April 13—Purr-fectly Superior, a mobile grooming business catering to pets in the Twin Ports amid the COVID-19 pandemic, opened on June 1. Owner Amy Laessig provides one-on-one repair services in the client’s home.
“I want to focus on the dog and give the dog a great experience so they can really enjoy it,” Laessig said.
A home environment can be more calming, especially with older or nervous dogs. The groomer even cared for dogs suffering from seizures.
“I see the difference in the dog, in the stress level, and how many different dogs respond to my way of doing it,” he said.
Laessig says salons do a good job, but many dogs can benefit from in-home grooming services.
“And I also have clients, where they themselves are sick or sick or old or unable to go out. And it only benefits them to just stay at home and I can go to them,” he said.
Setup can be the longest part of the job. Laessig carried an entire store in several bags. There’s a folding table, an industrial-strength dryer, bottles of shampoo, conditioner and other products, a shaver with multiple blades, a nail clipper and plenty of scissors.
“I have a slight addiction to scissors,” Laessig says, but “There’s a use for everyone.”
Dogs can be bathed in the sink, bathtub or, in the summer, outside. On Thursday, April 8, Laessig turned Bean Prettie’s kitchen into a salon to give Emily, a 4-year-old Yorkie, some summer style.
The dog may have been one of Laessig’s most famous clients. Dressed to the nines, Emily travels with her owner, Bean Prettie, to local auctions where a seat is reserved just for her.
“She’s quite famous,” said Prettie, who posts weekly photos of Emily in costume on Facebook.
The bath went well, but the big dryer scared the dog. Prettie held her for a moment, then Laessig put Emily down and let the Yorkie run to calm down before continuing.
Prettie takes the Yorkie to salons, but says she appreciates the comfort Purr-fectly Superior offers.
“I always feel bad when I leave him somewhere,” she said.
Since deciding to launch her own business, Laessig has been honing her grooming skills, taking classes and obtaining certifications in everything from cats and poodles to grooming protocols. -care for COVID-19, senior dogs and American Kennel Club-safe grooming. This month, she is taking a class to become certified in canine massage. Laessig also had some veterinarian technician training, although the Duluth Business University course closed before he could complete it, he said.
The launch of Purr-fectly Superior made sense to Laessig, who also raises sugar gliders and breeds French bulldogs.
“It really suits me because I love animals,” Laessig said. “I enjoy doing this. I have made friends with all my clients.”
The mobile salon offers grooming services for dogs, cats and rabbits, from shampoos, cuts and colors to nail trims and soft nail covers for cats.
Visit the Purr-fectly Superior Grooming Facebook page, call 218-576-2796 or email [email protected] for more information.
