10/16/2025
It’s wild to say I’ve been grooming for 13 years now. 🥺 Today my sweetest, oldest Schnauzer mix, Charlie, came in. He’s been with me since I was the salon manager at STL Vet Center — followed me through two locations, six years later he’s now 16 years old and struggling to stand.
He tried so damn hard today. He knows our routine by heart — standing for sanitary trims and paw pads — and kept trying even as he stumbled, no matter how many times I told him it was okay to sit this round out and let me do it while he sits.
I still remember that dim, quiet little grooming room where I first met him. I told him back then, “You just wait, buddy. One day I’ll have my own shop, and it won’t be anything like this.”
Fast forward to now… my name is in neon lights. I’ve grown, I’ve built something real — and I hope that sweet old man knows just how proud I am of him for sticking with me through it all. 💖🐾
God I love this dog, and I'm sobbing today mightve been his last visit.
Please keep this in mind, your groomer also mourns with you. The hardest part of this job for sure is saying goodbye. I wish we both had more time. Im happy he came to my salon over a box store that might not understand he isn't just a number. We didn't rush, we took breaks, its all about him when he comes! He is family and treated as such.
