FROM COURTHOUSE TO DOGHOUSE

By DELL ARTHUR

            Life is full of twists and turns. Just when a person thinks they have things figured out there comes a curve ball from left field that unexpectedly changes everything. Such was the case with Kathy Vetter.

            Following her graduation from college with a master’s degree she spent the following 25 years working in the mental health field and 18 of those years in the criminal justice system. In addition she also taught two college criminal justice courses. She was a very busy lady.

            The area that drew her interest from the earliest start was the criminal justice field—a field that was challenging, exciting and at times dangerous. Her clients included incarcerated convicts and recently paroled prisoners who required close supervision. Her charges included murderers, rapists, thieves of every sort including con men. Some of these people were for the most part violent, aggressive and whose responses were unpredictable. She found the work stimulating and exciting. But after working so long in this atmosphere she reached a point where she needed to take some time off.

            “A lot of factors made me want to take a break,” she recalled as she sipped a cup of coffee at a local restaurant. “I had to attend a couple of murder trials and it took a lot out of me. It was the perfect storm and that was when I decided to take break.”

            Reflecting on the past she admitted there was a certain excitement in counselling. But after many years working in the field she felt it was time for a younger generation to take over. The constant stress had taken its toll. Trying to help released inmates adjust to the “outside” and find a job was especially difficult she said. She noted the recidivism rate was over 50 per cent and many of the people she tried to help used the jail system as a revolving door. They seemed just as happy behind bars as on the street. It was then she decided to take a year’s leave and relax and recharge.

            “It took about four months to wind down. My dad said he hadn’t seen me so calm in years,” she mused. Stress was slow to wear off. Two of the major helps in her adjustment to a “normal life,” was her Shih Tzu pups. Vetter had been involved in breeding this line of pure-breeds for some time and it was then she came up with the idea of doing something with animals. Exactly what she didn’t know but the idea tugged at her.

The hiatus she originally planned hadn’t taken into account that nothing was going into the bank account. Now that she found herself “unemployed” she had to do make a living—and quickly. Breeding was a selective process and she wasn’t interested in becoming a “puppy mill!” Her love of animals was too great to do that. Then she came up with the idea of pet grooming.

“I had a friend who was a groomer so I told her what I had in mind. I also thought if I learned grooming I could save a lot of money just on my own two dogs,” she said with a laugh. That, she quickly learned was wishful dreaming!

So under her friend she began her apprenticeship. Some junior colleges offer courses in the grooming profession but usually offer only the basic training. There isn’t a state in the union that requires pet groomers to be licensed but that doesn’t subtract from the high quality of professionalism needed to be successful. Apprenticing under the direction of a quality groomer teaches the student all aspects of the profession and here Vetter had an advantage.

The first thing she learned was how to wash animals, clean cages, sweep floors and all the mundane essential areas of dog and cat care in the grooming environment. She learned that washing pets was more than simply putting them in a tub and adding soap. She learned how to work with different coats, what type of shampoo to use, to identifying skin problems and much more.

            And there was the cost! When she started actual trimming she needed to purchase the necessary implements--shears, combs and brushes. None of these items were cheap; in fact the cost could put a healthy dent in anyone’s bank account. You don’t pick up these things at the local department store she noted.

            Shears alone could cost over $100 for just “shop” usage. For show quality styling a pair of shears can easily cost $700 or more. And then there was the necessity of purchasing dryers, nail clippers, nail files and grinders, different combs—some constructed of steel or carbon fiber depending on the need for different length and types of hair. And then there was the learning process of how to use these implements.

            As far as products, ranging from shampoos, conditioners and dyes, Vetter found that the quality and cost of these items matched those found in the most expensive beauty salons. But all was needed; a pampered pet is the goal.

            Finally she had an opportunity to learn the actual trimming and styling end of the business from a master groomer.

            The biggest benefit of her new career was “turning a high pressure job to a low pressure job,” she recalled. Now she wasn’t confronted with midnight calls from the jail, no more threats from a mentally disabled criminal, no more heartbreak at the failure of one of her former “clients” being sent back to prison because he simply couldn’t adapt to “the outside.” This new pressure was a joy in comparison.

            Sitting back in the booth she reflected, “You have to read your emotions. This isn’t a job for someone who doesn’t love animals.” And that she dearly does. Once she had advanced to learning how to groom and trim she was more than eager to practice her new skills.

            Working under a master groomer she was introduced to the different styles fitting the subjects. She learned the complex Continental cutting style for poodles, the English saddle, Dutch and German trim and much more—all of these special styles enhanced the beauty of the animal’s breed. She then learned how to dye; some customers had special requests about color and she learned how to master these needs. And working with “mutts” she said is especially delightful. After going through her shop these so-called non-pure breeds come out looking like winners of the world’s most famous dog show.

            As her experience expanded she tried her hand at creative styling. “The great thing about this type of cutting is if you make a mistake at least it will grow out!” she said with a laugh. And mistakes were made but it all added to her education in becoming an artful groomer. “What I learned with specialty grooming was trying to create a style reflecting the owner’s personality.” And here she excelled.

            Then about eight years ago she decided to open her own business. She settled in the small town of Ferndale in Northwest Washington, where her business quickly grew. Clients were attracted to her shop not only for the high quality of her work but also her personality. Vetter is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Ambassador program, the Old Settlers’ Festival, the town’s annual Street Festival and other community organizations. She also joined several professional grooming associations and spearheaded many community projects. But here her altruistic feelings had other unexpected ramifications.

 

            “Now and then when I’m downtown I will come across a client who I haven’t seen for a while only to find out the reason they haven’t been in was because their pet had died.”  When a pet parent loses their priceless pet, Kathy grieves with them. And, if later, this former customer comes in with a new” family member,” it’s a joy shared by all.