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When he was just 12 years old, Gabriel Feitosa, now 31, started a dog-sitting adventure on the streets of Sae Paulo, Brazil — washing and clipping animals for extra cash.
The job search was “amazing,” then he started volunteering at a dog groomer after school, as reported by SWNS, the British news service, and as Feitosa confirmed in an email to Fox News Digital.
From there, Feitosa “fell into” his career and began working at dog shows before moving to the US and opening his own store — Gabriel Feitosa Pet Boutique — in San Diego, California, during the COVID pandemic.
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Today, his unusual grooming designs for dogs “transform” canines into pandas, lions, cheetahs – even zebras – using different coloring techniques and unique scissors .
He charges a flat rate fee of $800 for small dogs and $1,200 for large dogs — grossing about $1.3 million a year, he said.
Using special dyes and trimming techniques, dog groomer Gabriel Feitosa of San Diego, California, transformed this dog. For his services, clients pay a flat fee of $800 for small dogs and $1,200 for large dogs, he said. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
“I turned my dog into a Pokémon, I turned a pit bull into a leopard and a poodle into a giraffe,” he said. “There’s no limit to what we can do.”
‘Inspiration from everywhere’
After appearing in 2021 on “Pooch Perfect,” an ABC dog-sitting reality TV show, business is booming, she said — and she says she has customers flying in from all over the US for her creative designs.
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“I get inspiration from everywhere,” he says. “It could be a game, a tattoo or a street sign. It could come from anywhere – it brings out my geeky side.”
Gabriel Feitosa with a dog he transformed at his grooming boutique in San Diego, California. “There’s no limit to what we can do,” he said. (Gabriel Feitosa/SWNS/SWNS)
She says she works with her clients to create what’s best for their dog.
He said he makes “more than I ever thought I could” as a dog groomer.
He says some clients come in with “a request to turn their dog into a unicorn” – and he gets inspiration “from video games.”
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Feitosa said he makes $1.3 million a year, which is “more than I ever thought I could make as a dog groomer.”
Pet groomer Gabriel Feitosa of California turned this critter into a giraffe for one of his clients. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
He added, “It shows that whatever you do, if you do it with all your heart you can go anywhere.”
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He says that when he first opened his shop, “my specialty was the standard haircut and I focused on doing every pet. [look] their best” — confident that customers will respond to his work.
“I started dabbling with colors on my dog and I wanted to push the cuts as far as I could,” she says.
This dog now looks like a zebra as a result of Feitosa’s handiwork. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
He said, after he appeared on TV, “I started posting my designs on social media — and more and more clients followed.”
Designs can take up to 8 months
Feitosa said she typically spends three to four hours with each dog, regardless of size.
For the “mane” event, dog groomer Gabriel Feitosa changed the look of this animal. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
He said his designs can take up to eight months, depending on when the dog sheds its fur.
“A Frenchie sheds its fur twice a year, so it depends on when you apply the dye,” she says.
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“If you apply the dye when the dog is about to shed, it may last two to three months. If you apply the dye just after shedding, it may last seven to eight months.”
Feitosa of California said her dog designs can take up to eight months. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
He added, “It really depends on the dog’s shedding and hair growth cycle.”
Since opening his shop, he says he’s launched his own clipper tool collection for other dog groomers to use.
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Feitosa said she is “incredibly grateful” to her clients and others for her success.
A leopard never changes its spots? Since opening his shop, Feitosa said he has launched his own collection of clipper tools for other dog groomers to use. (Jen Regnier/SWNS/SWNS)
On TikTok today, he has about 2.5 million followers.
Among his best designs for dogs, he said, were these:
- Giraffe
- Spiral designs
- Cactus flower
- Pokémon
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