A dog grooming business in Wiltshire has been nominated for a prestigious national award.
L A Dog Groomers, based at Mile Elm Farm near Calne, has made it to the final of the Animal Star Awards 2024 after being nominated in the Dog Groomer of the Year category.
The local salon is run by business owner and fully qualified dog groomer Lucy Phillips, with the help of her best friend Paige Smith, who is currently training to become a groomer herself.
Ms Phillips told this paper the nomination “meant the world” to her and the salon.
The 35-year-old said: “We were nominated and then got through to the finals, it’s really exciting and it means the world to us.
“The judging panel has looked into all the dog groomers and spoken to customers to see who has a good reputation and decide who goes through.
“It’s quite nice that they’ve had a look at us and chosen us, it’s definitely a proud moment because there are only two of us, so we’re only a little salon.”
The team will be attending the Animal Star Awards evening in Nottingham this November to find out if they will take home the prize.
Ms Phillips first started the business in 2010, under the name Dog’s Bodies, but rebranded it as L A Dog Groomers in 2022.
In August that year, the firm moved to their current home at Mile Elm Farm, and they have since been able to quickly increase their trade.
They now have 503 different dogs of all breeds and sizes on their books.
Ms Phillips added: “When we moved, we started from scratch but customers have found us again and we’ve had a lot of new people.
“In the last few months, we’ve got an online booking system and we’ve seen a lot of new customers.
“The business is doing really well at the moment, and it’s been surprising how many dogs we actually look after, we don’t turn anyone away and give difficult breeds and rescues a chance.
“It feels really good because it was definitely a hard time through Covid, so it's reassuring that this has done well because you don’t know which way it will go.”
Construction is due to begin soon on a purpose-built salon at Mile Elm to upgrade the current premises.
It is expected that the new site will be completed by this summer.
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