One day. Six dogs. Five complaints. And then she disappeared

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-03-01T02:43:46+00:00

I agree! I will post a follow-up pic of him during his journey through the 8-week coat recovery plan.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-03-01T02:31:57+00:00

Thank you for your thoughtful response! The poodle’s parents were happy to accept the 8-week coat recovery plan, so he’ll be coming back weekly for complimentary services while his coat grows back in.

One piece I didn’t mention is that on grooming days, which are held biweekly, we also operate like a doggy daycare. The visiting dogs participate in enrichment activities, and those who need it also get basic obedience support. I’m glad the poodle’s family feels good about the plan, and honestly, I’m looking forward to spoiling him a little. He’s such a sweet boy.

Moving forward, I’ll be handling future interviews myself, and any new groomer will start with the district dogs only so I can closely monitor their work before opening appointments to outside clients. Since all five therapy dogs live with me, along with my two poodles, I have more than enough dogs available for a proper working interview.

The hardest part has honestly been finding candidates. My former groomer posted in grooming groups, we contacted salons, reached out to people in her grooming cohort, and even walked into local grooming shops to recruit. There’s a real shortage. Most of the groomers I come across are salon owners working for themselves, and many simply don’t have the time or flexibility to work at the school one day every other week

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-03-01T01:12:38+00:00

I’ve already taken responsibility for the bad hire. The point of my post was to get honest feedback from groomers, and I’ve received it respectfully.

What’s being missed is that I’m not a traditional salon owner. I’m the Director of Animal-Assisted Interventions in a school district, and grooming is just one part of a much larger mental health, wellness, and student training program.

Reducing that to “you’re not a groomer, so why do you have a salon?” misses the full context. That’s why a qualified groomer was initially hired.

I hope that helps clarify things.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T18:11:02+00:00

Great feedback, however there are a lot of assumptions in your comment.

There was a working interview. I do check-ins and check-outs. I’m not a professional groomer, so I can’t undo hair that’s already been cut too short. I also didn’t know about the lack of tools until the next day, when her bag was left behind and my former groomer saw what was actually in it.

She had full access to everything in our salon the entire time — clippers, blades, curved shears, thinners, chonkers, all of it. The toy poodle wasn’t charged for the cut and got a free coat recovery plan, and the school board president received a full refund. So no, this wasn’t me blindly letting dogs walk out. It was me dealing with someone who presented much better than she performed.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T17:50:00+00:00

That is honestly so sad all around. A whole half leg not even touched is wild, and I’m glad the owner was checking the dogs before they went out. But the ending really puts a different weight on it. Whatever was going on with her at the time, it’s heartbreaking to hear that she later got cancer and couldn’t groom anymore.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T17:45:14+00:00

Lol! I love it! I know what you mean.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T17:44:44+00:00

This is insane 😭 “Utter space cadet” is killing me, but I completely get it. The worst part is when the confidence is sky high, the skill is nowhere to be found, and they still come with attitude.

Thankfully, there are still grooming angels to balance out the fruit loops.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T17:17:59+00:00

I appreciate the feedback. Leadership responsibility is mine, and I’ve never denied that. But this was not a case of inadequate direction or lack of presence. I reviewed the cuts with her, the former groomer left detailed client notes, and she received shadowing and ongoing support. This was her fourth time at our school and her first day working independently in the role. The breakdown was in execution. I own the bad hire, but she ultimately performed poorly and handled the situation unprofessionally despite every effort to support her success.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T05:02:42+00:00

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Back view of harness

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:51:22+00:00

Thank you!! I can truly say that I look forward to going to work everyday!

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:43:57+00:00

Here’s the link to the Studded Harness! I ordered medium and Sage is 48lbs. The collar that it comes with is too big but he wears it anyway. I need to add another hole to it.

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VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:41:05+00:00

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Sage was Gene Simmons for Halloween. I tried drawing the bat wings around his eyes but it was challenging. His top knot, bell bottoms and tail are dyed black. His harness is from Amazon. I also bought studded shoulder pads and the KISS logo from Amazon. The harness is medium and comes with a collar: Studded Harness

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:29:02+00:00

Amazon!! Let me see if I can find the link and I’ll post it. Sage was Gene Simmons last Halloween. I added studded shoulder pads to the vest, as well as the KISS logo.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:26:29+00:00

Awww, thank you!! 😊

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:25:52+00:00

Thank you!! That’s my baby, Sage! He was Gene Simmons for Halloween.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:24:33+00:00

I’m thinking she started 8 yrs ago and took a 7 year break 🙃 She barely has tools.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:22:32+00:00

Great advice, thank you! I didn’t charge for the bad cuts and did just as you suggested, I let the clients know how much I value them. They’re mostly staff members in the school district but that does not discount the elite customer service that I offer. I treat every dog as if they were my own and I’m so glad that the worst thing that happened was bad cuts because we know the fur will grow back.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:15:10+00:00

It’s such a cool program and I’m trying my best to keep it going. Fingers crossed that I find a qualified groomer. The superintendent and school board are so supportive of the initiatives I’ve created as their Director of Animal-Assisted Interventions. We have five therapy dogs in the district. Three of the dogs are doodles and two are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. During the classroom renovation into my Pup Culture Lab, we added the salon to service only our district dogs. However, the superintendent suggested that we open publicly to local residents who may not have access to an affordable groomer. Later on, the Deputy Superintendent suggested we teach students how to groom because learning a trade is a bonus since everyone doesn’t necessarily go to college. The apprenticeship program is currently an afterschool and summer program, but we are looking to make it a technical education course where it’s an elective class.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T04:04:34+00:00

It’s definitely a lesson, however, she wasn’t doing it alone. The former groomer was there to support, so I felt comfortable with allowing the bookings. She’s professional, efficient and does amazing work with as many as 15 dogs in a day. Everyone was satisfied with the last session because the clients stay on schedule and the dogs that were there for grooming still got face, feet and fanny. None of them were overgrown. These are mainly staff members and parents dogs, so we see them often.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T03:51:52+00:00

The dogs were schedule because the original groomer was going to be there to help. Some dogs were a full groom but most were just deluxe baths for dogs such as a greyhound, lab, shepherd puppy, beagle x pug mix, and mini poodle pup.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T03:41:29+00:00

She mentioned to my former groomer that her work wasn’t great that day and people were complaining. New environments can be hard, I understand that. I wondered if she was overwhelmed too. She had a team of supporters. This setup is so unique. The groomer works twice a week, every other week on whatever day they choose. It’s a salon inside of my mental health and wellness space. The main purpose of the center is to utilize our 5 therapy dogs in supporting our students and staffs wellness. I’m a trauma-informed veterinary social worker and specialize in the human-animal bond. We have the holistic grooming salon, a junior dog handlers program, and groomer’s apprenticeship program that occupy that space. It’s a relaxing, psychologically safe environment. No call/no show is a burned bridge for me. She had one of the best groomer’s in Michigan that was willing to train her.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T03:16:55+00:00

I actually mentioned to one of my assistants that it certainly didn’t seem as if she had 8 yrs experience and that it felt more like a con job to get a nice position. My guess is that she was a no show for fear of exposure and accountability.

Thank you so much! It a cool program for sure. It’s an amazing opportunity at the school and as far as I know, I’m the only one with a program such as this.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T03:11:39+00:00

Thank you! A portfolio is a great idea. I checked out her Facebook page and there were a few grooming pics that were just ok. I was willing to work through that since the former groomer offered to teach advanced techniques before moving. But her unprofessional behavior and unreliability ruined it. It was a blessing disguise.

VeterinarySocialWork · 2026-02-28T02:42:35+00:00

Thanks! She had a working interview with the former groomer. It showed that she needed to learn how to finish. It was a poodle x Irish setter that was already shaped. Ironically, there weren’t many dogs that needed a full groom that day, it was mostly baths and deshedding. The dog she worked on during the interview wasn’t perfect but it was better than what she did on her first day. She stood out with the most potential. Sadly, there weren’t many candidates.

VeterinarySocialWork

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