It’s been fifteen years since Stephanie Slavin started pampering the pooches of Tamworth, and from starting out just clipping and cuddling the region’s dogs, and there’s no signs of slowing down for Steph’s Dog Grooming & Retreat.
Fresh off winning the 2024 Tamworth Business Awards Excellence in Customer Service in Animal Service, Steph took time out of a typically busy day to talk about what they do, and where they’re heading, and what they do for the dogs (and the occasional cat) of Tamworth.
“There’s complete grooming packages,” Steph says “from spas to nail packages to full clips to deshedding – everything grooming related that you could think of.”
Of course, it’s something clients would expect from a groomer. But Steph goes on, and what follows is a list of services that can only really, truly come from someone who loves and cares for dogs like Steph does.
There’s the Doggy Day Care, of course, where you can drop your dog off for a day of play and socialising with other canines, all in a custom-made playground complete with digging area, play equipment, and games engagement games run by the staff.
“We have our boarding, and we’ve got two versions of boarding. We’ve got the boutique boarding – that’s the luxury boarding.”
Luxury boarding isn’t just some row of kennels. Steph rattles off a list of features that would put a lot of human hotels to shame.
They’ve got their own personalised bedroom, TV, air conditioning, and grazing board. There’s digging pools, swimming pools, and the dogs are free to wander out and socialise.
And then, on top of that, there’s the line of treats under Steph’s own Ebony Avenue brand, named after the street she grew up on, and born out of a frustration with the usual vendors of doggy accessories – so Steph decided to make her own, with leads and designs inspired by the Tamworth area.
“So there’s the ones with horses, and there’s the Jackaroo. There’s the bees, because we’ve got beehives, and just the plants and wildlife of the Tamworth region, is what we put into our designs. So that was pretty special.”
Each dog, after grooming, gets sent home with a free, house-made bandana and a dog treat. Recently, the business has invested in a dedicated dog bus that can pick up dogs for grooming and daycare, and drop them back at home, for those who can’t make the trip out to Tintinhull.
This all might seem a little over the top, but it really does exemplify the sheer love of dogs that drives the business forward. What Steph has been keen to craft is a business that’s like nothing else in the region.
All her staff, Steph points are, are qualified, or in training, in some area of animal care. It’s more than just being able to simply hold a pair of clippers or open a bag of dog food. Both Steph and her husband are qualified animal behavioural trainers.
“If they’re not fully qualified in one area, they’re in training,” Steph says.
“So from qualified veterinary nurses, animal behavioural trainers, qualified groomers, everyone’s branching off into an area where, even though they have a general, all-around knowledge, we are supportive of their passion, so we’ll help them go through courses.”
The Retreat’s General Manager, Rel, has been with the company for eight years, and is a fully-qualified vet nurse, and is studying massage and canine hydrotherapy – which Steph is hoping to offer soon.
“There’s nothing in the New England area like it,” Steph says.
While some places in capital cities offer it, canine hydrotherapy is a specialised treatment that requires dedicated facilities – “a big underwater treadmill” – and, just as importantly, staff properly trained to deliver it.
“What it can do is be a preventative measure for, say, dogs with hip dysplasia.
“It can be used as a general fitness tool, too, but it’s also going to help with recovery from cruciate ligament surgeries, hip replacements, that sort of thing.
Tamworth does a lot of orthopaedic surgeries, Steph says. “You might pay a couple of thousand for the surgery – but they need the physio and they need the recovery afterwards.”
The Retreat has always worked closely with local vets, and even offers up a consultation room in their Wellness Centre for vet appointments if the dog happens to find the veterinary practice too distressing. Steph has been working closely with the vets of the area to promote these services. It’ll be something that nowhere else in the district can offer, and it’s a vital service for a beloved pooch.
A hydrotherapy and post-operative care service is a big step to take, but it’s an indicator of where Steph is looking to take the business she’s built, having moved here a decade and a half ago – there’s no winding down, only growth, on the horizon for her.
“As far as I can see, the sky’s the limit,” Steph says, “and the support that I can get from Tamworth and obviously being able to do things through Tamworth Council, and hopes that we can work together with them as well to build something.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Steph’s Dog Grooming & Retreat was voted by New England Times readers as the Pet Store or Service in the New England 2024.
See the other winners and more details about this promotion.