When Becky Lea describes her company, it doesn't sound like work. It sounds like a calling.
"We consider our clients family," she says. And in her case, that family includes hundreds of families and pets—of all kinds.
"Bunnies, reptiles…I’ve even taken care of beetles!" she smiles.
Becky is the founder of Paws Around Motown, a concierge-style pet care company based in Oakland County. They offer every service for pets you can imagine, from enrichment-based walks and adventure hikes to pet taxis, overnight stays, and CPR-certified training. It's an empire of compassion, built on force-free care—no fear-based training. Instead, everything from their onboarding process to their pet taxi pickups is based on reading body language and fostering trust.
And because Becky spent years as a professional nanny, her approach bridges pet care and parenting—equipping entire families to feel confident, safe, and connected.
"I want to be everything for people and their pets—outside of veterinary care," Becky explains. And she means it. Her staff undergoes an internal 10-module safety course, in addition to required certifications in pet CPR, first aid, and animal body language. Even guinea pigs have body language, she adds.
The company began with a leap of faith. After years in retail management, Becky was coming home from work in tears. Her husband asked her what made her happiest, and she realized the answer wasn't behind a cash register. It was walking dogs at adoption events, and decompressing rescue animals who'd been through trauma.
She quit her job, became a nanny, and started Paws Around Motown.
One of her first clients was a deeply anxious rescue named Lily. "Outside of my own pets, she was like my soulmate," Becky says. That bond awakened something bigger: a desire to learn everything about animals. She got certified as a dog trainer. Then she became a pet CPR instructor. Then she trained her entire staff.
Many pets need more than just a walk—they need stimulation and emotional reset. "We created a service called a sniffari," Becky explains. "One staffer sets up a scent trail in the park. Another brings the dog. It’s a way to reset anxious dogs. We take care of a lot of dogs that would be classified as having behavioral issues—but really, it’s just anxiety from past trauma," she adds. "Just like humans."
Becky’s also mindful of breeds that require more mental and physical challenge. "A lot of people get working breeds and don’t realize how much exercise and mind work they need. That’s why we created our two-hour adventure hikes."
She recalls three instances where CPR training directly saved a pet's life. One involved a small dog, a huge piece of bread, and a sound she'd never heard before. The dog couldn't breathe. Becky performed compressions—and the bread popped out.
"We hope we never have to use CPR," she says, "but if we do, we know what to do."
Most day-to-day pet emergencies involve first aid: allergic reactions, overheating, or collar accidents. Her staff carries liquid Benadryl with a safety pin taped to it—ready to squirt into a pet's mouth if needed. They're trained to remove collars before crating a dog to prevent dangerous collar entanglements.
And when asked what most pet parents don't realize, Becky doesn't hesitate: "Most households don't have a pet first aid kit.” Becky teaches her team how to improvise a splint with a rolled-up magazine and gauze, but she’d rather pet parents have the basics. “Rolled gauze, pads, a few popsicle sticks, liquid Benadryl—it’s not expensive, but it matters.” Becky says with a kit full of basics, pet families can, as she calls it, “Mutt-guyver” most first-aid situations.
Much of what Becky brings to her pet clients’ experiences is mothering energy. “I couldn’t be a birth mom,” Becky says, “but I can be a mom in other ways. I mother my clients, their dogs, my team—it’s all connected.”
That mothering energy may be why pets respond to Becky—and why her clients trust runs so deep. “Some clients have willed their pets to us if anything happens to them,” Becky shares. “I’m honored by anyone’s trust—because they’re giving us two of the most important things in their life: their home and their pet,”
As unique as Becky’s pet-care portfolio is, the most striking part of Paws Around Motown might be the way Becky connects her pet care philosophy to children. As a former nanny, she sees the overlap clearly. Crates are like cribs. Markers are like toddler praise. Puppies, like toddlers, don't have rational thought—they need patience and repetition.
Becky often trains entire families together, modifying the process so kids can participate without burnout. "If you want that dog to respect your child, not just you, it's going to take time," she says. "Shorter sessions, one command at a time."
As successful as Paws Around Motown is, it’s not about the money for Becky. She donates part of her profits to rescues and organizes seasonal donation drives. Her team recently assembled and delivered adoption kits with treats, brochures, and free training coupons. They're also launching an annual Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Walk, open to anyone who's lost a pet.
Becky’s next dream? To host hands-on workshops for kids on pet safety, training, and care, "like little stations in a gym," she says. "How to walk a dog, how to scoop a litter box, how to meet a pet you've never seen."
She's already practiced for it. One of her clients once asked Becky to help acclimate a rescue dog with reactivity to her severely disabled brother, who was staying with her for the holidays. They worked together over weeks, practicing gentle introductions. The visit went off without a hitch. That family wrote Becky a letter she still treasures.
“I couldn’t be a birth mom,” Becky says, “but I can be a mom in other ways. I mother my clients, their dogs, my team—it’s all connected.”
That’s what her business is really about: not just dog walking, but weaving pets and people into a life of shared calm, mutual respect, and unconditional love.
In other words, love, trust, CPR…and maybe a little beetle care too.
To speak with Becky and her team about your pet needs, visit pawsaroundmotown.com
We take care of a lot of dogs that would be classified as having behavioral issues—but really, it’s just anxiety from past trauma…just like humans.