Salon Spotlight
Balanced Dog
Providing Convenience for Clients & Spreading Kindness to All
by Jen Phillips April
Photos by Madi Nornes
Person interacting with a small dog in front of a trailer with the text "Balanced Dog."
A groomer trims the fur of a poodle on a grooming table in a blue-walled room with an overhead duct.
Dog groomer Torina Yamada watched people deliver everything that was needed when COVID forced people to stay home. Realizing dog grooming was also a need, she saw an opportunity. So, living in a luxury apartment complex in Marina del Rey, California, Torina put two and two together.

“I realized when I looked for apartments that I had never seen any pet amenities,” she says. “Buildings would say they were pet friendly, but that was where it ended. Dogs still need grooming despite COVID, and it’s hard to wash your dog in the bathtub without the right equipment.

“I asked my sister, Anndrea, if she thought washing dogs in my apartment was a good idea,” Torina continues. “She said yes. Then, I emailed the building management and asked them if I could wash dogs from my apartment and offer it as an amenity to residents. They also said yes!”

And that was the start of Balanced Dog. The business grew quickly, and within a month, the sisters bought a grooming trailer, hired a groomer and got their licenses together.

Small pet shop with dog-themed products and decorations.
Storefront of "BALANCED DOG" with large glass windows and dog silhouettes.
A small white dog sits in front of a couch and a neon sign reading "Balanced Dog."
A white dog being groomed on a table with clippers in the background.
A fluffy brown and white dog getting its nails trimmed on a grooming table.
They first partnered with a complex called Mariner’s Village in Marina del Rey, California. They would set up their trailer and groom resident dogs one day a week. The husband of one of the leasing agents worked at a larger nearby complex and saw their setup. He invited them into his workplace, which was bigger, and within six months, Balanced Dog had expanded to two trailers.

The trailers are custom-made, and one has solar panels. “We’re trying to grow positively and get away from using generators,” Torina adds.

A man in a white t-shirt holds a fluffy brown dog with a blue bandana.
Now, the sisters partner with eight buildings in this affluent area near Los Angeles, and opened a brick-and-mortar grooming facility in September 2023. They’re also working on a partnership with Marriott Hotels.
Balanced Dog has five groomers, including Anndrea, and each groomer rotates among grooming spaces for variety. “For example, they know they’ll be at the salon on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, they might be at one of the trailers,” Anndrea explains. “Our workdays are from nine to five, and they only do four to five grooms daily because we don’t want to overwhelm them.”

With the trailer parked in one location, the pet parent can bring their dog to the trailer a little before the groom and pick them up right afterward. Balanced Dog also offers concierge services for dogs who need pick-up and drop-off service.

Knowing that many dogs are fearful of pet grooming, the sisters have even created a rehabilitation program to build confidence. “Grooming is an important part of wellness; we want the dogs to know it’s something good,” Anndrea says. “So, if they are already coming in anxious, we don’t push them. Instead, we help them get comfortable. The rehab program is a weekly appointment, and each week, it grows and grows to push their boundaries a little more, but in a way that keeps them comfortable. It’s reward based.

“We start off with a consultation,” continues Anndrea. “So, our first appointment is just to see what their fears are. We ask them not to put them on any medication to calm them. We want to see their fear level, and then we will base a plan on the goal and where they are currently with their fear. The average time frame takes about two months. Some dogs get comfortable quicker, and some take longer.”

After partnering with the apartment communities, it seemed like a natural extension to work with a hotel chain. “It’s still in construction, so we haven’t started yet. But with all this experience now, when it is up and running, it will be so much easier to have the idea explode onto the other big chain hotels,” Torina says. “Our concept will catch someone’s eye, and hopefully, we’re the ones that implement it.”

The sisters started Balanced Dog to help others, and that community spirit extends into everything they do. “We really just want to be of service and be very helpful,” explains Torina. “We’re not just a grooming salon, but a community. We have partnerships with rescues, with low-income veterinarian hospitals, and others.”

Opening a pet grooming business was a natural extension of their love for animals. “We grew up with animals, so we thought, how hard could it be to wash a dog?” Torina quips. “Well, we found out how hard it is to wash a dog. But we had confidence in ourselves, and in who we hired at the beginning to help us become fluent in what we’re doing now.”

Golden retriever being washed in a stainless steel dog bathing station.
A muscular dog with a mix of gray and tan fur sits on a floor with a brown sofa and blue wall in the background.
Two women and a small dog on a grassy area under a sunny sky.
A small dog with a fluffy, multicolored coat and a floral bandana.
A wet white dog standing in a stainless steel bathtub, looking cheerful.
A dog with black and tan fur and blue eyes wearing a teal harness, sitting indoors on a concrete floor.
Interior of a pet supply store with shelves full of products and a blue rug.
A tan fluffy dog with curly fur standing on a black surface, with a blue wall and whiteboard behind it.
German Shepherd being bathed in a stainless steel tub with a person assisting.
A small dog with wet fur being bathed in a stainless steel tub.
To celebrate the first anniversary of their brick-and-mortar grooming salon, the sisters brought the community together by hosting a party with vendors, including a tattoo artist and a veterinarian, as well as swag bags and giveaways.

This community spirit translates into good vibes every day. The team comes to work happy, the clients are pleased and the love of animals keeps everyone united.

n Australian Shepherd in a grooming station with a person washing it.
silhouettes of dogs
Man grooming a golden retriever on a table.
“The world right now doesn’t get to see that too much, and we get to see it daily,” Torina exclaims. “Kindness has been our goal. We say hello to everyone—whether or not they have a dog. We’re spreading kindness.”

Kindness and integrity are at the heart of Balanced Dog, and the sisters look for continued growth with the right partners to maintain these core values. “We want to make sure no matter how much we grow, it always stays a family. We want to create an environment where people and animals feel valued and safe,” concludes Torina.