This mobile dog groomer will bring the van to you
Professional path was accidental
It was a love for animals that got Cathy-Anne Collins, owner of For the Love of Dogs, into the world of pet grooming, which she eventually turned into a full-fledged business.
“I had a natural interest in pets, which dates as far back as I can remember,” said Collins, who lives in Atlantic Highlands. “I always felt a strong connection with them, and I loved to care for them. My parents had dogs and cats, and so I took care of them. My parents supported that passion I had to interact with animals, and I developed it from there.
“I was an only child, and they were like my friends,” Collins said. “It turned into an all-around love for them, starting with a cat when I was a child. I moved to Nebraska because my dad had his job there. Our neighbors had this collie and they left it outside a lot. I wound up asking them if I could take him for walks around the neighborhood. It made him happy.”
‘It wasn’t my plan’
Her path into the profession was somewhat accidental.
“I was going to nursing school, but my father became sick,” Collins said. “I had to put that on pause, while also getting a job as a dog bather. Basically, that’s the first step in the path to becoming a dog groomer. It wasn’t my plan to begin with, because I wanted to do something with nursing, but I was natural at taking care of animals.”
At the age of 23, Collins went to a dog-grooming program and learned the trade professionally.
“The instructors were great,” Collins
said.
“The program was offered through a company that I was working for at the time. It was a six-week program and, once I completed it, I came back and apprenticed with my salon manager for a year. It takes a good three years to hone your skills and become a confident dog groomer.”
Eventually, Collins’ mother got sick with cancer, and she needed a more flexible way to work and be able to care for her.
“That’s how I started my own business,” Collins said. “I began to rent space out of a vet practice in Fair Haven (in 2013) and the owner of the practice was looking to have a dog groomer on staff because there was a demand for it.
“I did that for four years,” Collins said. “I felt that providing a one-onone service was a lot more comfortable for the animals and less stressful overall. I did enjoy renting out that space for the vet, but I realized the dogs were more on edge there, so I decided to do something that I thought would be beneficial for everyone. That’s when I came up with the idea for my business.”
‘I try to ease that stress’
That idea was a mobile pet grooming service.
“I drive to the customers house, and I am right outside their home,” Collins said. “The dog comes in the truck, and they are sometimes still nervous, but it’s overall a lot less stressful for them, I’m sure. I try to ease that stress by staying relaxed and creating an environment that calms their nerves. I play music low, and I talk to them. I don’t just put them in the bath right away. I built that trust and it’s very rewarding.”
Collins points out that there are not a lot of mobile dog groomers around and it is hard to juggle a mobile schedule, as opposed to a business where the clients drop off the pets.
“I do all types of animals, breeds and all different haircuts,” Collins said. “It’s all self-contained. I do professional grooming baths and I have a table where we do nails, teeth, ears, etc.
“Overall, I am happy to provide a more comfortable experience for pets,” Collins said. “I work with them one on one, and I get to know my customers, as well. All my clients are repeat customers, going back as far as 2007.” Collins has bigger plans.
“Before the pandemic happened, I was interested in opening a salon that was cage free,” Collins said. “I might do that at some point. I want to have a place where people are all working together. I want to keep growing the business because it is hard to find help. Experienced groomers are not easy to come by.”