2003 Essay Contest Entry Archive

Why I Became a Groomer

Getting bit, being scratched, matted poop, being peed on, having your table pooped on … so you want to be a dog groomer? It doesn't sound like the most glorious choice of occupations, but grooming fulfills me. When someone asks me what I do, and I tell him or her, they give me a kind of fake smile and say "oh." What they don't know is the satisfaction that comes along with helping these animals. I may not get a large paycheck at the end of the week, but there's no sense of gratification like curing a blind poodle just by giving him a hair cut.

I have always been an animal lover, especially dogs, and I wanted a career where I could work with animals. I attended a year of college and decided it wasn't for me. I then went straight into the workforce where I worked 9 hour days behind the same desk, staring at the same computer screen, doing the same thing with the same people 5 days a week for 6 years. I thought I would go insane! I had always wanted to be a groomer, but could never afford to take 12 weeks to pay someone to teach me how to groom and not make any money in the mean time. Finally, 1 year ago, I bit the bullet and pursued my dream. Making it 12 weeks without a paycheck was difficult, but now I no longer have a job. I have a second home. I love to go to work. I get to meet new and exciting people every day, and I get to spend my entire day with the one thing in the world, besides my son, that makes me happy . . . animals. I don't know many people that can say they love their job as much as I do.

It makes my day to get a dog that is so matted and scraggly that you can't even tell what kind of dog he is, clean him up, give him some relief from the mats, and make him look beautiful again. When he gets down off the grooming table, you can see the strut and pride he has in himself as if to say "Look at me! I'm beautiful!"

I will never forget this one particular day. Our shop had just started opening on Saturday's so it was a very slow day. I had one appointment. A man had called and wanted his mutt cleaned up for a Blessing of the Pet's day at his local church. I waited and waited for him to arrive with the dog, but he just never came. I called his home to check on him. The owner explained that Lexus had run off that morning, and he hadn't been able to find him. About an hour later, in walks this older gentleman with a cocker-sized mutt, with a curly poodle coat, that was so dirty and matted he looked as though he was red. His owner asked me to please just clean him up a little bit. I took Lexus and began brushing his scruffy coat. I was beginning to see a beautiful coat that I wanted to scissor. I gave him a bath, dried him and found a beautiful tan.

I scissored away at his legs and body and was amazed at just how beautiful this dog was. I gave him a Bichon style head and a pretty silver bow. I still had him on the table admiring him when his owner came back. He asked me if Lexus was ready. I said he sure is, and I took Lexus down off of the table and began to walk towards the door. The owner's mouth dropped, and he said "Is that my Lexus?" I said "Yes sir, it sure is." He said "I can't believe that is my dog! He looks so pretty." I came into work 3 days later, and there was a message on the answering machine from Lexus' owner. He had just called to thank me for making Lexus so beautiful, and just to say how pleased he was with my work. I saved that message and I listen to it every now and then just to remind myself how important and rewarding my job really is.

Katie Brown, Seneca, SC