All About the Pets

In Plains, one dog groomer has moved and another has opened a new shop.

Pattie Waltner, owner and operator of Wag'n Tails Pet Grooming, held an open house Saturday at her shop on the west end of Railroad Avenue, where nearly 60 people popped in to see her grooming business.

"It's a meet and greet and so people can see my shop," said Waltner, who had treats for her human and canine guests alike. She also had treat bags of dog toys, snacks and shampoo for dogs and held two drawings for free grooming sessions.

Waltner has been a dog groomer for more than 35 years, most of that in Dillon, where she owned Heads to Tails Pet Grooming. After moving to Plains nearly three years ago, she started making grooming house calls, but people kept suggesting she open a shop, which she did in October.

Her new business is about 600 square feet, located in a former garage next to H&R Block. Waltner said it's a full service salon that offers cutting, bathing, nail cutting, and ear cleaning, and she does cats and dogs. She said she's done more than 100 animals from customers in Plains and Thompson Falls and said customer numbers are growing every month.

"I want people to know that they are the boss and I do what they ask me to do with their pets," said Waltner. "My clients are all celebrity dogs."

Shelley Bertrand, owner of Paws Here Pet Styling, moved her grooming business from a rented shop on River Road East to her own building on the corner of Hubbard and Lynch Streets, opening back up in January. Bertrand started in the business with Mary Kay Browning, former owner of Paws Here Pet Styling. She took over the business five years ago, but her business was growing each month.

"We had grown enough that we needed a bigger place. During the spring and summer we are really busy," said Bertrand, who originally went to college to be a veterinarian technician, but later decided grooming was a better fit for her. "This way I get to love the dogs and make them pretty instead of having to do any bad stuff to them," said Bertrand, who went from a 600-square foot facility to one that's just over 1,200 square feet. In her new place, she's added an assortment of dog and cat products.

Bertrand is also a full service salon for dogs and cats, which includes cutting, styling, brushing, bathing, nail clipping, and she does show style cuts. With one assistant, Bertrand handles about 15 dogs each day. Most of her customers return about every two to four weeks, although she said some come back even more often. She guesses that she takes care of two or three cats a month, mostly with baths and nail clipping. She said she uses only organic shampoos on the animals. She added that it takes her about two to three hours to get a dog bathed and cut, depending on the size of the dog. Nail clippings take about five minutes.

She has had calls for her services for a horse and a sheep, but turned them down, although she has worked on a couple birds and gave one ferret a bath. "They're really cool animals, but they're stinky," said Bertrand.