Warwickshire’s award-winning place to get your dog a facial or mud bath
SPA day treatments such as facials and mud baths have gone to the dogs, thanks to a thriving business near Alcester.
Pampered pooches can rock up to Woofs of Wixford looking scruffy and after a session of styling, trimming, clipping and washing and blow-dry, they always trot out looking fluffy.
It’s barely two years since owner Catherine Smith set up the company but she has just scooped a major national award.
Woofs won Business Awards UK Pet Retailer of the Year 2024 in the category of pet and animal care for what the judges described as ‘exemplary customer service and commitment to the welfare and happiness of our furry customers (and their owners)’.
With her team Lauren, Kay, Alex and Katelyn, Catherine’s been celebrating with plenty of cake.
The 47-year-old was in customer service for many years but retrained to become a dog groomer, as she’s always had a passion for animals.
She studied to reach City & Guilds level 3 and become a certified groomer with the recognised industry body.
She’s also qualified in canine first aid and regularly goes to training sessions for updates.
The Woofs team handle anything from four to eight dogs a day, depending on the size of the pooches.
And treatments vary from a basic maintenance groom through to sonic teeth cleaning, a blueberry facial to kill bacteria around the muzzle, and mud and milk baths to help shed dead skin.
After taking a lease and moving into a refurbished workshop on the Ragley Estate last September, Catherine was able to zone the salon into three sections, so each dog has its own area and can be kept safely away from others.
There are also doggy beds and a sofa, a bowl of water for each animal and an outdoor area where they can run around and take a comfort break.
“I don’t like it to be like a conveyor belt,” Catherine said.
“We make sure there’s a calm, relaxing atmosphere and we like to have time to see the dog and give them a cuddle before they go into the bath.”
The team use dryers that are quieter and there are only ever two or three dogs in the salon at any one time.
“These are dogs, they have feelings,” Catherine pointed out.
Some pets who are used to being groomed from an early age absolutely love being the centre of attention, others just tolerate it while some are visibly nervous.
The expertise comes in knowing how to handle each one by slowing things right down or a belly rub at the right time and staying alert for signs they may be unhappy or stressed.
“We have to pay attention to their body language,” she added.
Catherine, who lives in Wixford, owns five dogs of her own - a large standard poodle, miniature poodle, two cockerpoos and a miniature dachshund.
She says there’s been a huge jump in demand for grooming, as after Covid, more families have been working from home and are able to own a dog.
There’s also been a boom in spa-style services, thanks to the popularity of curly coated mixed breeds such as cockapoos and labradoodles, which tend to need more maintenance.
“The best bit of my job is seeing a dog after they’ve been groomed and they’re calm and happy and I know we’ve done a good job because they’re not stressed,” she said.
“When their owners say: ‘Let’s go’ and the dog’s not desperate to jump down off the table but happy to stay a bit longer with us, that’s a sign they feel totally comfortable.”
