Community Corner

Meet the Owner of a Local Pet Grooming Salon

Dacula resident Tina Smith has been grooming since 1988.

Dacula resident Tina Smith is the owner of , a pet grooming salon in Winder. She has owned the business for almost three years and has been grooming since 1988. The business recently received the Barrow Journal's 2010 Reader's Choice award for best pet grooming. 

Patch: How did you get into your line of work?

Tina Smith: Originally, I was a homemaker. Basically that’s all I knew how to do. My husband was transferred here. He had always been in the veterinary end of the grooming business. He had been working for McKesson since he was about 18. He was transferred here in 1985 from Louisville, Kentucky. We had always lived with my parents before we moved here. We had four children. So he tells me, “Well, you know, you’re going to have to get a part-time job and help out.” And I’m like, “OK, I don’t know how to do anything but take care of you and the children.” So I proceeded to start looking for jobs and what happened was I had went to this very small grooming shop in Smyrna, but (the owner) didn’t hire me for grooming. He had two businesses. He used to clean new houses and so that’s what he originally hired me for … to get the houses clean for the occupants to move in. But his shop had gotten really, really busy one Saturday and he just came to the site, and he was looking around and, lo and behold, he just said, “You, come down, can you come and help me?” He took me to his little, small shop and there he taught me how to bathe and that’s how it originally got started. I learned how to bathe the animals and I guess I kind of liked it.

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Patch: What’s the best aspect of your job?

TS: From the personal point of view, I guess I do like being in business for myself. From the working point of view, I find grooming sort of relaxing. For me it is, especially when I have calm dogs I’m working with. Most of the dogs are pretty sweet. I like meeting all the different parents of the dogs. Most dogs are like their owners and the owners are like their dogs. I meet a whole lot of really nice people.

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Patch: What’s the worst aspect of your job?

TS: Well, I have gotten bitten one time, but that really didn’t deter me from grooming. Worst aspect of my job? I guess during the holidays, when it gets really, really, really extremely busy and everyone wants to have their dog groomed and you’re rushing and trying to make that happen. Sometimes that can be kind of tiring. But there’s nothing that I can really say I really dislike about my job.

Patch: What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

TS: Now that all my kids are grown and gone, just having the opportunity just to relax and do absolutely nothing. I love movies, all kinds of old movies. I like spending time with my grandchildren. I don’t really do anything in particular. I guess I just like the idea of having to do absolutely nothing (laughs).

Patch: What is your personal business philosophy?

TS: Well, really, I had always wanted my own business when I was younger, when I was developing my skills. I wanted it more then than I do now. Now that I don’t really want it, but I guess when you’re younger you have all these ambition and all this high energy, and you’re ready to just tackle the world. I guess as you get older I guess you get a little bit more calmer. You take life one day at a time. I don’t know, life seems to be a little more relaxing and you’re not in a rush to do anything.

Patch: How many dogs do you have yourself?

TS: Two. I adopted Schnapps, (a dachshund), when he was 6. I believe in adoption because there’s so many pets out there that need homes. Right now, I guess he’s about 16 years old. When he was younger he had a fun personality. He likes to cover himself up n his covers, his blankets. Now that he’s gotten older he tends to lay around, he likes to take long walks and he’s pretty much lazy. The other one, William, he’s a schnauzer. He’s very energetic and he has a loud mouth (laughs). He loves to talk, but he’s a very friendly dog. William is 4 years old.


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