We knew Christina was going to be a good fit for Pooches Paradise from the moment she walked through our door. With her warm smile, and easy going personality, (and obvious passion for dogs) she projected the welcoming demeanor which was not only important for Pooches, but to her future clients as well. It became evident early in the interview process that Christina shares and lives by the Pooches Paradise core values. This, coupled by her grooming skills and thoughtful dog handling led to a unanimous decision to offer her the position-which she enthusiastically accepted.

Christina’s aspiration to become a dog groomer led her to seek out The Grooming Project, the pilot program of “Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child”, a 501c3 nonprofit in Kansas City, MO. Christina recently graduated from The Grooming Project where she completed nearly 700 hours of hands on grooming intensive coursework and application. The students also receive training on nearly every aspect of working in a grooming shop-from answering the phone, scheduling appointments to time management and financial responsibilities. Christina sees being a dog groomer as a unique and diverse opportunity to support her family. (And in her words, the best part is being able to love on the dogs all day.). In addition, Christina has worked alongside Kelli Heffron the last few weeks to give her a feel for the “Pooches way” and has shown her the ropes for specific client requests and will continue to do so through the end of this month.

A little bit about Christina’s background; she grew up on a farm in a small town and attributes this to her early love of all animals. She has lived in Kansas City, MO for 15 years and is a busy mom who loves to sing. (She has a beautiful voice and is not shy about giving mini concerts when asked. She was known as the “singing groomer” at the Grooming Project.) Christina has many hobbies and enjoys the outdoors with her family-camping, picnics and especially anything to do with being on the water. She is very involved in volunteering in the youth ministry with her church.