Michelle Robinson is one of those people who loves to travel to their job — literally.
The owner of Clean Paws Mobile Grooming Salon takes to her fully-equipped van, which she calls “Proud Mary”, to perform pet services within a 15-mile radius of her Gary home.
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“People are busy! Meetings, activities with the kids, long hours or mobility issues. When people’s lives get hectic, the dog or cat sometimes suffers,” she said. “I give them a balance between taking care of their pets, their careers and family, and knowing that their pets are well taken care of. “
Accomplishing that is as simple as getting on her regular schedule, she added. Customers never have to worry about getting to the groomer, because Robinson comes to them with a clean, cageless grooming shop on wheels.
Typical customers are seniors, people with mobility issues and busy professionals, among others.
Kyle Morrison of Crown Point has contracted with Clean Paws for the past three years. Morrison was looking online for someone to come to her home when she saw Robinson’s advertisement and decided to try out the business for her dog Oakley.
The four-year-old Australian Shepherd recently received his regularly scheduled spa services of shampoo, dry, fluff and trim.
“This (mobile service) is a wonderful idea. I didn’t like the idea of putting my dog through the stress of traveling in the car, and being in a room with unfamiliar dogs barking and in a cage at the groomer’s,” Morrison said. “I found Michelle online and she’s been really great with Oakley. He was always nervous with new people, but he took to her right away.”
Robinson has an interesting and varied background that brought her to her current career.
The former service manager for an auto repair shop found her calling in an unusual way.
“Two days after I signed a 30-year mortgage on my home, the repair shop burned to the ground,” she said. “I began rebuilding Volvo alternators and selling them online, working from my home.”
She didn’t care for this job, but it paid the bills, she added.
“As I worked from home, I would have stray animals in my neighborhood that I would nurse back to health and find them a home. I began looking to grooming, as caring for strays was rewarding, but it was also costly. I have always loved animals, so grooming was a perfect fit.”
After managing a pet salon in a local big box store, the dedicated grooming professional felt a mobile business was the way to go.
“I was working very long hours, and one day I saw a mobile unit on the road and thought, ‘that could be me,'” Robinson said. “I started looking into who manufactured them and started taking classes on mobile grooming.”
She purchased a used van, which had previously served as a mobile grooming service, and only had to buy supplies and have some work done on the van’s engine.
Learning to drive the large vehicle took a few months, but when she was ready to go — it was full speed ahead.
Robinson takes pride in continuing education.
“I have a been a professional pet stylist for 14 years. I am an award-winning certified stylist through The International Professional Groomers, Inc.,” she said. “I am a pet esthetician, and I am excited to be in the process of completing my Feline Certification with the Professional Cat Groomers Association of America.”
She also is a member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America and The National Cat Groomers Institute of America, Inc.
Also under her belt are several articles in a leading groomer’s magazine to help new stylists overcome pitfalls that she has faced along the way.
And, Robinson also attends grooming workshops every year to keep abreast of new laws, products, services and techniques for the profession.
In addition to sprucing up dogs and cats on a regular basis, Robinson will walk and feed a pet if the owners are out of town. She also will make vet runs for her customers.
Robinson plans to expand her business, as well as branch out into other areas, such as working to bring an off-leash Community Dog Park to the City of Gary.
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“I want to continue teaching and hosting workshops for new groomers seeking to improve their skills,” she said. “And I’m currently working on raising funds to purchase a new truck. Proud Mary has been a great servant for the last six years. We have been through some tough times, but she keeps on rolling down the highway!”
For more information about Clean Paws Mobile Grooming Salon, call (888) 648-7256 or visit www.cleanpawsmobilegroomingsalon.com. Grooming visits are by appointment only.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.