By Barbara Brewer La Mere
Fourteen years ago, Andrea Ott was a
dental hygienist looking for a career change.
She’d always loved animals, so she decided to
go to animal grooming school in Manhattan.
New York state does not require approved
training for animal groomers, so Ott is proud
of having that professional training that she
said sets her apart from many other groomers.
She operated a grooming business in
Johnstown, called Shampoodles, for seven
years, but lost that location due to flooding.
Three months ago, she opened Glamour
Paws at 426 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.
Ott’s animal customers are primarily dogs,
though she said cats, mostly longhairs like
Persians and Himalayans, do comprise 10-15
percent of her customer base. She has even
groomed rabbits and one guinea pig.
Ott said canine customers come in all
sizes, from various miniatures on up to Newfoundlands
and Great Pyrenees. Grooming
is not merely an activity to improve the way
an animal looks, but also serves to unmat the fur of long-haired breeds and helps to
prevent skin infections.
Ott noted that even owners who truly love
and care about their pets sometimes just run
out of time to keep them properly groomed.
She enjoys watching animals prance out of
the salon, aware of having been pampered
to a spiffy new image.
Ott used to work in veterinarians’ offices,
so she is able to educate pet owners regarding
aspects of animal health care. She also
carries a boutique line of leashes, brushes
and other grooming aids.
Ott performs one pet’s grooming activities
from start to finish in the course of a
single scheduled appointment, rather than
situations where a pet has to be left at the
groomer’s until such time as the groomer can
squeeze that animal into a packed schedule.
Usual hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. Evening appointments may
be possible after Oct. 1. Glamour Pets can
be found on Facebook. Appointments can
be made by calling 844-2796.