A love for dogs has always played a big part in my life. When I was a child many couldn't understand how I would fall in love with every dog I saw. As I got older I realized I had room in my heart for another kind of love. That was a love for a girl named Sandy, we were introduced to each other in the church we were attending. She had started coming to church while I was away in Alaska doing missionary work for three months. We dated for a little over two years and got married September 25, 1976. Shortly after we were married we got a Tea Cup Poodle, we named him "Bobby." We both loved him so much. He was also cute when we got him back from the dog groomer.
Our first daughter Michelle, was born in November of 1979. We were so excited being new parents and at the same time a little scared, as most new parents are. However little Bobby was not sharing in our joy, he was quite jealous at first. When Michelle got to the age where she could get around on the floor. Bobby and her became best buddies. It was so cute watching them play. We had one of those braided ropes, she would get one end and Bobby the other, they played tug-of-war back and forth.
One day we had left Bobby outside to go to the bathroom and he got hit by a car. We were just devastated, Michelle was to young to realize what had even happened to Bobby. You could tell though she missed her little buddy, we all did.
Our second daughter Melissa, was born in October of 1981. We were so sure we were going to have a little boy. By this time Michelle was almost 2 years old and we had been telling her she was going to get a little brother named Daniel. Well needless to say when we brought Melissa home when Michelle saw her, she said. Awwww baby Daniel. We had to tell her she didn't get a baby brother. She got a little sister named Melissa.
I wanted to get another poodle. Sandy said, Jim we don't have the money to get another poodle and pay to have it groomed all the time the way we should now that we have the girls. I told her, if she left me get another poodle I would learn to groom it myself. It wasn't to long after that I saw a ad in the newspaper for a free poodle. I called the number and she still had him. We went over to see him and came home with him. His name was "Johnny." We all loved him, he fit into the family as if he had always belonged. As I had promised Sandy, when it came time for a haircut I got a pair of clippers and groomed Johnny by the book that came with the clippers. Needless to say, he didn't look like the poodle in the book. Each time I groomed him he started looking more and more like the poodle in the book. Over the years my grooming skills continued to improve. Soon family members and friends were wanting me to groom their dogs. My little hobby over the years grew into a dream. A dream to someday make a career of dog grooming. In April of 1992, I started working at Addies Dog Grooming. (Addie was the name of the owners dog) I worked their for three years and July 1, 1995 I purchased the business. I wanted to make some changes to the shop right away. I wanted it to have a atmosphere of a home. I decorated, made curtains for all the windows out of a dogprint material. Soft music playing and the smell of potpourri burning. All to make the dogs fill right at home. In December of 1996 I added retail supplies in the shop. I have continued to make improvements to shop and still do.
I had always wanted a standard poodle and in May of 1996 I got one. I named her "Addie" after the shop. She is our mascot at the shop and is loved by all.
My wife Sandy, joined me at the shop in January of 1997. We make a good team, we do 10-15 dogs a day. We strive to make Addies Dog Grooming the best professional pet care grooming shop in our area with a lot of T.L.C.
Addies Dog Grooming truly is "T.L.C. Grooming In A Homey Atmosphere."
