Dog Groomer Takes Her Show on Road

Jean Fleming deals with some pretty hairy customers in her line of work--and she has the scars to prove it.

“I had a German shepherd corner me in the garage years ago. It took me an hour to get out to call the owner to come and hold him,” she said.

“I put a phone in the garage the next day.”

Fleming escaped being bitten that time, but she has had many battles with reluctant canines during her 17 years as a dog groomer. “It comes with the business.

“I have a girl who works with me, and if we get a mean one, she holds him and we (wash) his face and put a muzzle on him. Once you put the muzzle on, he has no choice but to sit there and be good.”

Even with the bites, Fleming, 38, said she still loves dogs. She owns a Rottweiler, three poodles and a dachshund.

Grooming Van

For years, Fleming groomed dogs in her garage. That changed in March, when she began making house calls in her grooming van.

Inside the van, Fleming can bathe, clip, dip and brush dogs. She has a 55-gallon water tank, a propane-fueled water heater, a 55-gallon holding tank for the dirty water and a high-powered blow dryer. The electric grooming tools are powered by a generator.

Fleming bought the van at auction for $400. One year and $10,000 later, it was ready to roll.

“We can do any breed of dog or cat in the bus,” she said. “We did a St. Bernard yesterday.”

The service is especially popular among senior citizens, many of whom do not drive, Fleming said. It is also a help for people with big dogs and small cars.

Dogs and cats are not the only customers Fleming gets.

“I’ve had a few rabbits come in for a bath and their nails trimmed. I cut a guinea pig’s nails yesterday.”

And dogs are not the only tough customers. Their owners sometimes require special handling too, she said.

“I’ve even had people insist I brush their dog’s teeth.”