Oh So Pretty Pet Spa, located at 42 S. Penn Street in Hatboro, is a great example of a small business that’s doing a lot of BIG business! It may surprise some to know that this dog and cat grooming establishment, located in a cute little brick building with teal and gold accents (that sits across from the Hatboro train station), services more than 7000 customers at this and its nearby Glenside location. That’s A LOT of cats and dogs getting pampered, primped and prettied!
At the helm of this small (but mighty) business is Dawn Zapiec. Dawn has owned Oh So Pretty Pet Spa since 2012, at which time there was only one location in Glenside. A professional groomer since 2002, Dawn has always had an emotional connection to animals and when becoming a zoologist didn’t pan out for her, she knew she wanted to create a career path that would allow her to not only care for and nurture animals but one that would allow her to mentor others and grow a profession that provides an important service to animals and their owners.
Dawn attended one of the most prestigious grooming schools in the industry—Paragon, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and at this point has over 18 years of experience grooming all types of breeds. Extremely knowledgeable in standard breed patterns, her expertise and mentoring efforts resulted in an expansion of her business and the establishment of her second location in Hatboro in 2016. Between the Glenside and Hatboro locations Dawn manages and oversees five bathers and ten groomers, who combined, have over 100 years of experience safely grooming and pampering dogs and cats. She guides her staff and offers educational opportunities with a focus on bringing the newest grooming services and techniques to their clients. Dawn shares that it is very important that every one of her team members is knowledgeable in safe grooming and handling skills, is a professional, and treats every pet in their care as family.
Oh So Pretty Pet Spa offers a full range of grooming services for dogs and cats from spa baths to full grooming packages. Their holistic approach to grooming has them utilizing natural products like manuka honey sugar scrub and they even provide complimentary aromatherapy to help relax pets that require emotional support (upon request).
Recently, the business has become a true labor of love, with Dawn’s husband Matthew coming on board to serve as the business’s Chief Financial Officer. His expertise is running all of the “back end” and financial aspects of the business, while Dawn manages both locations and still serves as a Senior Level Pet Stylist. As if that’s not enough, both Dawn and Matthew run a household that includes four children (all under the age of 10) and a seven year old Border Collie rescue named Rosie. When not at the pet salons you can find Dawn, Matthew and the kids somewhere out in nature, or at the new local YMCA, keeping fit and active.
Dawn would like anyone considering using their services to know that “Oh So Pretty was born out of a commitment to make grooming as pleasant as possible for humans and their beloved pets. We use safe and gentle handling practices and combine it with a true love of animals to create a welcoming environment so pets feel happy, loved and healthy in every aspect of their grooming experience.”
To accommodate the large volume of customers that were unable to receive services during the COVID-19 closures, Oh So Pretty Pet Spa will be open Monday – Saturday from 8am – 6pm in July and future hours will be determined based on need. They have extensive safety protocols in place that pet owners are required to follow and their staff is ensuring their locations are safe and secure for their team mmbers, customers and pets.
For more information on their services and their story, visit their website here. Bookings can be made by calling the Hatboro salon at 215-675-1010 or the Glenside location at 215-690-4696.
(Special thank you to Kelsie Collins and Jeanne Betz for allowing their photos to be taken/used for this Business Spotlight)