Lyna with her dog Chewy and Lynne’s little Stella.

With Darby Bark & Fitz Westboro’s head groomer taking her maternity leave, Lyna’s joined our salon recently to help with the transition phase. Lyna not only brings her 6 years of grooming experience, she brings her love for dogs and cats alike, dedication and vibrant energy to our salon. If you were looking for Lyna then search no more! Both of our grooming salons are open 7 days a week, Lyna has joined Ashley, Kim and Chantal who have all worked at both salons. We offer competitive prices for a top notch professional service with a personal touch. Our salons specialize in tender loving care and our groomers love nothing more than talking about your dog’s grooming needs & how it can best suit your family’s lifestyle. I had the opportunity to ask Lyna a few questions about her dog AND cat grooming career.

Tell us about how you got into the dog grooming business Lyna?
I started doing massage therapy for cats and dogs as well as owner counselling when I was about 18 years old. I worked with pets who had a very difficult life, I would help the pets and owners have a better relationship and understanding of each other. It only seemed fitting that I start working with dogs and cats full time.

A little dog told me that you also groom cats – is that so? Will you be offering this cat grooming service at Bark & Fitz Westboro?
Yes, I will be offering cat grooming at Bark & Fitz in Westboro. Owners will be able to have their cat(s) bathed and groomed giving you the option of undercoat removal (brush out) for that pesky hair that just seems to keep popping up all over the house! or a lion cut which is very popular for owners with allergies and kids.

Do you have pets of your own?
I couldn’t imagine my home without my boys. Shadow is a Golden/Lab and the oldest of the family. Mackeda is a Husky/Lab he was a rescue from the Humane Society. Chewy is a wire haired dachshund the baby of the fam. Dreamer is also a wire haired dachshund and Chewy’s daddy.

I also have two grey cats called Smokey and Bandit they were left behind by owners who decided they didn’t want them anymore. When I took them home they were completely dehydrated and starving. They had been under a deck for over a week in the middle of the summer heat with no water or food. I took them home and they never left! I also have Spooky he is also a rescue that I could not say no too. I guess you could say that we have a lot of fur in our family but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

December is usually a very busy time for dog and cat grooming, what are the chances that someone could book a last minute appointment during this time of year?
Both locations have extended their hours and will accept drop-ins as much as it is physically possible. Just call ahead to see what we can offer you and we’ll do our best to fit you in.

Call today and get your dog or cat looking their best for the holiday season!

BARK & FITZ OTTAWA/WESTBORO
354 Richmond Rd, Ottawa, K2A 0E8
t. 613.792.3711
BARK & FITZ KANATA CENTRUM
145 Roland Michener Dr, near Sleep Country & SCORES, K2T 1G7
t. 613.270.0303

I am sure that most of you followed along in September as the Ottawa Dog Blogs got skunked and I went through an array of products and many MANY baths to try to rid them of the smell. I will freely admit that the Drypet towel was my SAVIOUR during this time.

A while back, a reader sent in a comment about how amazing Drypet towels were so I contacted Drypet about doing a review earlier that month and they wonderfully agreed and sent me a towel to test out right away. And test we did. In that week alone, the dogs probably had close to 5 or 6 baths. They stunk…oh man it was bad. They don’t like baths to begin with so they were not thrilled at my many attempts to rid them of their stench. My dogs have longer hair and they are tiny therefore they get cold quickly so after the bath, there is usually quite a bit of toweling off…usually not very successfully.

The Drypet towel quickly absorbs the water out of my dog’s hair leaving them, although not fully dry (did I mention my dogs have a lot of hair??), but significantly drier than any other towel I’ve ever used. It will allow me to bathe them in the winter months without having to blow dry them for quite some time afterwards! Now I towel off, use the dryer a teensy bit and they are good to go.

The best part about the Drypet towels is that although we Ottawa folk have to purchase online, the company is based in Toronto and therefore we get the towels through the mail extremely fast and don’t have to worry about any import fees. I love supporting Canadian companies and it’s wonderful to find one with such a standout product.

The towel is very well priced at 19.95 per 24″x36″ towel. They are available in Grey and the best part is you can have is customized for 24.95!!! What a great deal!

Just for Ottawa Dog Blog readers, Drypet has agreed to give us a special discount – $10 off!!! The Ottawa Dog Blog special code is cdp10 and will work from Nov 18-25. EDIT: please not the date of the sale has changed – 1 WEEK ONLY!!

These towels would make a great gift for any pet lover this holiday season.

We offer regular full time hours in an established reputable salon with a large client base. Our slower paced working conditions offer 50% commission with 2 days off in a row, but groomers must work Saturdays. If you are interested in becoming an integral part of our team, please call 613.792.3711, fax or email your resume to: ottawa@barkandfitz.com 613.792.4020.

We are currently booked 3 weeks in advance and our Head Groomer is off on maternity leave as of November 30th. This is a fantastic opportunity for any proffessional groomer who is seeking advancement and better working conditions with their chosen career.

—– Paid Advertisement —–

(Ottawa Dog of the Week for May 4th/09)

“My name is Ricky and I’m a two-year old Pomeranian who adopted my parents when I was about 10 months old. At the time, they weren’t searching for a pet and Dad was not sure if a small dog was right for him but both of them melted as soon as I sat in their laps. My parents enjoyed training me over the past year and though I still have a lot to learn, they’re proud to report that I’ve come a long way. Before attending obedience and socialization classes, I didn’t even know basic commands like ’sit’ and I used to be terrified of strangers. But now I know all sorts of commands and tricks, and happily sniff at and accept treats from people!

Don’t let my size fool you – though I’m small, I have a huge heart and a giant of a personality! Recently, Mum was bed-ridden with the flu and I refused to move from her side for days. Finally Dad brought my food and water dishes into the bedroom so I could take care of Mum while he was at work. Also, sometimes Mum tears up while watching movies and thinking that she is really upset, I’ll come over and to comfort her. I’m also a bit of a neat-freak as I can usually be seen lurking around the kitchen when my parents are cooking just in case something drops, ready to clean up any spills so they don’t have to. Sometimes when resting on Dad’s chest, I try to sneakily groom his beard as a thank you for all the grooming they do for me. I take my duties of nurse, hug-bug, watch-dog and tidy-upper very seriously.

But I still manage to have plenty of fun and I can’t wait till it warms up a bit so I can spend more time frolicking outdoors and meet new friends around my size! In the meantime, I can often be found making nests out of blankets, chasing my favourite toys, and performing my favourite tricks – twirling in circles and shaking paws.

Woof!” – Ricky with help from parents, Maria and Glen

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