Three years ago, a groomer was caught on video swinging a fluffy cockapoo named Gidget from a grooming harness, roughly handling it and repeatedly throwing it against a table.
The 8-minute video quickly went viral after the groomer, the Fuzzy Butt Stops Here owner Mironda Henning, was convicted of animal abuse.
A Williamsburg-area couple, Victor and Brandi Torres, are looking to rewrite the narrative associated with 3715 Strawberry Plains Road, the location where Henning was filmed abusing the dog.
Pawpular Pets Dog Grooming — owned by Brandi Torres — is opening in Fuzzy Butt’s former location with a new name and a patient approach to handling animals.
“Dogs can’t speak so we really have to be their voice,” Brandi Torres said.
Brandi Torres aims to provide individualized grooming to each dog — and unlike some large groomers, she plans to take her time with each dog so the animal will have a positive experience.
The family-owned grooming business will have its soft opening June 22. It will have its grand opening June 29, which is also Brandi Torres’ birthday and the Torreses’ four-year wedding anniversary.
History
Brandi Torres, 30, said she started her career in pet grooming at PetSmart in Newport News about 12 years ago.
She began as a cashier, then a bather when she turned 18. After bathing dogs, she went to the grooming academy and took a four-week course.
Since starting at PetSmart, Brandi Torres has worked at other private and corporate groomers and boarding facilities, learning the tricks of the trade in numerous settings.
She said she works with the customer so the dog gets the exact cut and groom the owner is looking for.
“Brandi is the mastermind when it comes to technical skills,” Victor Torres, 32, said.
Having such an inclusive work history has helped her pick and choose the methods she thinks will work best for her own business, including how to schedule the animals to eliminate long waits, she said.
Much of Brandi Torres’ experience also revolves around keeping the dogs and herself safe during the grooming process. Some dogs hate the groomer, while others handle the baths and blow dryers just fine, she said.
“That comes with experience and time,” she said.
Running the business
Brandi Torres’ husband, Victor, will handle the business and marketing side of the shop. Victor Torres owns Daybreak Solutions, a cleaning and painting business.
The couple said Daybreak Solutions provided the foundation to support and launch the grooming business, which is just a few hundred feet down the road from the Daybreak Solutions office.
The Torreses also plan to involve the community with their business from the get-go.
The waiting room will feature art from Artfully Yours Studio. Proceeds from those sales will be put into a charity fund and eventually given back to the community.
Victor Torres said the charity fund will be split between several pet-related charities. Brandi Torres also hopes to volunteer her services to local animal shelters.
“I think I can really make a difference,” she said.
Not happening again
While Brandi Torres’ business is completely separate from the Fuzzy Butt Stops Here, besides sharing the same address, she said she aims to set her grooming shop apart from Fuzzy Butt through her actions
Transparency and communication will be a key part of Brandi Torres’ grooming business, which she hopes will set her business apart from the former Fuzzy Butt operation.
The grooming room and tables will be within view of the waiting room, part of an open-concept setup.
“I like it open because people are able to see what’s happening, so they’ll feel comfortable bringing their pet here,” Brandi Torres said.
The business will also use a scheduling platform that notifies owners as their dog moves through the grooming process. They can opt for text, call or email notifications, and the groomers can also upload photos of the dogs, Victor Torres said.
Brandi Torres is also starting her business as the only groomer. She will gradually hire people as she finds those who are the right fit.
“Their first interactions with the dog tells me everything I need to know about them,” Brandi Torres said, adding she will directly supervise new hires until she trusts them on their own.
Victor Torres said Wednesday nine people had already prebooked appointments, even though the business hadn’t yet advertised they were accepting prebookings.
Interested in the business? Pawpular Pets Dog Grooming is on Facebook and Instagram.
Pawpular Pets is now accepting prebookings and can be arranged by calling 757-254-6171.
