What's Happening at PETSAppeal

Passages...

2009-05-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

To all my dear clients and their companion animals,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you that I will be closing the Lakewood, Washington PETSAppeal store effective immediately. Mixed emotions because I am sad to be leaving all of you but excited about the new direction I will be taking as I return to California to take over one of my family’s businesses there.

I want you to know that it has been my pleasure to serve you during the three years I’ve spent in Lakewood and I’ll treasure my memories there always. I would like to take this opportunity also to recommend another groomer who (though a good distance away from Lakewood) is one of the best grooming teams I’ve ever met (and it just so happens they’re members of my family too). So it you don’t mind the drive to Port Orchard, check out Traci and Tonia at the Groomery, 100 Frederick Avenue (downtown at the Marina). Their phone number is (360) 876-5510.

Thank you again for all the wonderful times we’ve shared. Hopefully this won’t be goodbye. I hope our paths will cross again very soon.

Coming soon...a vacation for Todd

2009-04-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 1/2 years since Mom and I opened this shop and I haven't had a proper vacation since. Well all that's about to change. I'll be gone from Saturday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 17th so there will be no doggy or kitty grooming or daycare done by me between those dates. Mom will be standing in for me but only on very specific dates and there's no guarantee that she'll be available unless she confirms it in advance. My schedule for this week is filling up fast (as is the week I return) so if you want your grooming done before I leave or right after I get back, make your appointment now. Please note that boarding will still be available on a first-come, first-served basis (space is limited). Submit any boarding requests here and someone will get back to you within 24 hours. Thanks!

Free Shipping Offer Extended to April 30, 2009

2009-04-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

The response to our "Free Shipping" offer for products purchased online through PETSAppeal (for grooming, boarding and daycare customers only) was more successful than we expected - so we're extending it for another month. Don't miss this opportunity to save on both your pet supplies and your PETSAppeal services. This won't go on forever but it's sure helped get our online retailing effort off to a smashing start. See you soon. Todd

Free Pet Daycare for Job Seekers at PETSAppeal

2009-04-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Are you out of work? Need to go to a job interview? Do you need a fun place for your doggie or kitty to stay while you're there? During the month of April (and maybe longer if possible), we're offering free doggie daycare (and kitty daycare too) just for you. Pets must be non-aggressive and must be current on all their vaccinations. If you have any questions, contact us by email or call at (253)584-4207.

PETSAppeal appears on eBay

2009-03-30T14:40:00.001-07:00

Perhaps I have a bit TOO much time on my hands. I've decided (in addition to the online store I put in place a few weeks ago) to start offering some of my items for auction on eBay. The first of these is a 12 oz bottle of Espree Rainforest Shampoo - the same shampoo I use to get your pets so fresh and clean when you bring them in for grooming.) The starting bid is 99 cents!!! Try getting that at one of the big box stores.

Todd's Tweetin'

2009-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with the times. You can now follow your pet's grooming progress (and find out about instant Twitter-only discounts on products and services) at PETSAppeal.com. Twitter discounts won't be available anywhere else so watch closely and Save!

Pacific Northwest Grooming Show 2009

2009-03-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

I'm off to the great Pacific Northwest Grooming Show tomorrow (which has conveniently been relocated to Tacoma from Bellevue since 2008). I wasn't able to attend all three days this year as I was in years past but I still plan to find out everything that's new and improved as far as products, grooming techniques and other goodies to bring back to PETSAppeal on Monday. For those who don't know, these shows are held all around the country throughout the year. Barkleigh Productions Inc. (the company that organizes the shows) has been a great source of information and encouragement. Their products are almost exclusively marketed toward pet groomers but I thought they still deserved a mention here for all the good work they do to keep us together and informed.

Unpaid endorsement: Livestrong.com

2009-03-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different...

Many of my clients have noticed that I've been shrinking horizontally over the past year. Well, I'm pleased to say that this won't be issue any longer. I've reached my goal weight - exactly 100 pounds lighter than when I began on March 3, 2008. To the left you'll see my "before" photo (taken in Sarajevo in 2001) and my blog profile contains the "After".

One of the things I want to do with this blog is promote businesses, organizations, and individuals that I think offer something special and one of those is LIVESTRONG.COM. The cyclists among us might recognize the LIVESTRONG name associated with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and indeed it is Lance Armstrong who is the guiding force behind LIVESTRONG.COM. One of the many health related features on this hugely informative web site is "The Daily Plate" which offers users a free (or low cost subscription) way to log the foods they eat as well as the activities they do each day. Balancing my caloric intake with the amount of energy I burned each day was how I managed to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner and how I plan to keep it off for life. I can't say it was easy - but it wasn't nearly as hard to do as I thought it would be. So if any of you reading this are looking for a change of lifestyle that will lead to good health, plenty of energy, and a positive life change, check out LIVESTRONG.COM. I can't recommend it enough.

Low cost pet grooming at PETSAppeal

2009-03-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

The economic news has been a little mixed these past few weeks but things are still tight out there for a whole bunch of our neighbors. Too often one of the first expenses cut from the family budget during hard times is pet care. Well it may not be necessary for you to cut pet grooming from your budget if you have your grooming done at PETSAppeal.

Way back in October 2008 I realized that some of my clients were hurting financially. I implemented a special program to help when I can. It's been awhile since I publicized this so I wanted to take a moment to put it out there again - just in case some of you missed it the first time.

If you're unemployed, on public assistance, or just running low on funds and need to have your pet groomed, talk to me. I can usually reduce my fees to help match your budget and (in some cases) I'm even willing to throw in a freebie so that your pets don't have to bear the burden of these hard times. There's nothing that brightens up a cloudy day like a fresh, clean, and happy pet and if I can, I want to help make that happen.

Of course I can't do this all the time - I have to stay in business to be able to do it. So everyone is on their honor not to take advantage of this offer if they don't really need it. I have to limit these services to some of my slower business days (weekdays in the middle of the week are usually the best time) and I can only do one or two of these per day. You will need to have an appointment. So if this sounds like something you need, get in touch with me and lets see what we can do about it. If you're reading this and you know someone who needs this service but may not have heard about it, pass the information on to them. We're all in this together. Have a great weekend!

Why you should order your pet supplies right here, right now!

2009-03-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, PETSAppeal now offers online shopping with great products and GREAT prices. So why should you shop here (other than to please your wonderful and deserving pet groomer)? Good question. Here's a good answer:

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS PLACED BY APRIL 30, 2009*

How's that for a special? Now you get the convenience of placing your order online - at prices much lower than you'll find at your local retail outlet (including mine!) AND you get your items delivered wherever you like (including here) for nothing!*

So get on over to the eStore and start shopping today (OK...that sounded a little bossy, even to me - but you know what I mean).

IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ORDERING
*The small print: Original offer extended from March 31, 2009 to April 30, 2009. Offer available only to grooming, boarding, and daycare customers of PETSAppeal Inc. Customer must pay the shipping charges when checking out, print out receipt and present it at next appointment. Customer will receive a credit for 100% of the shipping charges paid toward purchase of grooming, boarding, and/or daycare services.

And now a word from the grumpy groomer...

2009-03-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I feel the need to say something about no-shows and last-minute cancellations. Anyone who works on an appointment basis knows exactly what I'm writing about and (I'm just guessing) the people reading this post probably aren't the people who need to read it.

Before I continue, let me say that I understand that life is what happens when you were making other plans. Sometimes missing an appointment is unavoidable; I get that. In such cases, an apologetic phone call or email is generally all it takes to mollify even the grumpiest of groomers.

But when there is no good excuse? Read on:

No-shows and last minute cancellations are not only impolite, they are costly both to the business owner and to other customers. When someone makes an appointment with me, that block of time is no longer available to other customers. Some groomers (and airlines) make up for this by overbooking their available schedules. Anyone (including me) who has ever had to wait 8 hours for their pet to be groomed or has been bumped from an overbooked flight knows how maddening that can be. It's hard to blame the businesses. Their costs don't go down just because a customer doesn't show up and they have to make money or they won't stay in business long. They end up having to pass the cost of this lost revenue on to other customers who do keep their appointments. It's not fair to anyone and is almost always avoidable.

I have chosen never to (intentionally) overbook my schedule. Anyone who visits my salon will immediately notice that I keep the number of simultaneous clients in-house to a minimum. It's safer and less stressful that way. When you visit a grooming salon with a small staff that's packed to the rafters with dogs and cats, they've chosen the other route and you can be sure that your pet will pay the price in stress and grooming quality).

I make a point of requesting as much advance notice of cancellation as possible from all my customers and have instituted a low-tolerance policy toward no-shows and last-minute cancellations, but it still happens.

If you are one of those unfortunate people who just can't keep your schedule straight, remember to give me your email address(es) and as many phone numbers as possible when booking your appointment. My automated reminder system will call you, email you, send you a text message, and do everything but shake you out of bed on the morning of your appointment. I'll do everything I can to make sure you don't forget. But if you do, please understand that I'm going to charge you for the appointment (and you will be required to pay the charges before I'll accept another appointment from you).

Now, to end on a happy note: I want to thank all of my clients who do keep their appointments and/or who do give me plenty of notice when they can't. You make my day every time you come through the door. See you soon!

Big Sale on Orijen Pet Foods at PETSAppeal

2009-03-18T20:23:00.001-07:00

The response to the St. Patrick's Day web special was much better than I expected. Thanks to those of you who took advantage of it. I'm really getting into this so here's another one:

15% off

All Orijen Pet Foods in stock
Offer expires Saturday, March 28, 2009
Limit: Two (2) 30lb. bags (or equivalent) per customer
Good only at PETSAppeal, 5929 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood WA 98499

Not valid for online purchases
Cash Value 1/100th of one U.S. cent

Just clip the coupon above and bring it in with you. If you want something that's not in stock (who knows how successful this will be), I'll give you a rain check and special order what you want.

A note about these specials: These are available only to customers who browse this site. If you want to know about the specials as they happen, be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed (I highly recommend Google Reader (no download required) for this.

Welcome Kia to the PETSAppeal Family

2009-03-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Kia Nicole arrived today and blessed the place with her infectiously upbeat personality. It's hard not to love a Westie, isn't it? They're so full of life! Welcome Kia. Thanks for choosing PETSAppeal.

Barter Opportunities with PETSAppeal

2009-03-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I posted a message that I was interested in bartering my services (grooming, boarding, daycare, web and database design/development) for some of the things I need. It occurred to me that I haven't repeated the message lately so here it is again. I'm interested in the following (and would be willing to trade my services for them):

WASHER/DRYER INSTALLATION
I have a stacked washer/dryer combination that needs to be installed. This will involve plumbing work (including running a gas pipe to the location of the washer/dryer).

INCOME TAX PREPARATION/BOOKKEEPING
I'm looking for a new accountant/bookkeeper in this area. My accountant of many years is in California and a bit too distant for my needs.

HOUSEKEEPING
I need someone to come in periodically and give the salon a thorough, top-to-bottom cleaning.

GRAPHIC DESIGN
I'm a pretty good programmer but my graphic design skills leave something to be desired. When I'm not grooming doggies, I have several web design projects ongoing and I could use some help with the graphics.

WINDOW REPLACEMENT
Some of you may have noticed that there is a window out at the front of the salon. This has been bugging me and it's time to do something about it. It's a small window (just to the right of the front door) but it's more of a job than I know how to do.

LIVING QUARTERS
I'm thinking of making myself at home in the Tacoma area (my current home is in Port Orchard as many of you know). I'd like to find a small to very small guest-house type of place (or a shared living arrangement with private entrance, kitchen and bath) where Porsche (my miniature Dachshund - more commonly known as the Landshark) and I can set up housekeeping. I'm particularly interested in something on the north side of town.

If you're interested in any of these opportunities (or know someone who is), please get in touch with me and let's see if we can make a deal.

Happy St. Patricks Day from PETSAppeal

2009-03-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I'm wearin' the old green smock today and hangin' out with a shop full of honorary Irish Setters (one of whom looks suspiciously like an Old English Sheepdog - but on such a day as this we won't hold it against him). We're all Irish today!

Don't miss our web special (today and tomorrow only). See below for details.

Web Special

2009-03-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

Book Now and Save

Take 20% off regular grooming price. Grooming appointment must occur on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 or Wednesday, March 18, 2009 during regular business hours. Space is limited so book your appointment now.

Visit MerchantCircle to get your coupon for this visit. And don't forget to leave a rating there when your grooming is done (thanks in advance!)

Terms and Conditions: Subject to Terms of Service. Limit one pet per family. Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer. Client must present MerchantCircle coupon at intake.

aStore Now Online at PETSAppeal.com

2009-03-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

At last! It took awhile but I've finally got the online storefront up and running. It actually turned out to be much easier than I thought and I'm a little embarrassed that it took as long as it did to get it done. This store contains a HUGE supply of products - all of which can be shipped directly to your home or business. You can also ship to PETSAppeal and pick up your products here. If you have any questions, please contact me. Happy shopping!

Welcome Moona to the PETSAppeal Family

2009-03-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today was Moona's first visit to PETSAppeal. Here's how she looked when she arrived. Moona (along with her brother Verdell - a Brussels Griffon) is new in town and hasn't been to a groomer in awhile. She she was badly in need of a new do.

Our first challenge was helping her get rid of the many, many mats in her coat. I didn't want to strip the coat and she tolerated the dematting process well. Still, it took 45 minutes of patience on both our parts to get her coat ready for her bath.

A few hours later, Moona was ready for her closeup (though after all that work she wasn't at all interested in standing for her pose and required a little artificial lift in the rear end). She was quite happy to be done and we spent the next hour playing while we waited for her people to arrive. Looking at her photo I can see that I'd like to spend a little more time on her head and ears next time. She was tired by the time I got there today and didn't want to stand still anymore so I can see that things are a little off balance. Hopefully we won't have to do any dematting next time (hint to her people - schedule her next appointment now!) so we'll have more time to work on the finer points.

Welcome Moona!

Welcome to my grooming blog

2009-03-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is a new undertaking for me. I've been a avid blog reader for years: constantly commenting on them on my Facebook page and gabbing about them with family and friends. But now I've decided to start one of my own. So what do I think I have to say that's so important that it needs to be broadcast to the entire world?

First let me exercise a little humilty and say that I fully understand the entire world doesn't hang out at the PETSAppeal web site. Still, more than a handful of my clients drop by here from time to time and I thought this would be a nice place to share some of my experiences with them and with their babies. I also hope to show the progression of my never-ending journey to better understand the profession I've chosen, the wonderful doggies and kitties that share the path with me, and the secrets I learn that not only help me do my job but might also be interesting and useful to others.

In future days (and maybe even later today), I'll be sharing some of my grooming and daycare experiences. If there are other groomers here, feel free to chime in. I'm always learning and if there's anything I can do better, I'd love to know about it.

Stay tuned...