Pet grooming shop opens near Bass Pro

An industry veteran with a near-decade in the pet grooming trade is now in business for herself.

Vanity Pawz Pet Salon LLC opened Oct. 1 and is a first-time ownership venture for Alicia Jones. The salon, which occupies 1,380 square feet at 1779 S. Grant Ave., is near the intersection with West Sunshine Street near Bass Pro Shops.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own shop,” said Jones, who most recently was a groomer at All Pet Supplies & Equine Center. “I like to build relationships with people and their pets.”

Jones is on a three-year lease for $1,000 per month with landlord Brandon Haling, who also owns next-door business Armed Sources Gun & Pawn LLC. Startup for the pet salon was roughly $10,000, Jones said, adding she designed wall art of cartoon animal characters for the interior.

The shop replaces another grooming business, Groomed Pet Spa, which Jones said moved this summer to Fair Grove.

Jones is currently the lone employee for Vanity Pawz, which offers dog and cat baths, haircuts, nail trims and other specialty services, such as hair dye and nail polish. Grooming package prices are based on breeds, she said, generally ranging $20-$80. The salon also offers day care service.

As a self-described animal lover and dog owner of a Yorkshire terrier, Jones said she doesn’t want pets to be rushed through the grooming process.

“I believe in quality over quantity,” she said.