Mobile Grooming Business Takes to Streets

DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — Last fall, Melody and Jason McCord of LaPlace decided their business was, quite literally, going to the dogs.

They converted their old Winnebago into a grooming salon on wheels and took to the streets, grooming every type of canine from palm-sized Yorkshire terriers to towering English mastiffs under the name TransFURmations.

“It sure beats welding fumes all day long, every day of the week,” said Jason McCord, a former diesel mechanic, as he watched his wife work on Isabella, a year-old standard poodle.

The McCords had pulled their Minnie Winnie into the Gardunos’ driveway in Decatur to work on the family’s three poodles: one small, one medium and one large.

“The big one, she’s kind of a hassle,” Alicia Garduno, 12, said of Isabella.

After a somewhat slow winter, the McCords turned their mobile grooming business into a full-time operation.

“The bigger the hassle a dog is to get to the groomer, the more likely they’ll call us,” Jason McCord said.

But the mobile-grooming business lends itself to a variety of needs, catering to those who don’t want to transport a dirty dog, those without transportation, people who live in rural areas and a variety of other stories.

On the scene, the McCords set to work making the pups feel comfortable and then get down to business, bathing and grooming them in converted areas of the RV. The couple also breeds miniature dachshunds, so they’re used to having furry, four-footed companions around.

Their very first customer was Friendship Hill Retirement Home in Lovington, where they bathed and groomed Oz, a Newfoundland mix that serves as the home’s community dog.

One of the McCords’ most loyal clients is Reilly, a golden retriever owned by Philip Smith of Casner. Reilly, whose full name is Radar O’Reilly after the “MASH” corporal, has a bad case of allergies.

One day, while Smith was out taking Reilly for a walk, the McCords stopped their car and handed him a business card, and he’s been using their service ever since.

“It’s so convenient because he’s a big dog, and to get him in the back of my van and get him into town and take him to someplace that would give a bath and pick him up (would be an ordeal),” Smith said.

The couple said getting the word out about their work has been the most difficult part, but clients talking among themselves has helped considerably.

Patricia Uicker of LaPlace bought a dachshund from the McCords and since has used their grooming services several times.

“When they told me they were going to do this, I thought ‘Boy, I can’t wait,’” she said.

Her other dog, Jackie, is very sensitive and scares easily, but Uicker said the McCords have a gentle touch that keeps her calm.

“She’s the best dog in the world,” Uicker said.

Uicker had used a mobile dog grooming service when she lived in Michigan.

“It’s great for me because the dogs are more comfortable, and they don’t have to leave their home,” she said. “They know they’re right here, right close to their house.”

The dogs, as clients, are relaxing, the McCords said, and the ability to set their own schedule is an attractive part of the job.

“This has been a dream of mine for quite a long time,” said Melody McCord, who started off as a grooming apprentice in another shop.

This spring, the McCords received an offer to rent the grooming space at Ken’s Aquarium & Pet Supply on East Cerro Gordo Street. They quickly accepted and have been putting their personal touch on the space, changing the “Patti’s Pet Grooming” signs to reflect their presence.

For now, the McCords are parking the Minnie Winnie during the week, as they build up their clientele for the non-mobile business. They plan to hit the road every other Saturday, devoting the other weekends to working in the shop. The McCords said they will continue to serve their loyal mobile-grooming customers and some new ones by appointment as needed.

“I enjoy the people and the dogs,” said Melody McCord. “I think I enjoy the dogs a little more, but I enjoy it all.”

Filed under: Pet Services

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