Cork dog groomer: 'I get to spend my work day with the most amazing of creatures'

Dog-lover Jenny Walsh has harboured a dream since she was five years old.

She adored her childhood dog Fifi, and decided there and then that she wanted to be a dog groomer when she grew up.

Now this Cork woman has achieved her dream, opening up Jenny’s Grooming Salon just off the main road into Kinsale. It’s a tale of doggedness that has been many years in the making.

“I always knew it was what I wanted to do,” she says.

“I always loved dogs and hoped that some day I would be able to make a career out of spending every day with them’.”

But, as with the best of plans, life can sometimes throw a curveball.

Jenny initially studied business in college.

“To be honest,” she says, “I just wanted to be with my friends and have the college experience, but I knew in my heart it wasn’t what would make me happy in the long run.”

But, while on her third year college work placement, she learned that Creedon College of Canine Studies on the Vicars Road in Cork were doing a weekend course on dog grooming, and she enrolled.

“It was fantastic,” she says. “I learned all about the practical side, everything from grooming to identifying skin conditions, and the business course I had done stood me in good stead when it came to the theory of running our own business.”

As with many young people, Jenny wanted to travel and maybe save for a house of her own.

So she moved to Vancouver in Canada when she had finished her course and went on to secure a job at the PetSmart chain of pet superstores there.

However, her Irish qualification didn’t allow her to groom the dogs.

“It was when my friend told me that she was opening her own salon at home that I knew what I wanted for definite,” says Jenny.

“I wanted to come home to Ireland and start my own business.

“How I was going to do it wasn’t so straightforward at first as I needed a way to finance it.

“So, I worked my socks off to save enough to be able to purchase all my own equipment when I came home’.”

Back in Cork, Jenny secured a place at Maxi Zoo pet store.

Then the pandemic arrived.

During lockdowns in 2020, Jenny groomed pets for friends and neighbours, which gave her the drive to follow her dream.

“The was amazing,” she says. “The ancy firm, O’Mahony McCarthy in Bandon, sorted out all the paperwork for me to get ed and I went about organising insurance.

“In the end, settling on a tailored pet business package, I bought all my equipment and secured a loan for the grooming cabin.

“As soon as my new cabin was finished, I began to locally.

“Businesses were only too happy to help and allowed me to place business cards in their shops and people shared my Facebook page.”

So, what has Jenny learned since she opened her own start-up?

“I’ve learned that running you own business can be hard, it can be stressful as you try and establish yourself. But I’m lucky I get to mind and groom dogs all day and that is all the reward I need.

“It’s amazing to watch a nervous dog go from being unsure of the surroundings to waging his or her tail.”

Does Jenny feel that it’s a business that will succeed into the future?

“Most definitely. People love their pets; they’re a part of people’s families and very much loved, and pet friendly cafes in Kinsale and around the county are growing in popularity.”

In order to get an insight into what goes on at Jennys Grooming Salon. I brought my own springer spaniel, Flye - so named as he was found at the airport - down for a haircut and nail trim.

Flye, who arrived as a foster dog and eventually decided to stay with us, is as nervous now as he has been on day one and still leaves puddles when meeting anyone new.

But with Jenny, we had nothing to fear. She met me at the door and her sweet little bichon frisé Belle, who is 16 years young, met Flye. In no time at all, Jenny and Flye were friends and he happily let her begin her work.

Two and a half hours later, Flyne was looking sharp and looking happy.

‘He didn’t like the dryer very much,” Jenny tells me, “but I chatted to him and kept it on a low setting, and Belle kept him company, and he was fine.”

What are this ambitious lady’s plans for the future?

Jenny is starting a day care centre next month, with an aim to accommodate five or six dogs. Work is well underway with the play area, and she hopes to be in a position to employ someone soon to help her.

“I want people to be able to drop their pet to me, if it’s just for a few hours or for the full day, eventually I hope to be able to offer overnight pet minding. It’s all so exciting!

“I want to be the best at what I do. I’m living my dream and get to spend my working day with the most amazing of creatures, dogs!”

Jenny has a Facebook page – Jenny’s Grooming Salon and is on Instagram: @jennysgrooming