Double treats for pet groomer who goes ‘above and beyond’
PROOF that Woofs of Wixford is top of the dog grooming business came courtesy of a second accolade recently.
The spa and pampering service based near Alcester has just picked up the Best Pet Grooming Business in the UK Business Awards for the Warwickshire region for “providing a service that goes above and beyond”.
In April owner Catherine Smith and her team picked up the Pet Retailer of the Year 2024 in the category of pet and animal care for what the judges described as “exemplary customer service and commitment to the welfare and happiness of our furry customers (and their owners)”.
Describing the double victory as “awesome”, Catherine put the wins down to the exemplary care at Woofs of Wixford, which she set up two years ago. In particular, the business has expanded with specialist care aimed at elderly dogs and those recovering from injury.
“I don’t like it to be like a conveyor belt,” Catherine said. “We make sure there’s a calm, relaxing atmosphere and we like to have time to see the dog and give them a cuddle before they go into the bath.”
The team use dryers that are quieter and there are only ever two or three dogs in the salon at any one time. “These are dogs, they have feelings,” Catherine pointed out.
Catherine, who lives in Wixford, owns five dogs of her own – a large standard poodle, miniature poodle, two cockerpoos and a miniature dachshund. She says there’s been a huge jump in demand for grooming, as after Covid, more families have been working from home and are able to own a dog.
“The best bit of my job is seeing a dog after they’ve been groomed and they’re calm and happy and I know we’ve done a good job because they’re not stressed,” she said.
“When their owners say, ‘Let’s go’ and the dog’s not desperate to jump down off the table but happy to stay a bit longer with us, that’s a sign they feel totally comfortable.”
