Retiring teacher changes career paths

A local woman has gone from grooming the community's youth for a proper education to grooming animals for a proper coat.

Michele McGuigan spent the last 24 years teaching at Thompson Falls High School, retiring at the end of this school year, but instead of taking a well earned break, she dived into a new career - the dog grooming business.

McGuigan is the owner of "Scrub Buddies Pet Grooming," located at 23 Burnham Lane in Plains. When Pattie Waltner of Wag'n Tails Pet Grooming of Plains decided to retire from the business, McGuigan decided to buy her equipment and set up shop in her parents' garage.

"I have always loved dogs and have raised Pembroke Welsh Corgis for over 18 years. It seemed like a natural thing to begin a second career with dogs," said McGuigan, who added that she knew after retiring from the education occupation that she would need a supplemental source of income. "It's been a lot of work with a lot to learn, but I'm enjoying it. It is a business that allows me to keep my own schedule, leaving me time to still show my horse and spend time with family," said the 54-year-old McGuigan.

Her hours will vary from week to week, but she plans to post update schedules on her Scrub Buddies Pet Grooming LLC on Facebook. People can also call for appointments at (406) 531-8121 or email her at [email protected].

She has worked with animals for more than 30 years as a 4-H leader and as the fair's horse superintendent and has been the owner of Lazy A C Quarter Horses with her husband, Chris, for 20 years, although they've cut back from 20 horses to four in the last few years. She used to give riding lessons and helped others train horses, but now she's focusing on showing AQHA Ranch Horse Versatility. Last year, she qualified at the Versatility Ranch Horse World Show in Oklahoma. She also works with her mother and father restoring and selling antique furniture and vintage items at the Wild Horse Mercantile, and she raises custom beef.

McGuigan began converting the garage in January with help from her parents, Jim and Sandra Newman, and her husband, who built the kennels. They moved the equipment to the site at the end of May. The business takes up about two-thirds of the garage. They painted the shop and installed plumbing, put in a drain and additional electrical circuits, along with new lighting and added a door. The Thompson Falls High School graphics design students helped create the business name and logo.

McGuigan taught for 28 years, including her first four years at a school in Leadore, Idaho. She graduated from Rocky Mountain College in 1992, majoring in equestrian studies and three years later received a degree in education from Montana State University in Billings. For the last 24 years, she taught high school social studies at Thompson Falls. She enjoyed teaching, but felt it was time to move on. "I don't want to teach until I don't like it any more. For the most part I still enjoy teaching," she said, adding that she'll miss the interactions with students and watching them mature through their high school years.

She took classes to become a groomer and recently completed a certification program. In addition, she's been working with Waltner since the end of January. Waltner, who had her business since October 2017, is helping McGuigan for her first month and if needed said she'd be available in the future. McGuigan has met a lot of Waltner's customers and hopes they'll continue with her at Scrub Buddies Pet Grooming. She's booked a lot of customers for June and July and already has a few new clients.

The majority of her business will be for dogs, but a couple of Waltner's former cat clients are also on board, which includes trimming their nails, bathing and brushing them, and giving them a shave, if needed. She'll do a variety of services for dogs - nail trimming, ear cleaning, brushing, bathing, and clipping.

Time spent on an animal depends on the size of the dog, its condition, and the desired grooming, but it usually ranges from two to four hours. She might later hire a bather and possibly a second groomer, but for now, except for Waltner's temporary assistance, she'll be on her own. She said she'll be limiting the number of dogs in a day in order to be able to give each dog the attention they deserve without being rushed.

McGuigan is a little nervous about opening a new business, but she's excited about her new venture. She realizes that being a groomer won't always be fun and glamorous. "Dogs do like to roll in disgusting stuff," noted McGuigan, but she added that she gets to hang out with the canines all day and transform them into a new dog. She said it's rewarding and the dogs smell great when they go home. "My main goal is for the dogs to have a good experience and be happy to come back."