Intentional and purposeful socialization helps prepare pups for their forever home with the goal of reducing the risk of behavior-related surrenders later on. That’s our ultimate mission: supporting rescues, reducing future surrenders, and helping rescue pups on their journey to a forever home.
A portion of every ticket sold goes directly back to our trusted rescue partners. Even when we host a breed-specific class, a portion of ticket sales is still directly donated to rescue support. Our mission has always been — and always will be — rooted in both rescue support and purposeful puppy socialization.
What I’m most proud of is the balance we’ve created. People leave our classes smiling, relaxed, and connected. Puppies leave having soaked up all the snuggles, love, and socialization. Rescues leave not only with extra support for the incredible work they’re doing, but also with more visibility and awareness — so more and more adoptable pups find their forever homes. That mix — joy with purpose — is what makes Paws & Poses so special.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Honestly, I hope one of the biggest shifts is that people start to see puppy yoga as more than just a “cute trend.” Not all classes are created the same — some focus mainly on a cute photo op, but Paws & Poses was intentionally built with a deeper purpose. I feel like when it’s done the right way, it creates something so much more meaningful for both the people and the puppies.
I think experiences like this will only continue to grow if there’s a more intentional shift toward prioritizing rescue support, purposeful socialization, and creating something that benefits the pups just as much as the people. That’s the direction I’ve been committed to since day one with Paws & Poses, and I just hope to play a small part in encouraging more of that shift in the puppy yoga space as a whole.
Pricing:
- $68 per ticket
- 🐾 Each 75-minute class includes: • 45 minutes of indoor, gentle yoga with freely roaming puppies — led by a Certified Instructor • 30 minutes of relaxed puppy snuggles & playtime
- 🧘🏼♀️ Yoga mats are provided for use during class
- Sparkling juice and water will be chilled and ready — a refreshing little treat to sip after the snuggles
- 🤍 A portion of each ticket sold will be donated to a trusted local rescue to support their ongoing needs and efforts
Contact Info:
- Website: http://linktr.ee/paws.and.poses.texas
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paws.and.poses.texas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paws.and.poses.texas
