As part of a multi-generational animal grooming family from Valley Home, Trendy Paws and Claws owner Terah Amerine knows a thing or two about making Spot look his best.
Amerine recently decided to follow in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps and open her own pet grooming shop on South Yosemite Avenue.
Open since November, Amerine has been busy getting her name out there and meeting new clients.
The decision to open her own shop came about when she realized her former career as a Community Service Officer with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department wasn’t going to allow her the flexibility she wanted to spend more time with her young sons, ages 1 and 3. As a child she grew up helping her mother and grandmother clip, shear and groom every animal possible, and since she also participated in 4-H, she learned how to properly groom at a very young age.
So when the time came to make a new career choice, the decision was an easy one.
“When we were little we would sneak stuffed animals into the shop and my grandmother would get so mad because we’d use her clippers on our stuffed animals and it would dull the clippers,” Amerine shared, smiling. “But I’ve groomed everything there is to groom.”
As a young 4-h’er, she showed sheep and horses and always did her own grooming.
Amerine admitted, she’s always had an affinity for animals.
“Every dog has its own personality, like people. They’re so happy to see you and it’s great to get to know their individual personalities,” Amerine said.
And she’s gotten some interesting grooming requests, such as Mohawks on dogs.
“It turned out really cute,” Amerine said. “But I don’t get those requests very often.”
Her favorite animal to groom is the Schnauzer, she said.
“They look like little old men with their long eyebrows,” Amerine said. “They’re so cute and their faces are so detailed. I just love them.”
For Amerine, grooming big dogs is a challenge simply because it’s hard to get the dog into the tub unless they can hop in themselves, but she finds ways around challenges.
For one bull mastiff who wasn’t interested in the least in getting into the raised tub, they simply bathed him outside – with the owner’s permission, of course — and using warm water. Then they brought him back inside to dry off. He went home clean and groomed and everyone was happy.
Although some groomers are hesitant to take on cat grooming, Amerine doesn’t mind at all, though she lets her mom take the cat jobs.
“Cats are mean,” Amerine said, laughing. “They don’t like water or the sound of the clippers and it makes them nervous. Plus, cats are so smart. They remember. I have one client’s cat who knows as soon as the kennel comes out that he’s going to the groomers and he hides. But I found his hiding place, which was inside a chair.”
One of the reasons groomers are reluctant to take on a cat job — aside from the sharp teeth and claws aspect — is because their skin is thin and easy to nick.
But Amerine is very careful to make sure her clients go home pretty and nick-free.
Another added service Amerine offers that may appeal to busy pet owners is her drop-off and pick-up service for a flat fee of $5 extra.
“People are busy and sometimes it’s hard to schedule time to drop off and pick up their animals,” Amerine said.
And thus far, it’s a service her clients enjoy using.
Amerine is also a big believer in getting groomed animals in and out in a timely manner.
“We don’t hold onto your animals. We have them done in two to three hours because we know the animals want to go home and it’s less stressful on the animal.”
A typical grooming includes nail trimming, ear cleaning, anal gland expressing, hair removal on pads and in the ear, as well as bathing and drying.
Costs vary by dog size but cats are $45.
For more information on Trendy Paws And Claws, call Terah Amerine at 209-848-2213. They are located at 334 S. Yosemite Ave., Ste. C1.