Mallorie

Well I guess I should start by introducing myself. I am a 26 year old from northern Illinois.  I came from a mixed family. My dad and step mom live in Central America, while my mom, step dad, brother and sister live north of Chicago.

I started grooming about 7 years ago through a big box store. I went to school through the company and was certified to groom both dogs and cats. I greatly enjoyed the people I worked with, however I hated the way the company was ran. I did not agree with a lot of their policies. I felt the animals were put through a great disservice to save money and scam customers. The prices and packages were constantly changing. The products did not work properly unless used in large amounts. It was pure chaos most of the time.

I had many problems with the management after reporting employees hitting dogs and being laughed at for it.  That, along with the company not wanting to pay for my medical care when I got injured by a cat on the job, led me to quit.

I got a job at a private groom shop outside of the contract area to keep out of trouble. I had to jump through hoops to get my old workman’s compensation suit finished, but it was finally paid.

I loved my new work place. They cared for the animals and took great care of them. Dog Day Afternoon is a great little shop.  They do some very high quality work and are interested in furthering their business and skills. I loved working for them. I would highly recommend  them to
anyone in the Lake County area.

When I moved back into the area I decided that I wanted a bit of a break from grooming and was hired to help manage a pet health food store that I have been buying dog food from for the past couple years.  I have always liked the store and the owner very much. It is a store I very much believe in due to it’s focus on holistic foods.

I am now working for a veterinary hospital close by my house. I had built a good business relationship with them from my grooming career. It was one of the only places I could take my own dog without him coming back completely stressed out.  I have known several of the staff members for a long time and have been very impressed to see the direction the hospital has taken over the last few years.

I have a beautiful doberman pinscher named Renegade. I got him while living in Honduras for a few months after high school.  He had a rather rough start to life as a puppy coming from the bad part of town.  He was malnurished and had a lot of problems when he came to me at 8 weeks old.  He took a lot of work to get on the right track.  Due to his rough start he has had bad skin, allergies, and digestive sensitivity his entire life.  Under good care, he has blossomed into a beautiful dog.  He is a very good boy, but can be rather head strong. He brings many smiles to my face daily.

We lost my 15 year old baby sister in June of this year to a very tragic accident. It has been a very hard time for all of us handling the loss of such a passionate girl and her dog. Everyday is a challenge.