Hello!

Hi I’m Melanie and I’m Canadian, eh!

I was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario and always had family pets – dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, fish, a budgie and even a baby sparrow that fell out of its nest and we nursed it until we could teach it to fly. Through my teens and twenties I held jobs in food and fashion retail then took my first office job as a ‘person Friday’ before training as a legal secretary.

Fast forward to 2009. I moved from Canada to the UK to be with my now husband, Steve (also Canadian), and after several more years of working in law firms, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of working with animals. In 2015 I began my training course in London whilst still working full time and completed the City & Guilds Level 2 Dog Grooming in 2016. I was lucky to begin grooming straight away in one of London’s top grooming salons and later completed the OCN Level 3 Dog Grooming Diploma. I regularly attend seminars and update my certifications for canine and feline health and first aid. There is no end to learning, especially in the pet grooming industry.

In 2022, we moved to Nantwich where I took a leap of faith and started my own grooming business. My business was growing and I moved to the salon in the Cocoa Yard. Very quickly I went from renting a table, to joining the lease, then taking the lease over in full. I am very happy and proud to be the owner, CEO, Financial Director, Managing Director, Receptionist, and Head Stylist of Paws a While Pet Grooming and growing my business into what it is today whilst working towards what I want it to be tomorrow.

As well as having a passion for animals, I love to sing! I have sung in various choruses, quartets and choirs all my life, and even directed a chorus for a few years. Currently I sing with the Nantwich branch of Cheshire Pop Choirs and am having a lot of fun!

Next time you’re in Nantwich swing by the Cocoa Yard to say hello and Paws a While!