For the Love of Dogs, the mobile dog groomer brings the van to you

Three minutes of reading

Brett Kimmins
| Special to the Asbury Park Press

A love of animals brought Cathy-Anne Collins, owner of For the Love of Dogs, to the world of pet grooming, which eventually turned into a full-fledged business.

“I’ve had an innate interest in pets, ever since I can remember,” said Collins, who lives in Atlantic Highlands. “I always felt a strong connection with them, and I wanted to take care of them. My parents had dogs and cats, so I took care of them. My parents supported my passion for interacting with animals, and I developed it from there.

“I’m an only child, and they’re like my friends,” Collins said. “It turned into an all-around love for them, starting with a cat when I was young. I moved to Nebraska because my father had a job there. Our neighbors have this collie and they leave it outside a lot. I asked them if I could take him for a walk around. It made him happy.”

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‘This is not my plan’

His professional path was somewhat accidental.

“I was going to go to nursing school, but my dad got sick,” Collins said. “I had to put that on pause, while also getting a job as a dog bather. Basically, that was the first step on the path to becoming a dog groomer. It wasn’t my plan from the beginning, because I wanted to do something in -care, but I’m a natural at caring for animals.

At age 23, Collins went to a dog-grooming program and learned the trade professionally.

“The instructors are great,” Collins said. “The program was offered through a company I used to work for. It was a six-week program and, when I completed it, I went back and apprenticed with my salon manager for a year. It takes three years to hone your skills and become a confident dog groomer.”

Later, Collins’ mother developed cancer, and he needed a more flexible way to work and care for her.

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“That’s how I started my own business,” Collins said. “I started renting space from a vet practice in Fair Haven (in 2013) and the owner of the practice was looking to have a dog groomer on staff because there was a demand for it.

“I did that for four years,” Collins said. “I felt that providing one-on-one service was more comfortable for the animals and less stressful in general. I enjoyed renting that space for the vet, but I realized that the dogs was more on the side there, so I decided to do something that I thought would be beneficial for everyone. That’s when I came up with the idea for my business.”

‘I’m trying to reduce stress’

That idea is a mobile pet grooming service.

“I was driving to the customers’ house, and I was outside their house,” Collins said. “The dog gets in the truck, and sometimes they’re still nervous, but overall it’s less stressful for them, I’m sure. I try to reduce that stress by staying relaxed and creating an environment that calms their nerves. I play music softly, and I talk to them. I don’t just give them a bath right away. I build that trust and it’s very helpful.”

Collins points out that there aren’t many mobile dog groomers around and it’s difficult to juggle a mobile schedule, compared to a business where clients drop off pets.

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“I do all kinds of animals, breeds and all different haircuts,” Collins said. “All this has its own. I do professional grooming baths and I have a table where we do nails, teeth, ears, etc.

“Overall, I’m happy to provide a more comfortable experience for pets,” Collins said. “I work with them one-on-one, and I get to know my customers as well. All of my clients are repeat customers, going back to 2007.”

Collins had bigger plans.

“Before the pandemic happened, I was interested in opening a cage-free salon,” Collins said. “I might do that at some point. I want to have a place where everyone works together. I want to keep growing the business because it’s hard to find help. Skilled repairmen are not easy to come by.”