On February 17, 2014 Brandon Boyer, of Splish ‘n Splash Mobile Pet Grooming, headed out to work in his grooming trailer. He thought it was going to be a normal day of making puppies look cute and feel their best. Everything was status quo until he got to his third appointment. Brandon popped Pumba, the longhaired lab mix onto the table, flipped a switch, and BOOM! There was an explosion and a fireball. Brandon was able to get out of the trailer. He fell on the snow, holding onto the dog. Pumba’s mom was standing in the doorway of the house, frantically calling 911. Brandon was medevac’d to a h ..read more

Dear friends, Groom Expo is right around the corner. The Groomers Emergency Assistance Fund is very excited to see all of you. Ileana, Judi, Mary, Milena, Jameson, Jennifer, Kristy, and I have many fundraisers and activities planned. We don’t want you to miss a thing! Internet Social -— Please join us Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 for the Internet Social. This is our biggest fundraiser. To find us, take the escalator upstairs to the trade show and head downstairs. You’ll find us there. We’ll be raffling off awesome prizes donated by our generous vendors. Snacks are free. A cash bar will b ..read more

On Monday, November 14, 2016, our standard poodle Jesse passed away. He was seventeen days shy of turning fifteen years old. Something had gone terribly wrong Thursday night, November 10th. When Jesse woke up Friday morning, he was not the same dog. His body had failed him. He stopped eating and drinking. His eyes were dazed. His legs were so weak he could barely stand on his own. Decisions needed be made, with his best interest at heart. I was 2,000 miles away. What happened that night, we’ll never know. Jesse had been doing so well. A vet visit revealed he had gained three pounds. Our family ..read more

What is GEAF? Groomers Emergency Assistance Fund is the brainchild of pet stylist Ileana Nogueras. When there was an emergency or disaster, Ileana noticed how difficult it was to help fellow groomers. Who should be trusted? Where should help and supplies be directed? Scammers took advantage of sad situations. Ileana knew there had to be a better way. Efforts needed to be structured, efficient, and organized. When Hurricane Sandy occurred in 2012 Ileana reached a turning point. Everyone was aware of the devastation. The economic loss to businesses was up to $30 billion dollars. She knew somethi ..read more

The other day I was joyfully posting on Facebook, feeling very positive about my business and career. I’d just had a conversation with a client. She had worked for a large well-known company for 33 years and had just been laid off with one month’s severance. Now she was scrambling to find a job. All I could think was — Thank you pet grooming! I believe you can have job security in pet grooming. Our job can never be outsourced overseas or computerized. Pets will always need grooming. We can take our business and our skills anywhere we go. We can be our own boss and build loyal, caring clie ..read more

I love grooming puppies, but they can present a real challenge for a pet stylist. Since grooming is a new experience for a puppy, it can be hair-raising. Puppies want to play and investigate. Everything is fun and games. They would like to jitterbug on your table and nip at your sharp shears or nuzzle your clippers while you’re working. It’s up to the pet stylist to get that bundle of energy to cooperate for combing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning, bathing, drying, and trimming. I often wish I had a magic wand to wave over the fuzzy friend on my table. “If you, my precious puppy, would ..read more

I’m pondering my last grooming show. As usual, it was a busy day. The vendors were buzzing and the competition ring was full. This was a real shopping trip for me. I bought everything I needed. I also replaced and upgraded my clippers and had my shears sharpened. The night before the show I looked at my shopping list and realized that I would be doing a lot of walking. Everything I bought would have to be carried. I wasn’t looking forward to this. I recalled that I had a small cart in the attic. I brought it with me. It sure came in handy. I enabled me to put everything I purchased into the c ..read more

Welcome to the first pet grooming competition — The 2016 New England Groomolympics! Are you ready to have some fun? This pet grooming competition is all about embracing the pet trim. The rules are: any breed, any style, with an hour to complete the groom. Participants are not grooming to breed standard so don’t be shy! This event is the brainchild of Katie Heikkila of KT’s Pet Care from Mason, New Hampshire. She had an idea when watching competitive grooming at a trade show. Katie thought that the everyday pet groomer should be celebrated, recognized, and rewarded. She pitched this idea to Dar ..read more

“I skip lunch” is a comment I’ve heard repeated over and over in the grooming industry. I’m sad to report that pet stylists do skip lunch. Many make unhealthy choices, don’t eat lunch, eat on the fly, or pick up take-out or fast food. I’ve always been interested in health and safety in the grooming industry. This is important information that pertains to everybody. I wrote my first article, “Eat Right Groom Happy”, in February 2010. The Successful Pet Groomer includes five chapters on the occupational hazards of grooming and three chapters on the topic of healthy eating. One thing is a gi ..read more

When I stare into the cloudy eyes of my elderly poodle Jesse, I often wonder—why can’t our pets live forever? This old timer no longer hears the garage door open or his name being called. He sleeps more, eats less, and moves slower. His chocolate brown coat has thinned and is sprinkled with white. At fourteen, Jesse is a senior citizen. I worry when I think about the future. Many owners of geriatric pets do. I can’t imagine life without Jesse and yet I know I must face reality. The sad fact is we outlive our pets. It doesn’t matter how long they have been a part of our family and our lives. Lo ..read more