Groomed to beat a world record
Lauren Green at The Groom Room, Pets atHome in Preston Capitol Centre
Natalie Walker
Published: 14:41 Monday 30 October 2017
How many dogs can be washed in half a day? The answer is a record-breaking 5,468.
Preston Capitol Centre's Groom Room at Pets at Home, along with 84 other salons in Northern England and Scotland, competed to beat the current Guinness World Record of 5,000 dogs washed in a 12-hour period across multiple locations.
Simone Cable at The Groom Room, Pets at Home in Preston Capitol Centre
The Preston branch scrubbed 95 dogs and raised £475 for Support Adoption For Pets, which takes in abandoned and unwanted pets, in the process.
The Pets at Home brand collectively raised more than £32,000 and successfully scrubbing away the current record.
The Groom Room, which has 290 sites across the country, is now awaiting official confirmation from Guinness that the world record has been broken.
Simone Cable, salon manager at Preston Capitol Centre's Groom Room, says: "It was a great day and really fun.
"Our salon team really rolled up their sleeves to wash lots of dogs and raise some valuable funds in the process.
"It was a hard task but we tried to make it as fun as possible.
"The store manager Amy Angus also got involved.
"The in-store Vets4Pets practice also helped us fund-raise on the day for Support Adoption For Pets, in addition to offering free weight and microchip checks for pets.
"It is fantastic to think we may have broken the record.
"We want to thank the dog owners as they are all part of our success.
"The dogs loved it too."
Train services cancelled on Northern routes this weekend
When the salon is not breaking records, it is busy making pups feel pampered.
The team of five work together to provide a host of packages and services for their most treasured clientele.
Simon, 23, of Preston, says: "The dogs come here for a pamper session.
"We bathe them, brush them and give them a full grooming session.
"We offer spa treatments, such as facials, teeth cleaning and paw waxing.
"We also have a de-shed package with special shampoo and conditioner which loosens hair for double coated breeds which moult a lot.
"These treatments are really beneficial for the dogs.
"It is important to keep on top of their grooming. These things need to be done every six to eight weeks to prevent dogs getting matted and tangled.
"It all helps dogs keep clean and healthy.
"When at home grooming, such as nail clipping, is not always easy to.
"We give the dogs a good health check before they go to our grooming salon."
Simone joined the Groom Room seven months ago after being a self employed dog groomer and she loves working with her furry friends.
She says: "The dogs are really great to work with.
"They love coming in to get pampered and you can see their tails wagging in excitement.
"They are so friendly and loving. They are like best friends.
"It is such a fantastic place to work.
"That was definitely one of the reasons I joined."
All Groom Room stylists are continually assessed and complete 1,400 hours of training.
Colleague Lauren Green, 27, of St Annes, joined six months ago.
She says: "I have always been a big lover of animals, especially dogs, so this is a really fun job.
"I used to own dogs, but I don't anymore, so it is great coming to work as I get to see them all day.
"I am currently in the process of completing my training.
"I just have one last section – the cutting – to finish. I can do most grooming from start to finish as long as I am supervised."