ANNA – With bandanas, bow ties, neck ties, necklaces and tiaras, Pet Palace Pet Grooming aims to help dogs look and feel good.
Pet Palace Pet Grooming, which is owned by Kelly Joyce, relocated to Anna last month after 21 years in business in Piqua. Joyce and her daughter, Paige Shonk, operate the business and pride themselves on making animals comfortable then letting their personalities shine.
“They’re scared. They’re not sure what’s going to happen,” Joyce said of dogs that come in for grooming. “Once they’re done and they know they look good, they’re happy. It’s like a total transformation from when they walk in until they go home.”
During grooming – which includes services such as bathing, blow drying, hair cutting, ear cleaning, and nail trimming and filing – Joyce and Shonk work to learn the dogs’ personalities. Once they’re finished, they celebrate the dogs’ personalities by dressing them in accessories and having photo shoots.
“We kind of pick out the personality while we’re grooming them,” Joyce said. “The more they come, the more you get to know them.”
When they pick their pets up, clients get to take the accessories home. Joyce hopes the efforts show the zeal Pet Palace has and how much they care for the animals.
“There’s so many groomers,” said Joyce, who graduated from the Dayton Academy of Dog Grooming in 1998. “They can go anywhere. They don’t have to pick me, but I want them to say, ‘Hey, she does a little bit extra. She takes more time with them.’ It’s more one-on-one-based here.”
Joyce and Shonk wanted to emphasize one-on-one relationships when they moved the business from Piqua to Anna, a decision that was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pet Palace had to close for eight weeks this spring because of the pandemic and government mandates about non-essential businesses. The shutdown prompted Joyce to reflect on her business and reach the conclusion that it was the right time to relocate to Anna.
“I wanted to slow down,” she said. “I had several groomers and bathers. We would do about 20 to 30 (dogs) a day. I wanted to slow down. I didn’t want employees any more, and I didn’t want to do that many.”
Joyce converted a space in her home’s garage into a grooming salon with fresh paint, new plumbing, a new stainless steel tub, new flooring, a new sidewalk and an expanded driveway.
Joyce and Shonk now do all of Pet Palace’s work themselves, grooming approximately 10 dogs a day along with some cats occasionally. They’re both certified in dog CPR and first aid.
Pet Palace Pet Grooming is located at 12980 Ailes Road, Anna. It’s open Tuesday through Friday each week and is accepting new clients.
For more information, visit Pet Palace Pet Grooming on Facebook or call 937-773-6467.
