Mia Latimer
Co-owner, Wee Little Paws
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Mia Latimer turned her love of dogs into a thriving business. Together the mother-daughter team opened their second daycare and boarding facility dedicated to dogs under 50 pounds. At Wee Little Paws Inn, a unique pet resort in Crystal Lake tucked away on Lou Street, dogs are treated like family, something that Mia and her mom Marie consider their main priority, along with safety.
Growing up with pets and working part time jobs at doggie daycares, Mia learned she had a strong connection with animals. She feels drawn to furry friends, sometimes, she admits, more powerfully than the pull toward her human counterparts. As a preteen, Mia watched her mom turn a vision into a reality. Marie, while in college, had created a marketing thesis about owning a small dog boarding and daycare facility. Nearly 20 years later, in 2010, Marie brought to life Wee Little Paws - Deerpark. It was then Mia first dreamed of becoming a part of the business.
Graduating from Iowa State, during the pandemic, with a degree in industrial engineering, Mia was hired at Motorola but always had Wee Little Paws on her mind. Before long, she and Marie were in serious talks about a second location that Mia would design and manage. And so, she left her desk job and Wee Little Paws - Crystal Lake was born. More like a sanctuary than a kennel, it’s clean and cozy with colorful, whimsical walls and white picket fences rather than cages. Walking through the entire facility you’ll notice the attention to detail and feel the genuine love Mia has poured into this special home-away-from-home just for small pooches.
