When Dafne Fuentes began her career in admissions and enrollment at the Paul Mitchell School in 2018, she discovered something important. While visiting various schools, she noticed that the most popular student club was the pet club. By Kelsi Trinidad

Transforming the Pet-Grooming Industry

When Dafne Fuentes began her career in admissions and enrollment at the Paul Mitchell School in 2018, she discovered something important. While visiting various schools, she noticed that the most popular student club was the pet club. Fuentes was drawn to the students’ passion toward their pets as well as how they regarded their pets as a member of their families. Fuentes worked her way up to the director of the Austin, Texas, school and was introduced to Salty Dawg’s dog-grooming franchise shortly thereafter.

Salty Dawg’s business model is driven by employing professionally trained cosmetologists and utilizing their superior hair-cutting skills to groom dogs. The business model immediately spoke to Fuentes; she gravitated toward the branding and marketing of the business, which is centered around creating a luxe salon experience for dogs. “The store is very modern and beautiful, and I love the whole setup,” said Fuentes.

For Fuentes, Salty Dawg’s concept perfectly fused two of her passions, “I’m also a pet owner. I have two German Shepherds and a Maltipoo. I see how much we take care of our animals. They’re a part of our family.”

For Fuentes’ daughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was a teenager, dogs play an important role in her life as well. “I remember the day that I surprised my daughter during treatment with her dog,” recalled Fuentes. “Her dog is so attached to her and kept her going through treatment. I just see dogs differently because of that day too. We sometimes don’t realize what they do for us.”

With Salty Dawg, Fuentes has been able to realize her dream of owning a recession-resistant business that brings her joy. “Having the store and to be a part of something like this makes me super excited,” she said.

Now that she’s accomplished this goal, her next goal is to open more locations. Currently an owner of the Houston location, Fuentes recently signed a franchise agreement to open another location in Austin in the next few months. Salty Dawg is ready to support her expansion efforts.

Kelsi Trinidad

saltydawgpetsalon.com/franchising