From Burnout to Better: Why I Opened FPC

Hi, I’m Mikayla and I'm trying to change our local grooming industry one dog at a time.

I opened Fetching Pet Company back in 2017 at just 22 years old, fresh out of dog training and behavior school, because I knew in my gut that the grooming industry could be better for dogs and for the people who care for them.

Why? Because I was exhausted, and honestly? I hated my job as a bather at another local grooming shop.

Not the dogs, never the dogs. But the environment I was working in? A complete disaster.

Picture this:

🐶 12 dogs dropped off at once.

💨 Blow dryers blasting.

📣 Dogs barking, pacing, and sometimes even fighting.

😩 Groomers overwhelmed, racing against the clock, trying not to drown in dog hair and stress.

By the afternoon, we’d have 20+ dogs in the building. Some being groomed. Some in kennels. And there I was, prepping, bathing, drying and trying to survive the day.

It was loud, chaotic, and honestly? Dangerous. Not just for the dogs, but for the humans, too.

And here’s the worst part: there are no regulations in Illinois for grooming salons. None. I just talked about this with the IL Department of Agriculture during our most recent daycare inspection. (Yes, they inspect daycare side of the building not grooming.)

So in most salons, anyone can call themselves a groomer.There are no standards. No oversight. No protections for your pet.

And I realized… if nobody else was going to raise the bar, maybe I had to.

So I built something entirely different.

Welcome to Fetching Pet Company.

At Fetching, we do things in a way that prioritizes behavior, safety, and sanity.We built a model based on everything I wished existed back then:

✔ One-on-one grooming—just your dog and their stylist

✔ Private grooming suites (no shared spaces, no distractions)

✔ No bathers, no preppers—your groomer does it all

✔ Daylight-mimicking bulbs and fear-free color palettes

✔ Anti-fatigue mats to protect your dog's body

✔ DOGTV to soothe and entertain the dogs

✔ And groomers trained in behavior, not just scissors

We’re not just here to give your dog a haircut - we’re here to give them a good experience.

Because grooming shouldn’t be traumatic. And it really shouldn’t be dangerous.

One of our talented groomers came from a local facility where dogs were bathed by prep staff, then left loose in the grooming room until she could get to them literally at her feet while she was trying to work on another dog. None of those dogs had been temperament tested. There was no supervision. And the poor pup on the table? Totally overwhelmed by the barking, chaos, and energy swirling around him.

It was a disaster waiting to happen and sadly, a common industry practice.

At Fetching, we said absolutely not.

Our setup allows your dog to be groomed in peace, in their own private space, with one person from start to finish. They aren’t passed between strangers. They aren’t left to stress in a room full of unfamiliar dogs. They aren’t rushed through like a number on a checklist.

They’re seen. Heard. And handled with intention.

But I didn’t just want to create a better experience for dogs.I wanted to build a better culture for groomers, too.

Most standalone grooming salons? They pay their groomers illegally—as misclassified 1099 contractors. That means:

🚫 No workers' comp

🚫 No health insurance

🚫 No legal protections

🚫 No job security

Don’t believe me? Call around and ask. The answers will surprise you.

At Fetching, we do things by the book because our team deserves better.Our groomers are employees, not contractors.They’re protected, supported, and paid legal, livable wages for the work they do.

Yes, you’ll notice a price difference here compared to big-box salons or chaotic traditional salons. That’s because you’re paying for:

✔ A private, one-on-one grooming experience

✔ A calm, behavior-informed environment

✔ And a groomer who is treated ethically and professionally just like your dog is

Because when we care about our people, they care even more about your pet. And that’s the kind of cycle we do want to keep going.

From day one, Fetching has been about slowing down, doing better, and showing both dogs and humans the respect they deserve.

We’ve grown into a grooming salon and daycare known for enrichment, patience, and putting the relationship first.

So if your dog is scared of the groomer… we get it.

If you’ve bounced around salons looking for the right fit… we get it.If you want something different… we are it.

Book your dog’s next grooming session online.

Book Now

Let us show you what grooming can look like when it’s built with care, compassion, and common sense.

We can’t wait to meet you (and your pup),

Mikayla

Founder, Fetching Pet Company 🐾