Fort Myers pet groomer offers haircuts, transparency

Published:
WINK News

Maria Roelle knows that for many dog owners who drop their pets off to groomers, the process can be a source of anxiety for them and their dogs.

“He’s part of our family and he means everything. If anything ever happened to him, we’d be devastated,” said dog owners Christine and Eli Finger.

Just four days ago in Tampa, a family’s dog died after being dropped off at a PetSmart. The company is already facing public scrutiny after other recent pet deaths.

“We actually changed groomers recently because we would drop him off and they would take him into a back room and I never knew what was going on back there. But I was always terrified,” Christine Finger said.

That’s why for years, Roelle has offered owners an alternative. Roelle is a groomer herself and owner of TenderCare Dog Grooming in Fort Myers.

“We want owners to see the whole aspect, the whole process of what’s happening,” Roelle said.

She welcomes pups and paw parents with open arms and an open layout.

At TenderCare, they have a different approach to dog grooming. They let pet owners go behind the scenes and stay with their pets as they’re being groomed.

“100 percent transparency. Let the owners see what’s happening with the dog and that we’re doing everything we can to make them comfortable and let the dog be calmer because the owner is standing with them,” Roelle says of her system.

She calls it “the owner stay service” and says it’s a popular pick among clients for various reasons.

“In an era of PTSD and depression and anxiety, we have a lot of owners that just need to be next to their dog,” Roelle said.

Owners say it’s comforting when they know their pet is in good, capable hands.

Roelle says she hopes her transparent system catches on with other dog groomers.

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