Sophie and Princess clearly enjoyed getting gussied up one recent afternoon at Paws of Attraction pet grooming salon in Tempe.
Sophie, the 7-year-old Goldendoodle, was calm and still as Gena Parker finished clipping and brushing her short, fluffy coat. At the same time, Princess, a 15-year-old Shih Tzu mix, showed off her endearing underbite as Danielle Moore put bows on her ears and a glam collar around her neck.
The two dogs are regulars at Paws of Attraction grooming salon on the northeast corner of Southern and Mill avenues in Tempe. Moore, of Mesa, and Parker, who was born and raised in Tempe and now lives in Ahwatukee Foothills, opened the business on Oct. 18.
They met while working at a corporate pet store but wanted to deliver more personalized service and care.
“I think the biggest thing that makes us different is we make them feel like family,” Parker said. “That’s what we strived for even when we worked for big chains.”
Another advantage to a smaller grooming salon, she noted, is that pets are in and out in about an hour to an hour-anda-half, rather than three or four hours, as they are at larger operations.
Paws of Attraction usually only has two animals in the salon at any given time unless a family brings in multiple pets.
Because it’s a faster turnaround and calmer environment, everyone is less stressed.
“We wanted to be better than where we were, and we knew that we could do that,” Parker said. Moore added, “The clients need to feel comfortable dropping their pets off to us.”
Sophie’s owner, Kris Maita of Scottsdale, said, “We would drive to the ends of the earth to go wherever Gena is. We’ve never found anybody that’s done a better job on Sophie than Gena. We’ve followed her from one place to another. We’re glad she has her own place now.”
Her daughter, Emily Maita, added, “She’s patient, she’s caring, she loves Sophie, she loves all puppies. Sophie’s always excited to see her. She comes in wiggly. She’s not scared.”
Moore and Parker offer baths, haircuts, nail trimming, nail painting, fur dyeing, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, de-sheds and anal gland expression for dogs and cats. Moore is the “cat whisperer” of the duo, Parker explained.
“I prefer to do cats over dogs,” Moore said. “I personally think they’re easier. I’m a cat person, too. Cats know cat people.”
In fact, Paws of Attraction’s clientele is about 40 percent cats, she said.
“Finding a cat groomer in the area is hard,” Moore said. “There’s not a lot of us. And it’s a high risk to do cats,” she noted, because bites can get infected quickly.
Parker said that a key to successful, relaxed animal grooming is to be patient and understand their perspective.
“You have to understand what makes them tick, why they’re thinking that way, why they’re acting that way,” she explained.
Moore has 15 years of experience in grooming, and Parker has 11. Both are devoted animal lovers with multiple pets.
Parker grew up with dogs and said, “I used to bathe them when I was eight. I’d line them up in the tub.”
Moore wanted a pet when she was a child but wasn’t allowed, so her first job was at a major pet store. “My parents were so mad,” she laughed.
The two women chose to open their salon in Tempe because it’s centrally located between their homes in Mesa and Ahwatukee and convenient for most of their previous clients. It’s also near Arizona State University, and many students sharing apartments have pets, they added.
Prices at Paws of Attraction depend on the sizeand breed of the animal and are listed on their online booking system at pawsofattractionsalon.com. New clients get $10 off their first visit.
All pets get free bows, bandanas, bow ties and other accessories with grooming, and everyone gets a free glamour photo, Parker said, adding that some groomers charge for it.
“It took me 30 seconds to do a picture; why am I charging $20?” she asked. Moore added, “It’s a thank-you gift for letting us take care of your pet.”
“We just know what makes people feel good,” Parker said. “People remember how you make them feel and not necessarily everything you do.”