“The pet parent world is so anxiety-ridden,” Kimberly says. “‘Feed your dog raw; no, don’t, you’ll kill him. Feed him kibble; no, kibble’s the devil. Cook for your dog, but make sure you add the necessary supplements.’ It’s so confusing, and I thought, there’s got to be a better way to make this simpler so people can make the best choices for their dogs. That’s what we do; we share our experiences and knowledge so people can make informed decisions.”

Kimberly says Fluffology’s two core pillars are grooming and health & wellness. In addition to offering a well-curated selection of accessories in their retail area, they also make in-house, single-ingredient, organic treats and chews. “We now make them and package them under our own brand to give folks options when they come in for a groom or to provide a treat for their pet while they’re here,” she adds.

As Fluffology’s Director of Grooming and Education, Liz Hampton shares her 30+ years of experience daily with Fluffology’s stylists, which are known as “Fluffologists.” As a National Certified Master Groomer, Liz loves helping groomers grow their skills.

“I do a lot of education, and I was a competition groomer for many years and have been a part of many pet-related associations,” Liz shares. “For me, being a part of Fluffology was important because Kimberly wanted to make sure that it was an all-inclusive experience for the customer, and I take grooming very seriously.”

Liz spends her days in hands-on training with the four stylists as the “quality check” for every dog. “This is my life. I love it so much and want Fluffology to be the best it can be,” she exclaims. “All pet parents deserve educated, knowledgeable, safe, and CPR-certified stylists. We want our stylists to feel proud of their work.”

Kimberly echoes this commitment to quality, and says, “I don’t want to fake it. I want to have accurate and correct information. Ultimately, we want all the stylists to have national grooming credentials. We want them to be unique in the industry and take pride in what they do.”

Aside from investing in quality, Fluffology invests in beauty, too. And this means top-of-the-line equipment, including human tubs made of soft quartz. “The aesthetic is absolutely beautiful; it’s definitely elevated as far as traditional grooming,” Liz says.

“But one of the biggest differences is the low stress level because all grooming is done quietly, one-on-one,” she continues. “Additionally, the fact that the owners can watch the entire process and see everything is resonating very, very well.”

Kimberly and Liz aim to keep the stress levels low for their stylists as well. “Each stylist grooms four to five dogs a day, four to five days a week, instead of the volume-based approach many other salons take,” Kimberly shares. “We don’t want anyone to burn out. We aim for a supportive, collaborative environment.”

Nearing their one-year anniversary, Fluffology only just opened in June of 2023, and Kimberly and Liz said it’s been much harder to change people’s perceptions of dog grooming and build a brand than they anticipated. “I was a little naive, you know. I thought, build it and they’ll come. Not necessarily…” Kimberly says emphatically.

However, things are definitely moving in the right direction, as they’ve already had customers pre-pay for the year. In addition, they will soon be expanding their menu of services when they welcome their resident behaviorist on board. “We are thrilled to be fortunate enough to have found Erik Hall, a recent graduate of the most innovative, cutting-edge training program created out of the UK,” Kimberly shares. “Our pet parents can rest assured that their pets will be on their way to behaving like little angels.”

When asked where Kimberly sees Fluffology in five years, she didn’t hesitate when she replied, “We want to be the most trusted pet destination in the U.S. We want to help improve the credibility of grooming and the pet industry as a whole, because it’s been a long time coming. People deserve the best for their pets.”

This determination combined with a commitment to quality and whole-pet health is what sets Fluffology “a breed apart” from grooming salons everywhere.