s a fourth-generation groomer, pet grooming runs in Gabriela Rudnick’s blood. She grew up surrounded by the strong women in her family who passed down not just the skills of the trade, but also the belief that every animal deserves care, patience and respect.

“This is a family affair for me,” Gabriela expresses. “My great-grandmother bred and groomed poodles, learning how to groom in the UK, and my grandmother learned from her and traveled all over the U.S. grooming and eventually opened a school. She taught both my mom and aunt how to groom at 14 years old, so I’ve been raised in the industry.”

Gabriela remembers attending competitions with her mom as a small child, and while she was interested in grooming, she took an unusual route to following in her family’s footsteps.

“My mom really wanted me to go to college and see if there was something else I wanted to do and not just jump headfirst into what was my first love,” she explains. “I got a degree in economics and went and worked at PwC in corporate tax for a few years, doing international tax.”

Eventually Gabriela decided it was time for her to head back to the family business to help her mom. And now as the co-owner of All Fur Pet Grooming, which has three locations in Virginia—Fredericksburg, Locust Grove and Stafford—Gabriela oversees the salons, combining tradition with updated techniques to ensure every pet leaves looking their best and feeling loved.

“My mom is like 90% retired but she can’t resist working with the pets and the team, so she still comes in and trains as part of our apprenticeship program,” Gabriela shares.

Running three salons is somewhat challenging, but Gabriela credits her management team with helping to make everything a success.

“Since I came back, I have really focused on placing great leaders at each salon because I am only one person, and I recognize that I cannot be everywhere at once,” she says. “In order for the salons to succeed, they need that point person to guide them.

“I truly value that support from others,” continues Gabriela. “I view them as leaders more than managers, and they help guide the team and ensure the clients are treated how I would. And in turn, I train, guide, and encourage them to the best leaders and develop their teams and salons from the bottom up. We are only as strong as our weakest team member.”

Throughout the three locations, some of the groomers have been there for more than a decade while others are new to the business.

“Ninety percent of my groomers are internal, in-house trained,” Gabriela explains. “The company has trained over 35 groomers in our apprenticeship, which was modeled after my grandmother’s school. Several of our trainees have gone on to open their own successful salons, which we are incredibly proud to see.

“I always look to see if someone has compassion and a love for the pets,” she continues. “When I’m looking for that next great groomer, nine out of 10 times it’s a bather who wants to work their way up and get involved in the hands-on apprenticeship.”

All Fur Love Grooming’s philosophy is simple: Treat every pet as if they are your own. That commitment has earned the salons the trust of pet owners who know their “fur babies” are in good hands. Gabriela and her team take great pride in the relationships the business has formed with clients over the years, with many of their customers coming to them for more than two decades.

“Our foundation has always been gentle handling and providing top-tier grooms,” she shares. “We specialize in hand-stripping, show clips, specialty breeds like Komondors, and pretty much everything in between. We can do just about anything for the client, and at the end of the day, the pet is going to get the best treatment and be absolutely safe with us.”

When Gabriela’s mom opened the salon, she made sure that the soft handling and care for the animal were paramount.

“Every salon is different and what works for someone might not work for others, and I can appreciate and respect that,” Gabriela expresses. “But our goal and focus has always been to provide the most advanced tools for our groomers and provide the best quality and experience for the pets.”

The All Fur Pet Grooming team’s compassion especially shines when it comes to senior pets. Many older animals who have been turned away elsewhere find a welcoming space at the salon, where Gabriela carefully assesses their needs, keeps an eye out for possible medical concerns and provides gentle grooming that offers them not only comfort, but sometimes a second chance.

“We do a lot of what we call ‘specialty pets;’ those that need to come in with a little bit of extra ‘happy juice’ to keep them calmer, and then we can work with them over time to reduce that anxiety,” Gabriela explains. “The goal is always to hopefully get off that medication and have a great experience.

“A lot of seniors have had negative experiences due to aging, and we’re not going to turn a dog away because they need extra time, care, and attention,” she continues. “They still need love and compassion.”

From around 10 years old, Gabriela was working reception at her mom’s salon, and even at that young age, she always had ideas for helping the business.

“It was crazy for me to suggest these business ideas at 10, but with my mom being really forward thinking with the business, it pushed me from a young age to think outside of the box,” she recounts. “We implemented our first grooming program way back when desktop programs first came out, and I’ve really focused on bringing new technological tools to the salon to make our groomers’ and now our clients’ experiences more cohesive.

“My mom has always had a passion for making sure the team had what they needed, above and beyond the industry norm,” continues Gabriela. “and so all our full-time staff has had health insurance and paid vacation for the last 16 years.”

When it comes to grooming, there is always something new on the market, and Gabriela keeps a keen eye on what’s available and what could improve the day to day at the salons.

“We’re always looking for that new product that’s going to make our lives as groomers easier, as well as a less stressful and a better experience for the pets,” she says. “Every trade show I go to, I always want to try something out and I ask my groomers what they think. Giving them the opportunity to see what works for them best is important in making it the best experience for everyone.”

In addition to attending numerous trade shows throughout the year, Gabriela is a founding member and president of the Virginia Professional Pet Groomers Association (VPPGA), which champions continuing education at salons.

“VPPGA has hosted several continuing education events, where we’ve brought in really big industry names, and my staff gets free access to those events, as I pay for them to attend,” Gabriela shares. “I generally host them at one of my salons which has a lot of generous space. I provide it for free for the organization, and I’m there to make sure things are running smoothly which also helps me stay up to date.”

While it’s very important to Gabriela to retain a lot of what her mother put into the business, she knows that she needs to continue to grow and innovate to stay ahead.

“My goal is not to continue to just grow, grow, grow, but to continue to curate that experience and make sure we have good hires in place and a strong team that cares about the clients,” she explains. “We’re not just here to make money. We want to give back to the community, we want to ensure the staff has a healthy and safe work environment, and the pets have a safe and healthy experience.”

As a woman working with a young child at home, Gabriela never wants moms to give up on their dreams.

“I watched my mom stop competing because she had four kids and it was really difficult,” she shares. “I think we’re in a new era and I want to curate that environment to help moms succeed. I want to see other women with children continue in this industry.

“Family first, but don’t forget your own dreams, too,” Gabriela concludes.