The opening of Classy K9’s Dog Spa in Hespeler has been years in the making for Cambridge resident Carley Garcia.
A love for dogs and a job at PetSmart 12 years ago got the wheels turning for what is now a storefront business on Queen St. E.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to be a vet,” Garcia said.
“Then when I was 17 I began working at PetSmart as a bather, but watching the groomers I knew I always wanted to do that.”
In order to become a groomer at PetSmart, Garcia would need to be sent to a special grooming academy by the company where she would learn the tricks of the trade.
Unfortunately at the time, there were no open positions available, which prompted her to leave PetSmart to work at another salon where she would get the opportunity to learn how to groom.
“I told the lady at the salon I really wanted to learn and she began to teach me,” she said.
“From there on out it was trial and error. I basically taught myself. The more dogs you groom the more experience you get and you learn what the customer wants.”
But after grooming for a while, Garcia ventured off into another canine focused business, dog walking. It was a business she ran for 10 years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. When people were forced into their homes and restrictions tightened, the need for dog walkers diminished.
But as one door closed, another opened. Soon Garcia found herself pivoting back to grooming out of her house.
“With all the negative that came from COVID, I lost a business but I also gained one,” she said.
“I was doing it from home and it became a business of itself."
Throughout the years, Garcia knew grooming was always in her future. She was enthralled with the hands on creativity it offered.
“Everybody that comes in wants a different style,” she said.
“There’s variety in it. I was never a person that could sit at a desk in an office.”
She’s now excited to bring her services to the tight knit community of Hespeler Village and wants people to know that their furry friends are in good, loving hands when they walk through the door.
“I want a spa feel for the dogs,” Garcia said.
“Sometimes when you go into a grooming salon there can be a lot of commotion. One thing I’ve noticed is dogs tend to become calmer when there’s not as much going on. I’ve had better luck, especially with anxious dogs, when it’s a calmer environment.”
With a passion that has now turned into a business, Garcia knew Cambridge was a great fit for her because of the welcoming nature of the community.
“Everybody here is all for supporting each other, I really like that,” she said.
“To be able to provide a service for people and their dogs with something that I love to do, it’s really important to me.”
