The Loving Groomer celebrates 10 years!

Hi everyone!

Today is The Loving Groomer’s 10-year anniversary! <3

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Thank you to everyone who has given my business model a chance.
Thank you to those who have ever spread kind words about me and what my business offers.
Thank you to my clients who have been with me for years and consider me part of the family.

And most of all, thank you for helping make my childhood dream come true of being able to work with animals as my career.

I love you all and your beloved pets so much. Here’s to 10 years and many more to come! <3

Love always,
Your Loving Groomer a.k.a. Michelle

Taking some time off

Hi everyone,

I will be taking some time off from Thursday June 30th, 2022 until Tuesday July 7th, 2022. If you reach out for an appointment or to reschedule during that time, I will get back to you once I reopen. Thank you so much and I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July!

-Michelle

Price increase notice

I have sent letters out to my clients notifying them of the increase but for the general public:

Due to the exuberant rise in gas prices, the cost of my grooming supplies, and overall cost of living, I must raise my prices to help compensate for the added costs and keep my business going. Effective Tuesday April 5th, 2022, my prices will increase by $5 per pet (for groomings, baths, and nail trims.)

Back in Business on June 15th!

I just wanted to update you all in light of Gov. Murphy announcing dates for Stage 2 of re-opening NJ, I will be reopening in the middle of June!

At this point I have contacted everyone who had their appointments cancelled back when we started the stay-at-home period or were on my waiting list but if I missed you, please let me know. (And if you are looking to make an appt, please keep in mind that I am booked right now until the middle of July so you may have to wait a bit, unfortunately)

As things return to normal I will still be taking precautions, for example, I will be taking fewer clients each day so I have additional time to sanitize my equipment and myself in between appointments to make sure things are as safe as possible.

I appreciate all of the love, support, and patience you have shown me over the past few months. I look forward to seeing all of you and your wonderful pups soon. Please stay safe.

Take care, Michelle a.k.a. The Loving Groomer

***IMPORTANT UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: Regarding updated essential retail business list***

Hi everyone,

First I just want to say I hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during these confusing and frustrating times.

I wanted to make a public statement as many of you have reached out to inform me that "pet groomers" have now been deemed an ‘essential retail business’ by Governor Murphy.

While that is correct, there is a very specific distinction that I needed to clarify which was causing me a lot of confusion.

The specific language of 'retail business' is referring explicitly to "brick and mortar" businesses that operate with a physical location that the public accesses services from, and does not include mobile or house call groomers. I even reached out to the Governor's office and they were able to verify that is indeed the case: brick and mortar grooming shops are allowed to be open, not house call groomers like myself which is why, unfortunately, I have to keep my business closed for now.

I’m aware how frustrated everyone is by this news but let me reassure you, I am just as frustrated if not more so. I have mocked up at least 3 schedules, thinking I was in the clear to start grooming again to only have each one be crumbled up with tears upon them. I can’t put into words how much I miss all of you and how much I want to get back out there and take care of my pups!

There have also been a number of people suggesting different ways I could continue grooming in their homes. While I appreciate the attempts to come up with various methods of social distancing while attempting to groom, I simply do not feel comfortable putting myself out there knowing that I could get in trouble and I cannot make any exceptions.

On a more positive note--since brick and mortar grooming salons are allowed to be open now, those of you that have reached out to me concerned about your dog’s condition now at least have another option to get them groomed sooner rather than later...and I take no offense if you wanted to take them to someone else in the interim, especially given these circumstances.

Lastly, I know much of this is beyond my control and we're all going through a lot right now. Just know I’m sorry that I can’t be up and running during these times. That’s the problem with my business not being the clear cut ‘grooming salon’ style of grooming…house call grooming is not as widely accepted as regular shops, and even often gets confused with the mobile grooming businesses, but rest assured that we will all get through this together and it will be back to business as normal again soon enough.

As soon as I can confirm that my business can return to normal operating procedure, I will be reaching out to everyone to double check availability and get a manageable schedule together.

I have put my heart and soul into this business and I won't give up. I love and miss you all. Please stay safe and be well.

Business to remain closed until further notice due to Covid-19

As you know on March 21st, 2020, Gov. Murphy issued an executive order which stated that all New Jersey residents should remain home unless they are part of businesses classified as essential for at least a period of two weeks, and that shortly thereafter was extended to early May.

At first I struggled with the language of the order, as technically my business does not fall into the "brick and mortar" category that was specified. However, after much thought and discussion, even if my business is in a grey area the bottom line is that it is not an essential business. We are all living through difficult and honestly scary times and even with the best of sanitation practices, I simply cannot find a good reason to take any extra risk that could undermine the efforts to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

So with that being said, and with a heavy heart, I am announcing officially that I will continue to remain closed until early May (presuming that the quarantine does not get extended again). I will be reaching out to notify anyone who may have had an appointment already scheduled in April and early May within the next day or so. I will also be making a list so that when the quarantine is lifted I can reschedule in the same order.

I don't think any of us were really expecting something of this severity to occur the way it did, and I apologize for any inconvenience this scheduling roadblock is going to make. I sincerely appreciate all of your love and understanding during these trying times. Thank you and please stay safe!

Love,

Michelle aka The Loving Groomer

Closing business for 2 weeks in response to COVID-19

. Due to everything going on with the coronavirus and being worried about catching/spreading anything, I'm going to self-quarantine myself for 2 weeks (starting Monday, 3/23) to make sure I stay safe and healthy. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience this may cause but just wanted to give everyone a heads up. Please stay safe

Now accepting Venmo and GooglePay!

Starting March 2nd 2020, I will be accepting Venmo and GooglePay as additional forms of payment.

I will always accept cash and check, but for those who prefer Venmo or GooglePay, that is now an option! If you have any questions, let me know

***Important Winter Warning: Please Read.***

Hi everyone! So with a Nor'Easter heading our way tomorrow afternoon and more bad weather possibly coming early next week, I wanted to make my annual winter warning post a little early.

During the winter months, when road conditions may not be the best and/or when I can't get down my driveway, I may have to reschedule our appointment or be slightly late.

This is not to say when there is any sign of snow, I will outright cancel. I just wanted to warn everyone that with me being a mobile business, winter is a rough time. If I will not be able to keep our appointment, I will let you know with as much notice as possible and will reschedule you to my soonest availability.

Also, one more important note: With bad weather seeming to arrive early this year, it may mess up my holiday schedule for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. All I I can say is I will do my best to move people around to get everyone done before the holidays but if the weather does prevent me from keeping our holiday appointment, I apologize profusely in advance.

(Believe me, if it was my choice, it would be spring weather all year around.)

If you have any questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to call/text/email me. Thank you so much for understanding and please be safe out on the roads!

Not taking any new clients.

Hi everyone!

. It's amazing to see how much The Loving Groomer has grown over the past three and a half years. A good majority of that growth is from so many of you leaving me kind reviews and spreading the word about my grooming services, which I greatly appreciate.

As with the growth of any business, I strive to keep a high and consistent level of service for my clientele. Ensuring a flexible schedule as well as keeping the individualized, stress free, and quality grooming experience with every client gets increasingly challenging as more new clients request my services.

In order to maintain the level of quality that you're all used to, I will not be taking any new clients starting February 1st, 2018. I do not have a definitive time frame as to when I will begin accepting new clients, but I will keep everyone updated if there are any changes.

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued support!

Love, 

Michelle a.k.a. The Loving Groomer

Important Announcement about how far I travel to

Hi everyone! I have one more important announcement to make for new clients ONLY:

I have been getting a lot of inquiries asking how far I travel and I have found that rather than using a specific mile range, it will be easier to simply list the towns which I am able to provide service to. The following is a list of the towns that fall within my service range.

Allamuchy, Andover, Budd Lake, Byram, Chester, Denville, Dover, Flanders, Great Meadows, Green Township, Hackettstown, Hopatcong, Independence, Kenvil, Lake Hopatcong, Landing, Ledgewood, Liberty Township, Long Valley, Mansfield, Mendham, Mine Hill, Mount Arlington, Mount Olive, Morris Plains, Morristown, Netcong, Newton, Rockaway, Roxbury, Sparta, Stanhope. Succasunna, and Wharton.

To all of my current clients, if you do not see your town on the list don't worry as nothing will change. I am still more than happy to continue offering my grooming services; this announcement will only apply to new clients moving forward.

As my business grows I have had to make some changes to accommodate the larger client base and these announcements are part of that. If anyone has any questions about these changes, please let me know. Thank you for understanding.

Important Announcement about Bathing/Grooming Larger Dogs

Hello everyone! An important announcement as of today for new clients ONLY:

As of Monday, September 18th, 2017, I will no longer offer bathing or grooming service for larger dogs. The reason for this change is due to the strain that it puts on my body, as well as the difficulties logistically in grooming a larger dog in-home (for example, lack of control that comes with not being able to fit the dogs on my table.)

To all of my current clients who have large dogs, nothing will change. I am still more than happy to continue offering my grooming services; this announcement will only apply to new clients moving forward.

With that being said, I will still be happy to do any 'a la carte' services (such as nail trims, ear cleaning, feet trim, etc.) for larger dogs.

I hope that everyone will understand, and I greatly appreciate it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you!

I am going on a mini vacation!

Hello everyone!

Summer is here and I am going on a mini vacation!  I will be unavailable from Friday, July 21st until Tuesday, July 25th.  I am making this post because my voicemail was giving me issues and I didn't want you to think you were being ignored or forgotten. I hope you are having a great summer and I will get back to you all after I come back!

Love, Your loving groomer

It's been way too long since I posted!

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted anything in 2017 and only once in 2016!

Things have exploded with the business, which is why I haven't had the time to write anything here, let alone post any new before and afters.  

The only updates I have for this post is that I will be stating more specifically in the upcoming weeks where I travel to to help fit more pups into my day and there is a chance I won't be taking on as many bigger dogs.  Don't get me wrong, I love dogs of all shapes and sizes; it;s just that experience has showed me that grooming bigger dogs with in-home grooming is rather difficult due to them not being able to fit on my table.  I'm still not 100% certain I will limit the sizes of dogs I take. Just wanted to give you an update.

I promise I will try to do better with before and afters and I thank you again for your love and support!  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me!

Your loving groomer,

Michelle 

Happy 2016!

Happy 2016 everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! :)

As we go into the new year, I hope that everyone finds success and happiness with lots of puppy kisses too!

In the next few weeks I will upload more before and afters, remind everyone of my grooming discounts, and share more exciting news as The Loving Groomer continues to grow.  

Take care everyone :)

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas! Cheers! 

Christmas is almost here!

Hello dog lovers!

I apologize it has been so long since I posted in the newsfeed.  Business has been growing and I couldn't be happier.  If you are looking for a last minute grooming for your pup(s), I'm taking appointments up to Christmas Eve so call/text/email me and we'll get your pup(s) all pretty for Santa! :)

Take care,

Michelle a.k.a. The Loving Groomer

Check out my new ad!

Hello everyone!

I apologize I didn't put a 'Happy Autumn' post up here but I have something even more exciting to post!  

My new ad in The Budd Lake Diner is here!  Check it out! 

My wonderful new diner ad, thanks to PlacematsPlus!

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

It was 1 year ago today that I officially made 'The Loving Groomer' a business and I could not be more excited with how much it has grown.  I have gained about 50 clients, each one of them amazing and I could not be more grateful for their love & support.  

As I go into my 2nd year, I promise to continue to grow 'The Loving Groomer' into an expeierence where both pet parent & dog alike can feel at ease throughout the grooming process and know what they are in good hands.

I built this business off of my passion and I'm very lucky I'm able to do so.

Thank you again for your support and I look forward to seeing what the next year brings!

Summer advice for double coated dogs!

After such a long winter, I'm sure you're just as happy as I am that summer is here!

Just remember, if you have a dog with a double coat (Ex. Golden Retriever, Siberian Husky, German Shepard, etc.) and you see them panting while hanging out in the sunshine, DO NOT SHAVE THEM, it will NOT make them cooler.  Their coat is what protects them from the sun and if you have it shaved off, they will be more susceptible to sunburn and their fur will not grow back in properly.

Still confused?  Here's an article to further explain what I'm talking about:  http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/dogs-fur-keep-cool-summer-2330.html

Then what should you do to help them?  1. Brush them daily to take away some of their undercoat. 2. Provide plenty of water and a cool area for them to relax. 3. Call The Loving  Groomer with any questions or to make an appointment!

Remember, I'm here not only to provide grooming services but also to help you keep your dog happy and healthy! :)

-TLG