The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FLUFF AND DOG SENSE
Pet grooming business looks to expand
A Vermilion mother-daughter owned and operated pet grooming business is looking to expand in a new location.
Dogs and Cats on Main, at 5541 B Liberty Ave., now is located off of Main Street near a parking lot just north of the tracks in downtown Vermilion.
The business is co-owned by Holly Pongallo, who mostly handles the cat grooming, and her daughter, Jackie Browning, who specializes in dog grooming, they said.
“We’ve been here four weeks,” Pongallo said. “Before that, we were grooming at Liberty Ag on the west side of town; we were there four years.
“We had a long time family friend (Bob Geib) who owned this building. And this area back here had been empty for almost 17 years,” Pongallo said.
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“We’re adventurous women, so we said, ‘Okay,’ we’ll try it.”
— Holly Pongallo
“So, when COVID started, he asked us if we would be interested in moving here,” Pongallo said. “We’re adventurous women, so we said, ‘Okay,’ we’ll try it. Business has been steady.”
Pongallo said the shop offers a good range of services.
“We do walk-in nail trims,” she said. “We have a cute clothing line for pets that we’ve added.
“We are also carrying full service CBD (Cannabidiol) oil for pets. It helps with anxiety, achy bones, arthritis and injuries. Starting next week, we will also start carrying locally-made, organic dog food (made by Lake Dogs Bakery). We try to keep everything local.”
Pongallo said the novel coronavirus pandemic has not affected the business too much.
“We’ve always been busy,” she said. “We had to stay closed for those four weeks, but people put pets before themselves.
“Groomers weren’t part of the pandemic because we had a lot of shaving to do when we reopened. We wished we would have been declared essential, because some of the dogs have to have their feet, eyes and private areas done ... otherwise they get really matted and it’s more difficult.”
Pongallo said folks should choose them for grooming because they have 30 years experience.
“We do the full-scissor hand cuts,” she said. “We use good, high-range shampoo products.
“We also use a good midrange shampoo, which is more of a natural product. We give them a bath if they need. We also have spa treatment services with facial scrubs and mud baths for their feet.”
Pongallo said the cat side of the business also is what sets it apart from other establishments.
“Cats are high-risk for groomers,” she said. “I almost lost my left arm because of a cat bite.
“I started off 30 years ago grooming cats when I was a vet tech. Not many people offer cat services. We do nail trims for cats as well. We also do anal gland walk-ins; a lot of people think they need to go to the vet for that, but they don’t.”
Pricing for grooming depends on the size of the animal and the condition of the coat.
“Cats are high-risk for groomers. I almost lost my left arm because of a cat bite.”
— Holly Pongallo