The Story Behind Pawlished Pets

I grew up in Central MA with a houseful of pets. As a preteen, instead of jumping into babysitting like many of my friends, I began petsitting instead, further cementing my love of pets and my desire to focus my time on their care.

Shortly after graduating high school, I began working full-time at a corporate grooming salon and dove elbows deep into pawlishing dirty dogs. There were not many pet salons in that area, so while the corporate pressure to complete more grooms and push more add ons was tough to balance, I still am very grateful for the opportunity to begin my dog grooming journey.

A little over a year later, I relocated to Westchester NY and continued working as a pet stylist, but this time in a private salon. I worked there full-time for several years while also taking a few house-call appointments on my days off (don’t worry, my boss approved it). In that time I was able to mentor under my boss, who was a very experienced pet stylist who specialized in retro poodle trims. During this time I also began attending conventions and competing in contests, earning a few trophies and expanding my skills and knowledge in several aspects of pet care.

In 2009 it was time to split ways with my former employer to embark on my own, and so I purchased and converted a van into a mobile grooming rig under the Pawlished Pets banner. Being your own boss is as tough as it is rewarding, and my years in the van allowed me to build a name for myself and continue my education on my own time.

Mobile grooming was excellent for the chance to work one-on-one with people’s pets without the chaos of a more traditional salon. It really allowed me to expand my skills in cooperative care and to simply slow down and stop worrying about how many dogs I saw each day. Van life still posed its own challenges, however, especially in the tight streets of New Rochelle and surrounding areas (forget about the days I’d work in the Bronx with that parking!). 

Eventually, I decided to move my salon into my home. The pets have never been so relaxed, and my own health has also improved from the familiar environment. I can’t imagine working in a traditional salon ever again.