BY
KEITH LACEY
Maggie Pan, the owner of PuppyLove Pet Salon and Spa, says she
learned from one of the best.
Pan, 21, is the daughter of Joanne Dagg, who was the
owner of TLC Puppy Boutique on Lorne St. for many years before
she moved to Ireland four years ago.
Pan opened her shop a couple of weeks ago at 325 Regent St.
"I grew up in my mother's shop and she taught me a lot,"
said Pan.
She can't remember a day in her life when she wasn't
surrounded by dogs, cats, horses and other animals since
several generations of her family have been animal lovers.
Pan said she knew at a very young age she would one day open
her own pet grooming salon.
"I got the idea to do what my mother was doing around age
10," she said confidently. "I knew when my mother moved away to
Ireland four years ago that this is what I would do, but
obviously I was too young to start my own business."
It took a year in hairdressing school and a "very short"
career in washing, chopping and styling hair to make her
realize she enjoy pampering pets more than people. "I didn't
enjoy hairstyling very much at all," she said. "And I quickly
realized that when working with animals and grooming, it takes
more skill and technique to do a good job than it takes to cut
someone's hair.
"You not only have to know how to groom different breeds,
but you have to know how to handle animals and have them trust
you and that's something I've always enjoyed."
Pan is also certified to groom cats and rabbits as well as
dogs.
She received a lot of hands-on training from her mother, but
Pan enrolled in the Pets Beautiful Canine School of
Professional Grooming in Ottawa to get her certification.
The intensive course takes two months to complete, but
consists of 12-hour days, five days a week, said Pan.
"I graduated and I'm proud to say at the top of my class last
Nov. 4," she said.
She spent several months putting together a business plan
while taking a business development course and then applied for
funding with the Canada Youth Business Fund.
"I want to be recognized as someone who provides modern,
holistic pet care," she said. "That's why all my product
lines are 100 percent natural."
Besides cutting nails and hair, Pan's business offers ear
cleaning, fluff drying, groin shaving, de-shedding, specialty
cologne, bandanas and bows.
PuppyLove will also hold monthly seminars to promote proper
pet care and answer customer's questions with regards to breed,
nutrition, behaviour and grooming.
"Elderly and disabled pets will also be given special
treatment...we have knowledge and equipment to aid me in
ensuring your pet is as comfortable as possible," she said.
Pan knows she's in for some very long working hours over the
next year or two. "I'm not doing this to get rich, but because
I love animals and always have," she said. "I don't consider
working with animals to be a job, but something I love.
"Anything I can do to make the dog or cat feel comfortable
or better I can offer here in my shop."
To find out more about the services offered at PuppyLove, contact Pan at 673-7297 (PAWS).
