Family: In my family there’s myself and my husband, here in Newtown; his family in Canada; I have two sisters in Canada; and I have a brother in Florida and a brother in Michigan.

How did you meet your husband? One of his co-workers, and someone I trained obedience with, decided we should meet each other.

Do you have any nicknames? My nieces used to call me Doe.

Do you have any pets? Too many (laughs). We have 13 cats and ten dogs.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We been here just over two years now.

Where do you work? I have been a pet groomer since 1989. The majority of the time I’ve been self-employed. I work out of my home — I own and operate Pawla’s Pawesome Pet Spa.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? My expensive hobby is obedience training. It’s my passion after work. I train and compete in agility. I also take care of a lot of pets.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be either a veterinarian or an actress.

What is your favorite thing to watch on television? I watch a lot of documentaries and real-life stories.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your life? Probably my best friend Deb. We’ve been really good friends since the late 90s. I met her in 1990 and she was my lead instructor. We developed a friendship, and she’s the kind of person who, if I’m in a situation I’ll think “What would Deb do?” or I’ll call her and get her advice. She was my inspiration when I was doing competition dog obedience, and she hinted at me doing agility.

Do you have any unusual or surprising talents? It would surprise my friends that I can cook (laughs).

Favorite color? It used to be purple but I think I’m more into hot pink now.

Favorite music genre? I like many types of music, but I fall for a lot of the older music, stuff from the 70s-90s.

Favorite food? Pizza.

What is something you cannot live without? My husband.

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? It’s beautiful here.

Do you have a personal credo? Be a good person, and be empathetic.