GROOMING IN HER GENES SEVENTH ANNUAL MARDI GRAS BALL: Saturday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m.-midnight, Fredericksburg Hospitality House (formerly Holiday Inn Select), Central Park, Fredericksburg, hosted by the Rappahannock Area Parrot Heads. Proceeds benefit the Pet Assistance League and the Companion Animal Rescue Effort. New Orleans-style dinner buffet; cash bars; music by The Rhondells; silent auction; and raffles. Casual dress. Tickets $40 per person; registration closes Monday. For tickets, corporate tables and donation opportunities, call Christi Maupin, 540/972-4588 or Cheri Thurston, 540/659-3294.

February 2, 2008 12:16 am

Michelle Strong of Best Friends Mobile Pet Grooming has attentive group of customers: (from left) Fluffy, Rusty, Buddy and Sweetie Pie Carr.

by eve carr

for

STAFFORD COUNTY resident Michelle Strong has never known a world without dogs-- plenty of them. As a child, back in her native Scotland, she started showing dogs when she was only 4 and continued to do so until her early 20s.

"I was always helping my parents feed, train, walk and groom all eight Chow Chows," she says in her Scottish accent. "That's a lot of hair!"

In addition to grooming their own dogs, Strong's parents worked with the Scottish Chow Chow rescue league as well.

"We always had some sorry-looking Chow Chow arrive at the house that they would miraculously make beautiful, so I guess grooming is in my blood," she says.

In the five years that she has been in the Stafford County and Fredericksburg area, Strong has worked as a groomer in two different shops, as well as at a dog day-care facility, where she learned about different breeds, temperaments and personalities. Then, a little more than a year ago, Strong took the big step and started her own business: Best Friends Mobile Pet Grooming.

Dog owners like her service because she comes to them with her fully equipped van, with its own generator, water heater and holding tank for waste- water. Their pets are never caged or exposed to other animals, the van is hospital clean and Strong is certified in pet first aid by the American Red Cross.

Best of all, Strong provides lots of loving, individual care, with tons of kisses and treats for each dog. Dogs with special needs, such as puppies, seniors and disabled, get extra care and loving attention.

Fluffy, Sweetie Pie, Rusty and Buddy Basset Carr are just a few of the dogs that benefit from Best Friends Mobile Pet Grooming. While none of them particularly likes having a "b-a-t-h," once they experience the climate-controlled van, with its hydraulic grooming table, warm water, full-size luxury tub, soothing music and state-of-the art dryers, they wag their tails to show that they really do enjoy the process.

They particularly like the fact that Strong uses a Dremel tool on their nails rather than clippers, which makes the process much easier for them.

While Strong feels lucky to have such a well-equipped van, to her it's just another tool--a tool to help her make dogs feel better. "The van is a nice piece of equipment," she says with a smile, "but my experience and my passion is just grooming dogs."

"I feel very fortunate that I am able to spend my day doing a 'job' that brings me so much joy, and I thank my very understanding husband, Steve, for supporting me as I live out my American dream," she says.

Strong calls herself "a self-professed dogaholic," so it's not surprising that, when she is not grooming dogs, she is still involved with them. She is a member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the Stafford Dog Club and the Pup 'N' Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center.

She and her husband thoroughly enjoy playing with their 4-year-old Portuguese water dog, Seamus (pronounced "SHAY-mus"), a qualified Therapy Dog, and taking him to the hospital as part of the Spirit Keepers, the Fredericksburg chapter of Therapy Dog International.

"He really enjoys all the petting from the patients and hospital staff, along with all his other doggy friends in attendance," Strong says.

In order to keep current, she also attends dog training and grooming seminars and dog shows.

Strong says "I treat all my clients dogs as if they were my own, and, trust me, Seamus loves being my boy."

Visit Best Friends Mobile Pet Grooming on the Web at bfgrooming.com/home.cfm.

Eve Carr of Stafford County is a freelance writer. E-mail her in care of
Email: gwoolf@freelancestar.com.