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All God’s Creatures Grooming • Pflugerville

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By Christi Covington Friday, 06 March 2009

Experienced groomers at locally owned shop take their time with each and every client

In 2000, Lisa Delgado put a “for sale” notice in the paper for her business, All God’s Creatures Grooming. She kept the shop — hidden on a little side street — open for a while, but in her first year she only made about $1,000. It became so discouraging she decided to quit.

Owner Lisa Delgado grooms a client. Photo by Rachel Parkhurst.

A woman named Laurie Gibbs answered the ad. When she approached the small building, she looked in the window and laughed in disbelief that it was for sale.

The encounter was the beginning of a partnership and a close friendship.

Gibbs later died of cancer, but not before she slowly helped build the clientele base and move the business to a location in downtown Pflugerville.

“She said not to quit and to keep going,” Delgado said. “Laurie inspired me to continue.”

And Delgado said she is glad she did.

Delgado had previously worked as a clerk at a Seton hospital, but a life-long love of animals inspired her to change professions. She took a job at PetSmart in Round Rock where she learned the basics of dog grooming. Then she practiced by volunteering at the Town Lake Animal Center, knowing that she eventually wanted to open her own shop, which she did in 1997.

“It was a lot more work than I thought, but really rewarding,” she said.

Each groomer at All God’s Creatures has several years of experience. They take their time with clients, each handling only five to seven dogs per day. All pets get a bath with extra rinses to prevent itching. Then they get a haircut according to the owner’s preference. Puppies and elderly dogs are groomed first, so they spend as little time away from home as possible.

Recently, Delgado has experienced a slowdown in business that she attributes to a suffering economy. She gives out coupons and relies on loyal customers, but she said the shop will keep going because she keeps going — and eventually a dog has to get its hair cut.

“It’s hard work,” she said. “You have to give it your best every single day. It’s a service and you must serve them 100 percent. You have to be there, be ready for the customers. You do it because they expect it, and they should expect it.”

Map showing location of All God’s Creatures Grooming - Photo by Rachel Parkhurst.

Now her goal is to give her customers more attention than they would receive from a larger chain.

“At [some national store chains], those groomers are put under a lot of pressure to do quantity not quality,” she said. “We are more personal.”

Come one, come all

Dogs are not the only pets that get attention at All God’s Creatures Grooming. Ready to paint toenails or give a medicated bath, owner Lisa Delgado says she welcomes a variety of animals including: