BONNYVILLE – Melissa Moe began her career as a pet groomer because of her love of animals, and through her career working at Bonnyville Pet Valu, Moe has not only donated her time to groom the dogs in care with the Bonnyville SPCA but has also been able to raise thousands of dollars over the years for the cause.
“I don’t groom dogs to make a bunch of money, I need to make a living, but I do it because I care about animals . . . I had always wanted to donate to the SPCA, so I started grooming the SPCA dogs for free. I just really want to see them get good homes,” says Moe.
Over the years, she has found ways to fundraise for the SPCA.
“The month of April is ‘Pawppreciation’ month, and I noticed that the store was collecting donations, and I decided one year that I wanted to help raise money, so I asked [Pet Value] if I could donate my tip money to the SPCA. I did that for about three years,” says Moe.
She let her clients know that she was collecting tip money to donate to the SPCA, and Moe reports that over the years she donated upwards of $4,000.
Moe is currently on maternity leave, but once she returns to pet grooming, she plans on continuing her work with the SPCA.
Moe believes it is special for an SPCA dog to receive a grooming, not only so they can look their best to increase their chance of adoption, but it also gives the dogs an outing where they can learn new skills, get experience being around other dogs and people, and even receive a report card from Moe.
“When you’re grooming a dog, you get to have a look at what the health of their skin is like, what their anxiety levels are, what their energy is like, and where their bubble is.”
The report card can help the SPCA understand the dogs’ behaviours in a new environment, if they struggle with things like getting in a tub, getting their nails clipped, or having the blow dryer on them.
“I would have report cards for all my dogs that I groomed, and I would give them out to the owners. I would do a whole report on the SPCA dogs as well and I would write about what they were like and what they need to work on,” says Moe.
“I’m always straight forward and honest in my reports. Some of them are a little more nervous than others, but it’s just about taking the time and breathing. I strongly believe in taking breaks, I never like rushing dogs,” says Moe
Moe works to create a positive environment for the dogs, and they often remember her when they see her again.
“Theres a lot of dogs that I have groomed that I will see out in public, and they will be jumping out of a vehicle to come and see me,” says Moe.
An advocate of pet adoption, Moe recommends people do their research before adding a new pet to their family. She believes people need to be honest about how much time, money, and mental bandwidth they have to dedicate to a pet.