Dog grooming parlour celebrates 15th anniversary

A DOG grooming parlour in Henley has celebrated 15 years in business.

Naughty Mutt Nice in Reading Road marked the milestone with complimentary glasses of fizz and homemade dog biscuits for their regular customers.

Owner Karole Robertson, who took over the business in 2017, decorated the shop with balloons from Henley events company Atticus and Hope and gave out T-shirts which marked the anniversary.

She said: “We made some home-baked doggy cookies last night, so they are fresh. It has been great to invite our regulars and it is nice to see them on a special day like this. They have been following us for so many years and it’s just lovely.”

Ms Robertson said that she was in disbelief that the shop had been open for so long and that she had enjoyed getting to know her clients and their pets over the years.

She said: “We have had a blast. Everything is so much fun and it’s so satisfying getting to know people, getting to know the dogs since they were little.

“A lot of them have left us very sadly, but you also build a relationship with the owners and sometimes they have new puppies and they come back to us.” She also thanked the shop’s founder Aspen Weatherburn, who first opened the shop at its former premises in Station Road in 2009.

The parlour reopened at its current premises in Reading Road three years ago to accommodate a growing number of customers.

Ms Robertson said: “It has just gone from strength to strength and we are very grateful to everybody who has been part of our story during that time and special thanks has to go to my team.”

She said that her yearly highlight of running the shop was the Halloween dog parade the parlour hosts every year in which she awards prizes for the best dressed dog.

Ms Robertson said: “We always look forward to October and seeing the dogs dressed up and the effort that is put in. Everybody has been asking whether we are going to have the parade again.

“But, day-to-day, it is so nice to see the dogs and we love seeing their owners’ faces when they come to pick them up. If they’re fluffy and looking nice and clean and smell good, their owner’s face is so satisfying. It’s very rewarding.”

Ms Robertson said she was looking forward to the future. She said: “There are always a lot of dogs in Henley. It’s a place where people love their dogs.”

Jenna Evans, who lives off Reading Road, said that she had been taking her cavapoo Woody to the parlour almost all of his life.

Ms Evans, who also brought along her 10-month-old daughter Evie, said: “Woody has been coming here since he was a puppy and he must have had his first cut at about 16 weeks.

“Karole and the team are amazing and we get so many compliments. He comes now every six weeks for his groom and they’ve just always looked after him so well. He absolutely loves it.

“Even his collar and lead are from here because they have amazing dog accessories and treats in the shop for special occasions as well.”

Liz Steedman, who lives in King’s Road, popped into the shop to celebrate with her son Harry and dog Teddy.

Ms Steedman said: “I grew up in Wargrave, moved to London and came back to Henley two years ago, and since we moved back, Teddy’s been coming here for all of his grooms. I love that they’re all so welcoming, particularly compared to London where it was really hard to actually ever get a grooming appointment.

“He always has a lovely groom and it actually lasts quite a long time as well, which is really nice. It’s also nice that often they have the same person doing the groom so we don’t have to explain every time what we would like. They just know what they need, which makes it so much more relaxing as a dog owner.”

Anthony and Lauren Tyler travelled from Wokingham to celebrate with their 11-year-old Shih Tzu, Milo.

Mrs Tyler said: “We have been coming to Karole for 10 years. From when she used to groom at home and then we moved to the old premises and now we are here. Milo won’t let anyone else groom him, he is quite particular.”

“He has been coming basically ever since he was a puppy. Karole has been amazing the entire time and she does an amazing job.”

The Naughty Mutt Nice Halloween dog parade will take place on October 26 in Market Place from 2.30pm to 4pm. First place and runner-up prizes will be given for the spookiest dogs.