We celebrate the International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day on November 1st every year. The holiday is set aside to honor and appreciate professionals in the pet grooming industry for their dedication, hard work, and genuine love toward our pets.
IPGAD was established by Krista Olson, former Tiny Tots Dog Grooming owner, in October 2019. The aim was to highlight pet groomers’ talents and skills and promote the growth of the pet grooming industry worldwide.
As a pet owner, you can celebrate this holiday by appreciating the people who make your pet feel and look its best. Below, we highlight the significance of commemorating IPGAD and how you can show gratitude.
Why Is Grooming Necessary?
Few people understand the gravity of a pet groomer’s work. Here are four reasons why pet grooming is essential.
1. Improves Coat and Skin Health
Brushing removes old, damaged hair and ventilates the coat, thus promoting its growth and health. It also removes excess grease that could block skin pores and cause skin irritation.
Additionally, brushing helps stimulate and spread the natural oils across the coat to make it smooth and shiny. It also works like a massage, assisting in blood circulation.
2. Identifies Diseases and Conditions Early
Pet groomers are also trained to identify potential problems that could necessitate a visit to the vet. They can easily spot lumps, ticks, fleas, infections, injuries, and lesions.
We usually can’t spot these conditions because we are not looking. Most times, we also don’t know what to look for.
Identifying these issues early on could save your pet’s life. The pet groomer could also recommend the right products to use.
3. Promote Your Pet’s Mental Health
Grooming your pet creates a calming and relaxing effect that helps reduce stress and anxiety. The groomer plays a significant role by providing a pleasant experience through praise and treats.
Friends and family are also more likely to pet and cuddle a clean pet. More love and attention will impact your pet’s emotional well-being positively.
4. Helps In Socialization
Some pets just won’t let anybody touch or handle them. They might make a big fuss about it and even scratch or bite.
Groomers have a lot of experience handling pets and know how to make them feel comfortable with being handled. Therefore, regular grooming will make handling and touching them in other social interactions possible.
Why Pet Groomers Are Essential
You could probably handle the grooming yourself. But there is an advantage to hiring a professional groomer.
First, experts are professionally trained to handle different breeds. They don’t just use a random grooming routine for every pet.
They are familiar with different types of coats and their specific needs. For instance, some need combing, while others require brushing. Also, longer coats may need regular trimming.
Additionally, pet groomers also get CPR and first aid training. Therefore, they will know how to handle a pet in distress.
As mentioned above, their training also includes identifying infections and diseases early. If you don’t know what to look for, taking your pet to a professional groomer could be beneficial. You could also get advice on what products to use for a particular problem.
Why You Should Appreciate Pet Groomers
There are many reasons why pet groomers deserve our appreciation and support. Most importantly, they take on the tremendous responsibility of keeping our pets clean, trimmed, and healthy.
If you appreciate your hairdresser, your pet groomer deserves the same appreciation.
Pet grooming is not an easy job. First, you need lots of training to qualify. On top of that, you must diligently attend training conferences to update your knowledge of new strategies, products, and trends.
Dealing with pets is also not easy. Some get anxious and need to calm down first. Others will not let you handle them.
Cats are usually the trickiest pets to deal with. They are more likely to react aggressively and bite or scratch when anxious.
Some tasks are also quite challenging. For instance, dematting a very matted dog can take hours. It’s no wonder why Carpal tunnel and back pains are frequent among groomers.
Despite these difficult circumstances, pet groomers still keep our pets looking good. Undoubtedly, they deserve our appreciation and support.
How to Celebrate Pet Groomers
You can celebrate International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day by appreciating your pet’s groomer. Are you looking for ideas? Try any of the following gestures.
Post and Tag
You can show appreciation by posting your pet groomer or their business on social media. Ensure you include a heartfelt caption, and don’t forget to tag them. Also, incorporate the hashtag #PetGroomerAppreciationDay.
Offer Them Treats
You can never go wrong with treats when showing appreciation. If you are close, baked treats or a gift card will do the trick. Otherwise, a functional gift they can use in the shop will suffice.
You don’t have to break the bank, though. Even something as thoughtful as a bouquet could work.
Buy Them a Cup of Coffee
You can put a smile on your pet groomer’s face by buying them a cup of coffee. That may seem like a simple gesture. But it shows you were thinking about them and appreciating what they do.
Of course, you need to know what they take in their coffee for that to work.
Gratuity
You can also go old school by leaving your pet groomer a tip. You can tip more money than usual in the spirit of international Pet Groomer Appreciation Day.
Additionally, you can visit their website and leave a positive review.
Send a ‘Thank You’ Card
It’s interesting how a thank you note still holds much weight in the age of texts. Perhaps the fact that you write it down by hand makes the message seem more heartfelt.
You can send your pet groomer a thank you note to appreciate them for their efforts. Spice things up by accompanying it with a bouquet.
Spread Awareness
It is not a must that you appreciate one pet groomer during International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day. You can also celebrate by spreading awareness about the profession.
Spread the word to friends and family through word of mouth or social media. Doing that might motivate others to take their pets for grooming, thus growing the industry.
Conclusion
Pet groomers are essential in grooming salons, animal health clinics, pet stores, kennels, or self-employment. They help keep our pets clean, healthy, and happy. Pet grooming is not an easy task. Therefore, appreciating these professionals for their hard work is important. It can make them smile and motivate them to do more.
You can show your support on International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day in many ways. Just be creative and remember to send love.
Featured Image Credit: hedgehog94, Shutterstock
