Mobile Dog Grooming Business To Open Soon

A new mobile dog grooming business is set to open next month.

Based out of the Valley area, Gone to the Dogs Mobile Grooming will offer grooming services to dogs between north Spokane and Colville, according to Kitt Nelson, owner and operator. She added that services will include bathing, shaving, and handling anal glands, ears, and nails. The business will work with all breeds of dogs and will be open seven days per week. 

Nelson said first got into pet care when she began in-home pet sitting in 2004. She said she knew she wanted to work with animals, but she decided against veterinarian-related work after shadowing a vet tech.

“I was driving down one of the main highways in Kansas City, and I saw a grooming salon,” recalled Nelson. “A lightbulb went off, and I thought, ‘This is exactly what I want to do.’”

Later, she attended a grooming seminar where she saw a mobile grooming van. She felt that the setup was “perfect.”

“I thought, ‘Well I want to be accessible, and I want to take care of people who can’t get out, like the elderly or disabled.’ That was where I wanted to be at, and be affordable for those who are on a limited income, and be able to get to them,” she said.

Originally from Stevens County, Nelson said she moved to Missouri when she was 19 years old and lived there for 25 years. She moved back to Valley last June to be close to family. She waited to open her business until this spring so she could focus on getting her home built and getting “everything situated,” she said. 

“I want to be able to enjoy the mountains with my animals, and they really enjoy it,” Nelson said, adding that she has three dogs and two cats.

Nelson is bonded and insured, and grooming rates for Gone to the Dogs Mobile Grooming start at $90 per hour, she said. Additionally, the grooming bus is fully self-contained. That includes the water needed for grooming and operations being completely solar-powered, Nelson said.

She continued that the best part of starting a business here is “how encouraging the locals have been.” 

“The highlights have been the support of the community, through the Facebook posts and the local groomers helping to promote my business. That’s been so amazing,” she stated.

For more information, call Nelson at 816-878-4141.