Economy tough for local dog groomers

Published 11:44 pm Sunday, November 9, 2008

ARLINGTON — When people struggle, their pets struggle.

Business has been slow this fall at Neva’s Grooming Salon in Arlington. Neva Geithman, the salon’s owner, said she is grooming about six dogs a day on average.

“Everybody is pinching pennies these days,” said Geithman, who has owned her dog grooming business in Arlington for about 21 years.

This is one of the slowest autumns she’s ever had during her career, Geithman said. Inside the small salon, there are signs of a sluggish economy: empty cages and a notebook with few appointments. And her 18-year-old son, Josh Geithman, has been helping the business, as he tries to find construction work.

“It’s been incredibly hard to find a job,” he said.

Neva Geithman said she’s still been able to pay her bills, thanks to her regular customers. Had she just started her salon, things could’ve been harder, she said.

“They are still taking care of their babies,” she said. But she fears that customers will wait longer between groomings.

Other pet-related businesses are struggling as well, said Sally Jolly, owner of Country Pets &Grooming in Snohomish and the PetStop in Monroe.

“The economy has put a large dent” in business, Jolly said.

People come to her stores to sell or donate their pets, Jolly said. Pets give people comfort, but they may not be as essential as food or children.

“People are giving up their animals because they can’t afford them,” she said.

Meanwhile, dog grooming is immune from a recession to some extent, Geithman said. No machines can do what she does with her hands. She’s been taking care of dogs for 27 years. She stopped grooming cats after getting cat scratch fever.

“I love animals; I love taking care of babies,” she said.

Shannon Denton has relied on Geithman for dog grooming for about a decade. Her husband works for Boeing, and the union strike has required her to cut spending on groceries. Still, Denton recently had Geithman groom her two dogs — Tyson, a 4-year-old papillion, and Maxx, a 3-year-old dachshund mix.

“They were a lot stinkier; they needed help,” Denton said.

The service cost Denton $90. It was worth it, she said.

“I trust her,” she said of Geithman. “She’s very gentle.”

The holiday season is usually the busiest time for her, Geithman said. But she expects that the national economy will remain weak this winter and throughout 2009.

“We’ve got another year to deal with this. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said.

She likes her job, even though it comes with a small setback, Geithman said.

“I don’t have a dog,” she said. “I know this sounds funny. Dogs need people around them, and I can’t be with them” at home.

Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.