Dorrie the Groomer will be missed by all her furry fans

Many of you will know her as Dorrie the Groomer. For nearly four decades, Dorrie groomed Tehachapi’s fur babies. The walls in her shop were adorned with photos of her clients and their owners. It was a “who’s who” of Tehachapi.

My wife, Terri, and I first met Dorrie in 1981, shortly after we moved to Stallion Springs. She introduced herself and said we might hear a little ruckus from time to time; she had cats in heat that could become quite vocal. We loved cats, and became fast friends. Ah, but these were no ordinary house cats. Dorrie had an assortment of wild cats that were the love of her life! Dorrie and her felines became a big part of our lives over the next 40 years. We became one of the trusted few that could go in with the lynx, help feed them, even bottle feed the babies. We have dozens of photos of us with her cats. They were as unique as she was, and each of them shared some aspect of Dorrie’s personality.

Dorrie and her cats were part of the community. She brought her cats to the local elementary schools, educating the kids about wild cats and conservation. Her favorite Siberian lynx, Cheyenne Feather, would go to work with Dorrie every day. Imagine the surprised look on a customer’s face as they entered the shop for the first time and were greeted by a 70-pound kitty!

During the late ’90s, we moved away from Tehachapi. We kept in touch with Dorrie and Pat, visiting whenever we came back for Mountain Festival, or sometimes, just because.

We kept Dorrie a little closer after Pat passed away. We had a standing dinner date for Mountain Festival weekend.

Years passed, and the number of cats declined. Dorrie started to slow down a little. Fairly recently, she groomed her last dog and closed her shop.

Not long after that, she sent the last few of her cats to the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound, with whom Dorrie has had a good relationship for years.

We last visited with Dorrie in the spring of this year. We talked to her a couple of times after that. The last time we chatted, she had called us. That conversation ended with an “I love you” and “see you soon.” That was the last time we would speak to her. She passed away a few days later.

Our lives have been forever touched by Dorrie. We will miss her, but she’s not really gone. Her larger-than-life personality and her distinctive laugh will be with us for the rest of our lives. From now on, whenever I see a wild cat, I’ll always be reminded of Dorrie. She would want to be remembered that way.

— Kirk Smith, Camarillo