Duo Opens Yuppy Puppy
New owners of the Yuppy Puppy in Lanagan, Jennifer Singleton and Jessi Jessen, hope to provide catered, conscientious services to the four-legged family members in the region.
Singleton and Jessen met while grooming pets at a salon in Bentonville, Ark., and became fast friends.
“We knew each other for about 6 months when we started talking about opening our own shops, individually,” Singleton said. The two then tossed around the idea of operating a mobile grooming service together but soon realized they would need to charge “astronomically” to make a profit.
In October of 2019, Singleton was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace when she came across a post advertising the Yuppy Puppy for sale. By December, the ladies had keys-in-hand and a vision in mind.
The duo has since installed updated grooming equipment and are steadily stocking new inventory. Leashes and collars of every size sprinkle the lobby, as well as stylish pet attire and an assortment of treats. Singleton said they plan to include a variety of harnesses and toys — with a focus on toys for “power chewers.” They will also offer the same types of grooming tools used behind-the-scenes to be purchased and used at home, between visits.
“We are all about transparency,” Singleton said. “We truly care for these animals and their quality of life.”
Jessen said there have been numerous occasions in which owners have warned about an animal responding aggressively or fearfully to previous groomers and the animal has behaved flawlessly.
“We always try our best to make them comfortable,” she said.
“One thing that sets us apart is that our pricing is all-inclusive,” Singleton said. “If upgrades are needed, they’re included at no cost.”
Rather than charging a base price for grooming and additional fees for services such as ear and teeth cleaning, nail clipping and filing or flea dips, the Yuppy Puppy staff does all this and more for a designated price determined by breed.
Singleton explained that, by pricing by breed instead of weight, this allows the groomer to address breed-specific issues such as double-coats or potential health problems.
“We don’t want people to choose between the price and the health of their animal,” Singleton said.
Owners can choose from a bath and nail service, a bath and tidy service or the face, feet and fanny full groom. A customized bath and nail treatment for a Yorkie would cost $20, whereas a customized bath and nail treatment for a Great Dane would cost $60.
In addition to grooming and supplies for cats and dogs, the Yuppy Puppy also offers boarding and daycare services. Overnight stays are $30 for dogs and $15 for cats. An 8-hour daycare stay for a dog is $20 and a 4-hour daycare stay is $10. Daycare stays for cats are $10 across the board.
There are also plans to expand the outdoor exercise area for the animals and the owners hope to one day have a skills course on-site.
Singleton and Jessen have partnered with I’m Your Huckleberry Rescue to enact a donation program for the non-profit organization. A $5 donation of needed supplies will earn customers $10 off a service.
The Yuppy Puppy is located at 203 South Main St. in Lanagan. The salon is open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with after-hour appointments available. Appointments can be made by phone at 417-436-4787, by email at ypgrooming@gmail. com or online at the Yuppy Puppy — Lanagan, Mo., Facebook page.