Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Donna Nash, owner of Tails A’ Waggin” dog grooming business, and her family may be new to Pocahontas County, but they quickly settled into the community and are making it their home.
They lived in North Carolina for 24 years before making the big move to Pocahontas County.
Nash grew up on a small farm in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.
His family has horses and a rescued collie dog named Whiskey.
She was a member of the local 4-H Horse and Pony Club and competed in Western and English riding until she was 18.
He played the saxophone in school, so when Nash joined the Air Force in 1980, he auditioned for the Air Force band in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“I played in the Air Force band for about four years, two in Biloxi and two at Ramstein Air Base in Germany,” Nash said. “The Air Force Band of Europe is one of the highlights of my life.
“When my ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer, we moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to be with his family. When he recovered, I made the decision to become a dog groomer,” she concluded.
Nash had been a professional dog groomer for 35 years, when they decided to move to West Virginia.
Why did they decide to move to West Virginia?
They wanted to be closer to his parents, who lived in the Lititz/East Petersburg area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are also close with their godchildren who live in North Carolina.
To make it easier for visiting both, they want to find a place in the middle between North Carolina and Pennsylvania. And here is West Virginia, roughly equidistant between the two locations.
“We were looking for a place big enough for our family,” he said. “Something with a garage and a few acres.
“Yes, I thought I was going to retire then,” she said, chuckling.
“I am considering retirement so I can continue charitable work through our ministry and volunteer with local community charitable organizations.
But God works in mysterious ways.
“We put in an offer on a house in Hillsboro, and it was accepted.
“But wouldn’t you know it, the day before closing, the owners canceled the deal,” Nash recalled.
“We were broken-hearted because at that time – it was March 2023 – we fell completely in love with Pocahontas County.
“It felt like it was meant to be our home,” he asserted.
Let me say it again. God works in mysterious ways.
Upon meeting their banker, Bill Jordon at Citizens Bank, Nash’s dog grooming background came to light.
Bill tells them that there are no professional dog grooming businesses in the county and that maybe that’s a good business idea for Nash – and he’s not the only one.
“In several conversations with various local residents, I keep hearing that Pocahontas County is in dire need of a groomer,” Nash said.
They told their realtor to expand his search for a property where they could have a home improvement business.
“When our realtor called us about another house, we rushed to Marlinton and went to look at this place, here on Brown’s Creek Road. And we knew we were home.”
That’s fine, except it takes a lot of work.
“We set out right to work on fixing things,” he said. “It took three and a half months to make the house livable and get the rest of the building ready for the dog grooming business.
“We work every day from sunrise to sunset. Our neighbors, Dave and Pam Sharpes, who know a little about hard work themselves, said they never saw anyone working hard!”
Nash’s typical day starts early.
“I get up at about 4:40 in the morning, and do my morning devotions and Bible study first.
“Then I take care of my family and our two dogs.”
Where did the repairs begin?
After graduating from a four-month training program at a grooming school called the Nash Academy (no relation) of Animal Arts in Lexington, Kentucky, Nash began grooming for a veterinarian.
“From there, I had a high-top van customized as a little grooming shop on wheels and traveled to people’s homes,” Nash said.
“When the van went to van heaven, I opened my own shop in Lexington near the grooming school.”
It wasn’t long before Nash was winning awards at grooming competitions in Lexington, Dallas and Chicago. He took second place in an international competition in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Good professional repairs require experience and patience.
“The first couple of times I groom a dog, I like to take the time to get to know him,” Nash says. “It is not a good idea to rush the process.
“We work better together when the dog knows he can trust me.
“A small dog can take an hour to an hour and a half. A medium-sized dog can take up to two hours. Larger breeds, depending on the amount of coat can take two or three hours,” explained said Donna.
Nash’s full-service groom includes ear plucking and cleaning, nail trimming, a sanitary trim (the belly and under the tail), anal glands expressed (if needed and requested by the owner- genitalia), bath, blow drying, and a full haircut.
“I don’t offer teeth cleanings, but if I smell bad breath, I check their teeth and gums and report what I see to the owner,” Nash explains.
“When spaying dogs, we do what’s called “De-shed, bath and brush.”
Non-shedding dogs get a basic style and a utility cut.
Trim style is also a factor.
“The most expensive type of cuts are the pattern cuts that are done on Poodles,” says Nash.
“We can do ‘scissor trim’ on cross breeds like Golden-Doodles and Labra-Doodles.
“Hand cutting really sets a style of repair, although it can be quite expensive,” he adds.
Nash suggests starting a puppy’s grooming education at about 12 weeks of age.
“I encourage early and frequent visits so the puppies can be properly handled and exposed to everything about the grooming experience,” she says.
“I charge very little for puppy trims, and I don’t charge anything for visits.”
That also goes for a dog who experiences grooming anxiety.
“It pays to be patient with a dog so he can enjoy a stress-free grooming,” insists Nash.
Beyond the obvious, there are many benefits to professional grooming.
Owners see their pets every day and may miss subtle physical changes.
But a good dog groomer is trained to look for and feel for abnormalities in a dog’s coat, skin, ears and mouth.
“I would only do nail trims and I ran specials on that – the usual pricing for nail trimming was $7 to $15.
“I also cut toenails on rabbits, birds and Guinea pigs. And I would consider grooming other pets, within reason, but I don’t groom cats because I’m allergic.
“When they leave our care, I want the dogs to be happy so when they come back, they want to come in.
“I make it a point to make friends with dogs and their people, too,” she concluded.
Nash’s dog grooming business not only helps support his family, it also helps fund God’s work.
He is a Christian who feels strongly about living out his faith through generosity to those in need.
“A portion of the proceeds of the repair business is returned to the community as various needs are brought to our attention,” he said.
After what she describes as a life-changing trip to Uganda, Donna founded a Christian outreach ministry in 2005.
Since then, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called Open Door Missions International has been supporting widows and orphans in Uganda as well as those in need in Nash’s local communities.
“We are not currently affiliated with any other churches or organizations,” he continued. “We are contacting local organizations who can tell us who needs help.
“When we moved to Pocahontas County, the Family Resource Network was looking for help with their upcoming events. I called and contacted them so we could help.
“We love what they do for the community and we donate to them.
“We were privileged to participate in the Veterans luncheon last year,” Nash said, smiling.
“What a wonderful event.
“It gave us the opportunity to see the wonderful work of the Pocahontas County Veterans Honor Corps, the Marlinton Woman’s Club and other community organizations. We also met so many Pocahontas County veterans.
“Once we get a little more settled here at home, we’re hoping to be more active in the community,” Nash said.
The Nashes are glad they moved to Pocahontas County.
“There are so many wonderful people here,” Nash said.
“They made us feel at home!”
Tails A’ Waggin’ has been consistently busy since they opened their doors just a few months ago. Right now, they are booked about two weeks in advance.
Appointments are required and repair hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Sunday through Thursday, unless special arrangements are made.
Donna donates Tails A’ Waggin gift certificates for raffles and silent auctions for fundraising events.
Tails A’ Waggin’ is located at 3044 Brown’s Creek Road (Route 28). Call the store number, 304-799-7277, for an appointment.
