Abington Dog Grooming Salon at 115 Depot St. in Clarks Summit.
Courtesy of Robin Ross
CLARKS SUMMIT —For almost 45 years, Robin Ross of Abington Dog Grooming has been making sure the furry members of the families in her community look and feel their best.
Ross runs the grooming salon at 115 Depot St., and even after all of these years, she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“Oh, I love working with the dogs … absolutely love it. It makes them feel good. It makes me feel good. Watching them get all cleaned up, and they’re all happy and excited. … I mean it should never be a bad experience. It should always be something that they look forward to,” Ross explained.
She knows that the dogs will probably be a little nervous the first time … or the first few times, but after experiencing her expert work firsthand, or paw rather, they learn to enjoy their spa experience. That’s what makes Ross stand out from the crowd.
“And it’s just fun,” she added, “watching them get all excited when they’re done and be happy and feel good.”
And her approach also makes a world of difference, making Abington Dog Grooming one of the best.
“I try to keep it one on one with each dog. I don’t like to do conveyor-belt type grooming where they’re constantly getting pushed through. I take my time with each dog. I get to know each dog as they come in and they get to know me. It’s just like a soothing experience for them when they come in. And I think maybe the owners see that,” Ross said.
There’s a mutual trust between Ross and her clients, and many will bring generations of their pets in. When old age inevitably takes its toll, and the family is ready for a puppy, it starts all over again. “So, some of these families, this is like the third dog that we’re working with,” Ross explained.
So, she gets to really know a lot of her clients.
To the folks that have named her the best, in the Abington Journal’s reader poll, Ross’s message is simple. “Thank you. Thank you for trusting me, and thank you for giving me that huge compliment. That’s an honor.”
And have no fear, even after almost a quarter century in business, Ross has no plans of calling it quits.
“People always ask me if I’m going to retire. I don’t plan on retiring for a while because I have a job I absolutely love,” she said.
Ross spoke at length about the happiness she feels from working with the dogs and how happy they are to be taken care of. She explained that dogs don’t complain or judge. They’re just happy to be attended to and provide some relief.
“It’s really hard to be in a bad mood when you’ve got a happy dog around,” she said. “All the troubles in the world go away when you play with your dog.”
Ross takes appointments via phone at 570-586-9557.
