Upon entering the inner sanctum of Pawsome Pets one immediately recognizes the familiar layout of a beauty salon; the mirrors on the wall, and the carefully arranged white towels on the preparation side tables upon which rest, a neatly laid out line of grooming tools. Your awareness of the absence of barber chairs coincides with the furious yelps of the clientele present; five little dogs, one standing on a professional grooming table in front of the mirrors, the second posing in one of the two large bathtubs visible in the adjoining room, and the other three sitting in the temporary holding kennels. Welcome to Pawsome Pets – a Shangri-La Spa for pets, located at 56 Brickdam and Austin Place in Georgetown.
Cindy, a mixed Tibetan Terrier, stands patiently while Luana Pierre, the owner and Head Groom whispers reassuringly in her ear, simultaneously working on her tiny paws with a Nail Clipper. Bailey, Cindy’s housemate, is being dried by Kevin James, a trainee employee, in preparation for her turn on the grooming table where a series of shears will be applied to her coat to remove the excess hair.
Cindy and Bailey, who are there for their regular monthly ‘spa’ appointments, are basking in the attention being paid to them. Soon, the approximately two-hour exercise is over. After ribbons are tied to their ears- male dogs are the lucky recipients of bandanas around their necks – Cindy and Bailey, are placed on the ground, whereupon they vigorously shake their freshly pampered bodies before scampering off to the outer room to await the arrival of their owner.
Pawsome Pets, the paradise for pets, is owned and operated by Luana Pierre, a lifelong lover of animals. One of the eight 1991 graduates of the Regional Education Programme for Animal Health Assistants (REPAHA) where she received training in livestock and farm management, along with veterinary public health, Luana has taken a circumvented route to arriving at Pawsome Pets.
After working at the Ministry of Agriculture, Luana and her husband, Dr. Mark Pierre, a veterinarian, operated a poultry farm before moving to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for five years. Whilst in the BVI, the animal lover volunteered at an animal shelter where she was exposed to the art of grooming. Upon her return from the BVI, Luana attended the University of Guyana, graduating with a degree in Agriculture Science in 2015.
Thereafter, Luana decided to pursue her dream of operating a grooming salon for pets, an art form she had continued to pursue on a part time basis, whilst studying at UG. In March, 2016, with the assistance of the Small Business Bureau, she opened Pawsome Pets at the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen. Luana had being increasing her knowledge of pet grooming through online programmes and by attending Pet Grooming Expos in the USA. In September, 2018, with assistance once again from the Small Business Bureau, in September, 2018, the entity moved to its current location.
Pawsome Pets currently has three full-time and two part-time employees, all young adults who assist with the various aspects of the operation. Besides the grooming services which include bathing, trimming of fur, haircuts, clipping of nails, cleaning of teeth and ears, a transportation service is also provided for the picking up and dropping off of pets.
Pawsome Pets currently enjoys a client base with over 800 pets, of which 95 percent are dogs. The rest are cats.
When owners bring their pets for grooming, they also have the option to purchase a wide range of products offered for sale by the establishment. These include fresh dog meat, a complete line of imported all natural products, dog chow, toothbrushes, vitamins, powder, ice cream and cakes for their pets’ birthdays, and a comprehensive list of accessories
Although Luana recommends six-week grooming cycles for dogs, most of the regular clientele visit the entity on a four-weekly cycle. While the pampered pets attend on a fortnightly basis, the really fortunate ones visit every week. Walk-ins are a rarity since appointments fill the time slots available between 9:00 and 5:00, from Monday to Saturday, with the latter being the busiest day of the operation.
The list of pets, which is dominated by the names Max, Teddy, Princess, Milo and Bella, includes some travelling from the Essequibo Coast, the Corentyne, the Rupununi and all parts of Demerara and Berbice.
Luana, a true dog whisperer, dreams of expanding the range of services offered to include prepared balanced meals and the boarding of pets when their owners have to travel abroad. Hats off to Luana, who has carved out an exciting and potentially lucrative niche in an economic climate that promises to provide enhanced prospects in the years ahead.
Appointments can be made on the company’s website www.pawsomepetsgy.com or on its Facebook page Pawsome Pets-Guyana or by calling telephone number 592-501-0619.
