In the second pet first aid class I taught, someone suggested we bring a live dog. With that thought, Ricky, my golden retriever, joined the crew. Ricky loved coming with us to workshops and tradeshows. In fact, he would walk the trade show floor liked he owned it. Ricky knew everyone loved him and was usually greeted by his human friends well before I was even acknowledged.
It all started with a small town groomer, her best friend, and a dream. Now 25 years later, Groom Expo is the largest show of its kind in the world!
“Groom Expo’s 25th anniversary has been a mind blower… So many people and such great energy,” exclaims an enthusiastic Daryl Conner, recipient of the 2013 Barkleigh Honors Award for Writer of the Year.
In the fall of 2012, after two years of intense competition, the GroomTeam USA 2013 Travel Team was announced. Lindsey Dicken would compete in the Scissoring class, Irina Pinkusevich would compete in Setters and Spaniels, Veronica Frosch would be competing in Poodles, and Michell Evans…
As professional groomers and certified (or certifiable!) dog lovers, we are all aware of the beauty, adaptability, and smarts of the Golden Retriever. We’ve seen them in action as service dogs for the physically disabled, guide dogs for the blind, comfort dogs for the traumatized in times of national disasters, therapy dogs for the sick, and reading dogs for children with learning difficulties.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
When I lived in Memphis, I operated a house call pet grooming business for many years. One of my favorite customers did a good bit of community volunteer work, including delivering Meals on Wheels.
“I have a grooming industry hero. She is also a mentor, someone who goes above and beyond for other groomers. She is a woman of many talents, always busy with some new project designed to make things easier and better for pets and groomers. I wish I had her energy and drive. She writes books, sells wonderful shears, and knows so much about skin and coat care. Yet with all she does, she does not think herself so high that she can’t take the time to write a long email answering a grooming question or even drop a note to say, “Hello, how are you doing?”
Last fall, Superstorm Sandy devastated the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Earlier this year, parts of Canada experienced massive flooding, and a massive tornado tore through Oklahoma, carving a path of death and destruction as it went. Many groomers were hard hit by these events and saw everything that they had worked their entire lives for disappear in an instant.
“Where does the money from the silent auction go?” It’s a question inevitably asked at each of Barkleigh Productions’ grooming expos, where attendees can bid on everything from dog beds and pet-themed welcome mats to cordless clippers and bottles of shampoo.
For the past several years, I have been invited to host and emcee the Fall Festival for my home show at the NEPGP. It has been an honor and so much fun. It has also been an eye-opener to be privy to how hard the board members of this organization work all year leading up to the show and then the show itself.
Jodi Murphy and her daughter, Mackensie Murphy, have both earned memberships on GroomTeam USA. They are the very first mother and daughter in the United States to accomplish this incredible feat.
Groomer to Groomer Launches New Website, Mobile Magazine Apps! The next time you visit groomertogroomer.com, you will notice that the site has undergone a major redesign. Not only has groomertogroomer.com been updated to look beautiful on your computer, smartphone or tablet, but it has also radically shifted how it delivers the great content that you have come to expect from the grooming industry’s favorite trade magazine!
One day, a hearing impaired friend asked Mike Sapp if he had ever known of a dog being trained to assist a deaf person. At the time, it didn’t seem like a particularly momentous occasion, but it was destined to change Mike’s life. Today, almost 30 years and thousands of service and hearing dogs later, Mike is the COO and founder of “Paws with a Cause” in Wayland, Michigan.