Having newly expanded her pet salon, Paww Spa, into a brick-and-mortar off Highway 20 in Oak Harbor, seasoned groomer and owner Mary Edwards can serve a wider clientele of anxious pets — her specialty — much easier.

“We hold ourselves to a high standard, we provide a more intimate and one-on-one experience for dogs that need help tolerating the grooming process,” Edwards said.

Edwards fell in love with grooming as an 11-year-old, styling and showing dogs — including her own American cocker spaniel — with her family. A gig as a real estate agent later in life failed to stir her the way caring for pets did.

“I’d rather work with animals,” she said.

Acclimated to styling dogs according to strict showing standards, Edwards learned to embrace creativity beginning what would become a lengthy career in pet grooming. Since 2009, she worked for various groomers and kennels in Oak Harbor, Anacortes and Mount Vernon before opening a mobile pet grooming unit by herself in 2022.

Edwards spent about a year looking for a shop before she found Paww Spa’s current home, a small space reminiscent of the intimacy of the mobile grooming unit. Adding a storefront meant Edwards could hire other groomers and offer her services at prices 60% cheaper than that of the mobile unit.

Aside from providing the usual grooming services — nail trims, haircuts, baths and even crazy dye jobs — one of Paww Spa’s biggest draws is its ability to handle anxious animals. Edwards said groomers keep the otherwise noisy, uncomfortable process as calm as possible by following fear-free guidelines, which dictate grooming procedures and how the salon should be set up.

Appointments are not overlapped at Paww Spa unless two pets come in as a duo, and groomers handle animals one-on-one. Edwards added the goal is to get pets back to their “parents” in an hour and a half to two hours max. In rather extreme cases, Paww Spa works with veterinarians to sedate pets in order to finish grooming them.

“It’s basically doing whatever you can do to make it less stressful,” she added.

Multiple Paww Spa groomers are certified fear-free, with two more set to earn their certification soon. Edwards explained that fear-free guidelines create challenging work schedules which can make it hard for groomers to adhere to them.

With teamwork, and the advantage of running an in-person salon as well as a mobile unit, Paww Spa makes it work. Edwards serves pets on and off the island at their homes Monday through Thursday while the other groomers hold down the fort in-store. Sunday is dedicated exclusively to cats, duties that keep cat groomer Taree quite busy.

As demanding as the work can be, Edwards knows the value of taking special care of the pets she sees.

“We pride ourselves on being patient, passionate and professional, as well as getting really creative to adjust to any pet needs,” she said.

Beginning Nov. 1 and running through the end of the year, Paww Spa is hosting a No Dogs Left Behind campaign supplying free dog food for pet owners in need. Those interested can receive dog food once a week at the shop or pick up a voucher at the North Whidbey Help House.

Donations are welcome but not needed.

“We feel that the world is a hard enough place right now, and we want to show our love to our community by helping those in need,” Edwards said. “Giving back is very important to us.”

Photo by Allyson Ballard Mary Edwards, second from left, is the seasoned groomer at the helm of Paww Spa’s mission to ease pets’ anxieties.

Photo by Allyson Ballard Pets at Paww Spa can expect to undergo all the usual grooming practices, like haircuts and nail trims, and even more creative services like dye jobs.

Photo by Allyson Ballard Moving into a physical storefront allowed owner Mary Edwards to expand her staff — she had run the Paww Spa mobile unit solo.