A Little Bit of History
My parents bought a
Miniature Poodle when I was 14 years old. I watched her being
groomed by a local groomer and was fascinated by the process. I
convinced my Mother to sign me up for an apprenticeship program. For
12 months I received one on one instruction learning all the special
techniques and styles of an all-breed groomer from a highly skilled
show groomer.
By the age of 15, I was a Professional All-Breed Groomer, that led to a
deeper interest in dogs.
My first "paying" job was as the
groomer at an established
Pet Boarding facility, Shores Kennels
in Clinton Township, Michigan.
In
1983, I opened my own grooming shop.
Not long after that, the owner of Shores Kennels
announced her retirement and approached me to purchase the lovely
old home on 1.5 acres. A good friend had the faith to invest
in me which enabled
me acquire the property and
business.
For 38
years I have had the pleasure of doing what I love, working with dogs & cats
while serving the pet lovers of the Metro Detroit area.
I have shown and bred high quality Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers since 1986 and in
2003 Vizsla were added to my dog family when I met and married
Patrick Fox. To date, I have bred and finished over 25 champions,
many have gone on to
win titles in multiple areas,
conformation, obedience and hunt tests. Some have been trained for Search &
Rescue, Tracking and Agility.
Despite my success in
the
dog world my proudest achievement was raising my 2 great kids.
Providing high
quality care to my clients and healthy pets to families across the
country, many of them here in the North has been very rewarding.
The reward for me are the smiles I see when people see how great
their dog looks after a grooming, when a pet is happy to see its
owners after a stay with us or when I put a new puppy into the arms
of a waiting family. It is akin to the feeling you get when you give
a gift that is appreciated. I live it everyday!
Patrick introduced me
to the North West Lower Peninsula of Michigan in 2003, I felt
a pull to be in this area stronger than any place I had ever been.
The green hills and rolling meadows take my breath away. I never
tire of looking at them, I travel with my camera and I am always
taking pictures. My photo library consists of many years of pictures
that all look the same!
But every time I take
pause to look at the scenery or take a picture, it's as if I see the
area for the first time.
We acquired property here between Mancelona
and Bellaire not
long after.
Since then, we have built a home in the area. Not surprisingly my thoughts were turning toward
spending more time here... it is difficult to go 'home'.
We have many friends
who live here and make
new friends every day with those who have long called this their home. It has been so much fun.
Some folks our age
think about going South...We look to the
beautiful vistas of Northern Michigan as our home!
