In recent news, you may have read about the death of Colby, a lab mix who died in the care of Petco dog grooming in Chesterfield County, VA. He was left in a drying dog kennel and found with a temperature of 105 even an hour after his death. In wake of this tragedy, Allison Marks, pet parent to Colby, is not seeking vengeance or revenge, but has stated how she’d like to take this opportunity to raise awareness of the situation and to save other pet parents from experiencing this tragic loss in the family.
When you visit big pet stores for dog grooming, you’re taking a risk that you don’t necessarily have to take. If the Petco tragedy has left you even slightly fearful for visiting professional dog grooming, consider some of the following:
Specialized Dog Groomers Offer Individual Attention
Something that big box dog grooming in pet stores can’t do for you is specialize the attention and treatment of your dog. In small dog grooming boutiques, like Splash and Dash for Dogs, there is less task density so dog groomers aren’t stretched to the position of dog groomer, shelf stocker, cashier, nutritionist, daycare attendant, and every other job these individuals would have if they worked in a large pet store.
Fewer Dogs a Day Offers More Safety
Smaller dog grooming boutiques will see fewer dogs every day than large pet store dog grooming sections. When dog groomers are seeing fewer dogs, they are able to keep up a healthy pace and present all dogs with constant attention, whereas one or two dog groomers helping hundreds of dogs a day will do their conveyer belt duty, move the dog along, and may not be paying attention to its mood or other needs.
Smaller Boutiques Offer Smaller Staff
When you visit smaller dog grooming boutiques, you will be greeted by only a handful of staff members each time. Because the stores are smaller, the staffing demands are smaller and this allows you to get to know the employees of the pet stores better. This also means that the workers of the pet stores given more training to more accurately complete their tasks. The owners of these small boutiques aren’t just looking for people to stand at the register because they have too many empty spots and must fill them. The owners have a very limited number of positions and hire only the best they can find to fill their handful of positions.
Your Pet is Considered Family
In Smaller dog grooming boutiques, with so few staff members, individual training, and specialization, you and your dog are more likely to be considered family members than in big box corporations like Petco. Consider that each small dog grooming boutique is individually owned and operated. When you walk into them, you are meeting someone who loved dogs enough to spend their money opening a store that is there to serve pets and pet parents with the same compassion and care they show their own pets. With big box companies, you are likely to never see the manager, let alone the owner. Small boutiques offer you and your pet the opportunity to swap names and become part of a bigger pet family.
You don’t have to fear dog grooming for your pet due to a mistake in a big box pet store. There are specialized dog groomers in every city, excitedly waiting to meet you and your dog and provide them with the personalized dog grooming you both deserve.
