Round of a-paws for Pepper’s Parlour

21-year-old Lucy finished her A Levels three years ago. When considering a university course, she was unsure of the direction she to take and was reluctant to take on debt from further education. Having always had an affinity with animals, particularly dogs, Lucy attended a specialist training school to gain her ICMG (International Certified Master Groomer) status along with her City and Guilds qualifications.

After working in a pet chain salon, Lucy found she enjoyed it; however, she felt the ‘conveyor belt’ setting that the salon promoted didn’t fit her ethos, and she wanted to dedicate more time to certain dogs. Pepper's Parlour, named after her own dog, Pepper, has allowed Lucy to build a business around her love of dogs.

Lucy said:

“We’re officially opening on August 26th - Bank Holiday Monday. I’m so proud to be running my own business, my way, in the heart of my home village of Freckleton.

“During my master groomer training, I learned that the more you rush a dog, the more you can stress them out, and that my body language and emotions can affect the dog I was taking care of. I took a step back and decided I wanted to dedicate more time and attention to every dog that comes through my salon door.

“It isn’t as easy as just grooming dogs and paying the bills, though. There’s so much more that goes into setting up your own business premises - I’ve had to learn it all through trial and error. Thankfully, my mum owns Pink Tree Parties in Kirkham, so I’ve received great support and knowledge from her.

“I’m looking forward to running and growing my business, doing what I love and providing a professional dog grooming service for my clients.”

Pepper’s Parlour is located at 10 Kirkham Road, Freckleton PR4 1TH. Contact Lucy on 01772 382969.