In the Beginning:

Michelle Kennedy began her career with pets after purchasing her first show-quality Siberian Husky in 1980. After working in obedience for several years, she began grooming in 1984 and opened her first salon with a business partner in 1988 in Latham, NY. In 2002 she decided to sell the salon to stay home with her newborn and work in youth ministry. Three years later, Michelle began grooming again in the basement of her home. In 2007 she realized there was a lack of education for pet stylists in our area and decided to open a school to fill that void. This necessitated a move out of the basement and over to Plank Road. After a time it became clear that the new facility did not meet NYS Education Department requirements; and we moved again. But the new, new facility wasn’t big enough; and we moved again. With 4,000 sq. ft. on each floor of the new, new, new facility, we were able to add boarding and small dog daycare. In 2015, we purchased a facility at 662 Plank Road to make our permanent home!

The Growing Years:

Over the years our staff has grown, too. Jenny Deyoe was a teenager in the youth group when Michelle offered her a bathing position. She graduated high school and began learning to groom. She is now one of the most talented young stylists out there as well as being one of our grooming instructors. Amanda Albright (Michelle’s daughter) joined us a year after Jenny. She majored in Communications at Marist College before joining a local radio station. Besides being a talented pet stylist, she is a licensed instructor at the school. Michelle’s husband, Michael, joined the staff as our Director of Operations in 2011. He keeps us all in line, makes the appointments, supervises the daycare and runs the boarding.

Since 2021 we have added Maddie Kirsten. Maddie graduated from the New York Academy of Pet Styling and was trained by our NYS-licensed instructors - Michelle, Jenny and Amanda.