A note about who I am, what I believe about grooming, and the very specific reason I built a van instead of a salon.
I started grooming professionally at twenty-one, in a four-chair salon in Asheville. Loved the dogs. Hated the assembly line. It used to bother me — really bother me — that we'd put six dogs through the same shampoo, the same dryer, the same kennel-and-wait, all morning long. It bothered me more that the anxious ones would spend most of the day shaking in a cage waiting for their turn.
So in 2022 I sold my chair, took out a small loan, and built out a Sprinter van. The whole point was to do one dog at a time, in their own driveway, with their own person three steps away if they needed comfort. No kennels. No other dogs barking. No waiting room.
Three years and a few thousand grooms later, the math works. Anxious dogs do spectacularly better in their own environment. Senior dogs get to rest in the van between steps. Puppies get a calm, gentle introduction that sets the tone for life. Owners get their afternoon back. And I get to actually know every single dog I work on by name.
I'm Certified Master Groomer through NDGAA, certified in Pet First Aid + CPR, and I carry full liability insurance. But honestly, the credentials are the boring part. The real qualification is that I love dogs more than I love almost anything, and you'll see it in how they behave when I'm done.
If your dog is genuinely panicking, we stop. We rest. We try again, gently, on a different day if we have to. Force-grooming is never on the menu — even if it means a partial groom and a make-up visit at no charge.
I'll always tell you the truth about your dog's coat — including when it's badly matted enough that humane shave-down is the kindest option. I'd rather lose a haircut than hurt a dog working through cement-hard mats.
Rate locked at first visit. I'll never quietly raise it. If costs change for everyone, I'll tell you 30 days ahead. Trust starts with no surprise bills.
2023 Mercedes Sprinter, fully built out by Wag'n Tails (the gold-standard mobile grooming builder). Climate controlled, soundproofed, fully self-sufficient.