Southside Grooming

12/26/2023

Another Holiday Season, another group of pups all ready for Christmas!
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It’s been a busy and challenging first year at the new shop, but I wouldn’t have made it here without all of my amazing clients!! 💜 Thank you for your support and I can’t wait to see everyone in the New Year! 🎊
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11/22/2023

Hello everyone!

Many of you may be aware of the developing Canine respiratory situation down in the States, but here is some more information from the VCA Animal Hospitals of Canada.
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As is always the case for grooming appointments with me, your dog MUST be rescheduled if they are not feeling well. While I do work mainly one on one, I will be working harder to limit crossover between clients, and ask that you are prompt with pickups to help facilitate this. If you would like more than 30minutes notice for pickup, please don’t hesitate to ask!
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If you have any more questions or concerns regarding the respiratory illness, please reach out to your vet for guidance. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of my policies or practices, reach out to me via text or messenger anytime. 💜
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https://www.facebook.com/share/rCnvrB2HJAE9h3eD/?mibextid=aI5dXw

Alert: While there have been no documented cases of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) in Canada, it's important to stay informed about the respiratory illness that is affecting canines in some areas of the United States.

Although the situation is currently confined to the U.S., we encourage Canadian pet owners to be aware and cautious. Diagnostic testing in the U.S. has not yet confirmed the cause of this respiratory illness, but we can take proactive steps to keep your dogs safe.

🛡️ Preventive Measures for Your Dog: Please see below for a few advisories we recommend for helping reduce the risks of canine respiratory exposure and sickness. If traveling to or from the United States, consider reducing your dog's interaction with other canines.

10/29/2023

Nothing better than a successful groom day with a great groomer friend!! 💕

10/09/2023

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my wonderful clients!! 🦃
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Feeling especially thankful this year for everyone who has continued to support my business through all of these changes. I couldn’t do it without you! 💜 🐶
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I hope you’re all enjoying this absolutely gorgeous long weekend, and give your pups an extra pet for me today!!
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07/14/2023

Office manager Murphy would like to let everyone know I will be back from vacation this weekend and replying to all messages by Monday July 17. Thank you all for letting me take a break from work!! I appreciate your patience, and can’t want to see all of your pups again. 💜
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05/17/2023

Hello! My name is Kathleen, and I’ve been hoarding pictures of your dogs 🫣. Please forgive me and enjoy these sweet faces!
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As my schedule is finally settling down, I have a few more openings for new clients! This will be for small to large haircut dogs, or small/medium bath dogs only. Message or text to inquire. 💜
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04/19/2023

Today’s shop supervisor, Biscuit, would like to request more treats, and less brushing. 🐕
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02/15/2023

Happy 💕Love💕 Day to all of my two and four legged clients! I've certainly been feeling the love lately with everyone's patience and support throughout this journey. It's been a crazy 6 months, and while it took a lot longer than I had hoped, I am finally able to start everyone back on their usual schedules. (I will be holding off on accepting new clients for just a bit longer while I get caught up.)
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If you haven't heard from me recently, I will be reaching out to everyone on my list as quickly as I can, but feel free to send me a message as well. 💜
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05/16/2022

Hi everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper post, and I truly appreciate everyone’s support while I navigate this roller coaster of grief. 💔
We’re halfway through May and I thought it would be a good time to touch base with everybody and share some Southside Grooming client policy refreshers and updates! After reviewing the info below, please feel free to message me if you have any questions!
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Booking Info:
I am currently booking 6- 8 weeks in advance, and Saturdays are only available to repeat Saturday clients. While I always have a cancellation list running, I strongly recommend having at least one appointment booked ahead of time.
If I have NOT seen your dog in the past 6 months, I cannot guarantee an appointment and will have to add you to my cancellation list.
SUMMER scheduling – I will be closed for a break at the end of July and beginning of August. Everyone’s appointments will be postponed by a week or so and I will be working on this schedule over the next few weeks. If your schedule or availability changes for the summer, please let me know!
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Appointment Etiquette:
While many of us have adjusted back to maskless interactions, I am still happy to accommodate any of my clients who prefer to stay masked by masking up myself. If you happen to arrive while another client is dropping off or picking up, please remember to give everyone space and wait your turn.
I do have cameras to watch for your arrival, but you’re welcome to text me when you pull up if you like.
As always, your dog MUST be pottied before their groom appointment, no exceptions. Trust me, I can tell when they’re not. 😉
If you find yourself more than 10 minutes early, please take that extra time to let your pup sniff around the trail beside the house. I schedule appointments to avoid clients running into each other, so please respect your drop-off and pick-up times, or be sure to communicate with me if you're running ahead/behind schedule.
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Cancellations & No-shows:
Please remember that I require a minimum of 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment in order to fill that time slot. If no notice is given, or you fail to show, a no-show fee of 50% of the groom fee will apply. Second offences will be subject to the fee, and you will be required to pre-pay for the following appointment (non-refundable).
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Price Adjustments:
Starting June 1st, I will be adjusting groom prices to ensure that my ever-increasing operating costs are covered, and that I continue to be aligned with the industry standard. I can inform you of your pup's new total before your next appointment if desired!
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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! 💜 🐶

03/08/2022

Happy Monday (evening) everyone!!

I’ve made it home from vacation and I am prepping for a busy week. Regular business hours resume tomorrow! If you haven’t heard back from me in the last week or two, expect a reply in the next few days. 💬

😷 I also wanted to take a minute to address the recent Covid-19 updates. The government of Alberta has lifted many of the remaining Covid related health restrictions, including public masking requirements. Southside Grooming will continue to remain a mask-friendly space and a judgement-free zone. I’ve been wearing a mask for years while grooming and will continue to do so while in the salon. I am looking forward to seeing many more smiling faces in the coming weeks, but please feel free to continue to wear a mask if you feel more comfortable doing so! I am more than happy to keep mine on for drop-off and pick-up for any clients who would prefer that.

I still ask that you continue to respect physical distancing between any other clients. While I try my best to reduce crossover, if you see another client in the driveway or lobby, please wait until they have left to come up to the door.

Thank you! 💜

Kathleen

12/12/2021

Christmas is officially just two weeks away, so I figured I should get a head start on sharing some holiday photos! 🎄
I hope you are all having a great weekend so far, and enjoying this mild weather while it lasts!!
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11/01/2021

Another and photo explosion for you all!! I definitely underestimated how many pictures I took over the last few weeks. 😅
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I hope you all had a great Halloween!! 🎃 Please remember to check in with me if we haven’t booked your pup’s next groom yet, as November and December are almost fully booked!!
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10/09/2021

Another long weekend has arrived! I actually remembered to take a few pictures lately 😉. Enjoy some adorable pups, all ready for fall!! 🍁
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I’m now closed, and will be back to regular business hours on Tuesday!!
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09/30/2021

Thursday, September 30th, will be the first year that Canada officially recognizes the day as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Some 25 plus years ago, this would be the time of year that children were taken from their families and forced into residential schools. It is important that we take the time to educate ourselves on the true history of Canada, the Indigenous Peoples who were here before us, and the ways we can continue to be allies to those in need.

This year, I will be donating the proceeds of all grooms on September 30th to the Orange Shirt Society. You can learn more here : https://www.orangeshirtday.org/about-us.html

There are so many resources available to educate us, and to donate for change, and I encourage everyone to take time this Thursday to learn more, observe, and reflect. Unsure where to start? Check out some of the links below.

Together we can be the difference our country needs. 🧡


Read Phyllis Webstad's book, The Orange Shirt Story:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41971688-the-orange-shirt-story

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action can be found here :https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

The University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada course is free for all. Enrol here :
https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html

The City of Fort Saskatchewan is recognizing the day with events at City Hall, starting at 2pm: https://calendar.fortsask.ca/Default/Detail/2021-09-30-1400-National-Day-for-Truth-and-Reconciliation

Listen to Tanya Talaga’s Seven Truths on Audible
https://www.audible.ca/pd/Seven-Truths-Podcast/B08NXZGC4X

Learn more about the painful story of residential schools. Watch Indian Horse on Netflix:
https://www.netflix.com/title/80211455

Support residential school survivors and their families.
https://www.irsss.ca/home
For 24/7 crisis support, call 1-800-721-0066

Even more informations on ways to help and places to donate:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-support-survivors-of-residential-schools-1.5453277

09/03/2021

Looking for the long weekend like… 👀
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Enjoy the great weather and extra time with your dogs and family!! 🐶💜 I’ll be back to regular business hours on Tuesday, September 7th.
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08/26/2021

Happy from me and my favourite hound dog!! 💕
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My page has been a bit stagnant lately, so please share your pics to brighten things up!! Comment on my Facebook post, or tag me in your stories so I can share!! 🐶 And don’t forget to give your pups an extra pet from me. 💜
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07/02/2021

July is here!!! And besides (hopefully) bringing some changes in the weather, there are a few changes now in effect at Southside Grooming.
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😷 Mask mandate - as we all know, the province has removed the mandatory mask mandate, and the City of Fort Saskatchewan has done the same. As a small business, with very short in-person contact time with my clients, I have decided to leave the decision up to you. I will personally continue to wear them during drop-off and pick-up, and will reassess my decision every few weeks. This is a judgment free zone, and I will respect your choices as well.
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As outlined in my June 14th post, price adjustments have begun as of July 1st. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to know your pup’s new total ahead of time, or if you have any questions!
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Stay cool and safe everyone! The rain and cooler weather is finally in sight. 😂 (I never thought I’d wish for rain so much).
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07/01/2021

A whole lot of feelings this year that can’t quite be put into words. I hope you can all take some time to reflect on the dark parts of this country’s history that we need to bring to light. There is no denying the injustices done to the indigenous community. We need to educate ourselves and accept, not deny, in order to start healing.
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06/20/2021

I finished up yet another busy week today with brother duo, Eddie & Theo!! …okay technically it ended with my hubby’s haircut, but he wouldn’t sit still for an after photo. 😂
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Don’t forget to book your end of summer grooms! I’m currently full until mid August, and filling up quickly. **current clients only**
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06/15/2021

Can you believe that we're almost halfway through 2021? Cutie pie Finn is here to bring some Southside Grooming client policy refreshers, and updates! Please be sure to read through all of the information below, and text or message me with any questions. ☺️
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Booking Info:
I am currently booking a minimum of 8 weeks in advance, and the majority of my Saturdays are booked for the remainder of the year. While I always have a cancellation list running, I strongly recommend having at least one appointment booked ahead of time.
If I have NOT seen your dog in the past 6 months, I cannot guarantee an appointment and will have to add you to my cancellation list.
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Appointment Etiquette:
I ask that everyone continue to respect the mask bylaw while it is still in place. If you would like to have a contactless drop-off/pick-up, please let me know ahead of time or upon your arrival.
I do have cameras to watch for your arrival, but if you'd like to text when you pull up, that is always welcome.
Your dog MUST be pottied before their groom appointment. I'd much rather you drop off a few minutes late because you're out walking your pup, than be cleaning up p*e and poo the second your dog gets into the salon (trust me, it's very obvious when they haven't used the bathroom for a few hours).
If you find yourself more than 10 minutes early, please take that extra time to let your pup sniff around the trail beside the house. I schedule appointments to avoid clients running into each other, so please respect your drop-off and pick-up times, or be sure to communicate with me if you're running ahead/behind.
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Cancellations & No-shows:
Please remember that I require a minimum of 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment, in order to fill that time slot. If no notice is given, or you fail to show, a no-show fee will be applied to your dog's next visit. Second offences will be subject to the fee, and you will be required to pre-pay for the following appointment (non-refundable).
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Price Adjustments:
Beginning July 1st, I will be adjusting groom prices to ensure that my increased operating costs are covered, and that I continue to be aligned with the industry standard. I will inform you of your pup's new total before your next appointment.
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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! 💜 🐶

05/28/2021

Have I ever mentioned how much I loooovvve getting your pics from home? (Especially if your pup is happier posing for you than me 😂).
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Rex and Molly are two of my favourite farm dogs 💜 and man they clean up nice if I do say so myself. 😉
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**Just a reminder, I am currently booking into July/August and still unable to accommodate any new clients at this time**
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05/22/2021

Jersey is all smiles about the arrival of the long weekend!! ☀️
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A special thank you to my understanding clients this week while I deal with a *minor* back injury. Thank goodness for three more days off and those Costco back pain pills, am I right?
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I’ll be back to regular business hours on Tuesday May 25th. I hope you all enjoy your weekend!!
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04/09/2021

I just had to share this with you guys. This first pic is from Goose’s very first puppy groom, only 18 months ago!! Swipe to see his epic !! ( ?) Goose was in for a spaw day today, and we finally made it back up on the main grooming table! You definitely can’t force a Newfie to do anything they don’t want to 😂.
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Also full disclosure, I may also be making this post to avoid cleaning my shop...
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04/04/2021

04/04/2021

Happy Easter Sunday to those who celebrate. 💐 I hope everyone is having a great long weekend!!
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**A reminder that I am closed through Tuesday, returning to regular business hours on Wednesday April 7th.**
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03/21/2021

The First Day of Spring - A Story
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By Henry the Collie mix
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