Meet Our Groomers
See below to learn more about our amazing groomers!
Brookside KC
Dana
Dana is our longest tenured groomer at over 5 years, but she has been grooming for 7 years. Prior to grooming, she had been in the pet industry for over 10 years; running doggie daycares and pet hotels. Plain and simple, her love of pets is why she switched gears away from management. She is our most accomplished groomer and a core leader in our Brookside salon. The shop absolutely would not run without her. Peeking in on Dana at work, you’ll most likely see a big dog on her table. While she can groom dogs of all shapes and sizes, she prefers the doodles. She is fulfilled when she is able to educate pet parents on how to give their dog the best comfortable life and keep their coat healthy. At home, Dana has 2 cats, Ebony & Bindi, Scarlett a pittie, a Pomeranian named Sammi, and Bowser the bearded dragon. When she is not in Brookside, Dana enjoys photography, sharks and spending time and traveling with her daughter. She is pet First Aid/CPR certified and has several times been a finalist for Kansas City’s Favorite Groomer/Salon of the Year.
Carrie
Carrie is in her 10th year of grooming after spending 6 years bathing for the Barkery. She has always loved dogs, in fact she had dreams of becoming a veterinarian. But since she was already in the industry following high school, she went to grooming school instead. We’re certainly benefiting from that decision. Her favorite dog to groom is a poodle, specifically the poodle cut, but she’s great with all the doodles. There is always something new to learn everyday, that’s what she loves about her day in the grooming salon. Carrie is a dog mom to Neo who joins her in the salon occasionally. When she is not at the Barkery, she likes singing and baking. Eating out and trying new places is a favorite pastime as well.
Emma
Emma grew up around dogs and of course loves them. She started working at the Barkery in retail several years ago. At a point in her life where she didn’t know what she wanted to do, she moved into bathing and it was there where it clicked. She graduated from the KC Grooming Academy in 2023 and has been professionally grooming ever since. We’re so fortunate to have her back in Brookside. She loves grooming standard poodles, especially those who get a clean face and top knot. According to Emma, they are the best dogs around and she enjoys the challenge of giving them a big poofy (official grooming term) head. Her favorite part of grooming is the reward at seeing the end result; her hard work paying off. Currently, Emma doesn’t have any pets. She recently lost her best friend and soul mate of 14 ½ years, Tilly. In her spare time, she loves to play video games, read and spend time with her friends. She has her Certificate of Grooming from KC Grooming Academy.
Maeghan
Like so many of our groomers, Maeghan started caring for her own pets as a child and quickly discovered her passion. Following college, she started working for Katie’s Kennels providing daycare but then began apprenticing in grooming. She catches on fast and has been grooming for over 2 years. Maeghan loves having the connection with her dogs and providing them a calm and enjoyable grooming experience. She gravitates towards anxious dogs as she likes helping them learn to cope and even get to a place where they are happy during the grooming process. Creating close relationships with the dogs and their owners is a source of pride for Maeghan. At home, Maeghan is a dog mom to Nelson, a german shepherd mix and Rory a border collie/coon hound mix. In her spare time, she likes hiking with her dogs and doing graphic design work. She is CPR/First Aid for dogs certified.
Lee's Summit
Tara
Tara started grooming in 2006 after wanting a career that would let her be home with her children at night. She loves what she does, especially when the dogs come in looking not their best and she makes them beautiful. She enjoys building relationships with the pet parents as well as the dogs and has several regulars who bound with excitement on grooming day. She even has new customers that will cry at drop off (to leave their new puppy) and cry tears of joy at pick up. Tara treats the dogs like her babies when they’re in her care. She believes in advocating for her dogs, since they can’t. Poodles are her absolute favorite (and bichons) as she has 5 of her own. She loves the creativity that comes with curly haired breeds. Her 5 standard poodles at home are Romeo, Vi, Cece, Lorelei and Bean. Family is everything to Tara, so she enjoys taking her kids to do things, coaching her son’s basketball team and being a track monitor for BMX racing. She also likes to cook, garden and hike. One day she hopes to open her own deli/bakery when she’s done grooming.
Romeo, her standard poodle has been featured in a grooming calendar and has been in several dog shows. He’s even the subject of a book, “Where’s Romeo?”
Briana
Briana has always loved animals, so following high school in 2016, she took a job at a vet clinic as a dog bather. She enjoyed watching the groomer so much that she apprenticed with her, then started grooming in 2019. Her favorite breeds to groom are shih tzus and schnauzers, but she has a soft spot for puppies, especially their first trip to the groomers. What brightens up Briana’s day is the transformation that she can make in a dog. She sees when dogs look a bit depressed and dirty when they come in but then the change in their attitude and demeanor after their time with her. They’re so happy. Briana has 3 cats (Cheddar, Mozzy and Soulaan) and 1 pittie, Doja. Outside of the salon, Briana enjoys going out with friends, gaming and yearly family trips.
Shawnee
Helen
Come into our Shawnee store and you’ll most likely see Helen as she’s one of our busiest groomers. 23 years ago she started working at Land of Paws behind the scenes in inventory and purchasing. She also started bathing on the side. A groomer saw potential in Helen and knew she would be good at it. She took her under her wing and taught her everything she knew about grooming. Several salons later and we are so fortunate to have her as a core member of the Shawnee salon. Her favorite dogs to groom are westies, scotties, and schnauzers because of the breed specific cuts. She also loves the transformation from matted, dirty dogs to cute and sweet; the before and after. It’s Extreme Makeover, Dog Edition. Then to see the expression on the owners’ faces. The dogs are happier too. Helen’s pets at home are Jiggs the dalmatian, Koda a pit mix and Sosa the cat. Her grandchildren light up her world when she’s not grooming and she also enjoys camping and boating with friends.
Kelly
After several odd jobs, Kelly landed at the Barkery as a bather. She had always been comfortable with dogs and knew she would thrive with the care of dogs. Bathing gave her the confidence to expand her horizons as well as the skill set to transition into grooming. She went on to grooming school at Pawsperity and has been grooming with us ever since. While Kelly loves meeting her new clients for the first time, she especially enjoys her regular, recurring clients. She looks forward to seeing them and knowing what to expect. She can anticipate any excitement or stress because she knows their personalities. Until very recently, Kelly was only a plant parent. Now she is the proud pet parent of 2 cats, Onion and Angela. When not at the Barkery, Kelly enjoys spending time with family and going to the gym with her former grooming instructor.
Kelly has her grooming certification from Pawsperity Grooming School and is CPR/First Aid Certified.
Mistie
Prior to joining Brookside Barkery & Bath as a bather several years ago, Mistie had over 6 years of dog handling experience. She started in doggie daycare/boarding, bathing and nail trims. Once at the Barkery, Mistie started doing face trims and fell in love with grooming. She is a proud graduate of Pawsperity Grooming School in Kansas City and happily rejoined the Barkery shortly after and has been grooming in our Shawnee store ever since. She is passionate about all things dog’s health and taking care of them, which translates so well in grooming. Mistie has a strong attention to detail, so the symmetry of a groom is important to her. She enjoys the sculpting process, especially when she clears out the eyes and lets the sparkle shine. Her favorite dog to groom is a precious, starry-eyed cavalier. Mistie is mom to her 3-legged cat Ember and Hogarth, a black lab/st bernard mix. Like most groomers, Mistie enjoys being creative in her down time, like painting, other artsy stuff and dancing. She also spends quality time with her dad. If you’ve been to the Shawnee store, you’ve probably heard Mistie’s infection laugh coming from the grooming salon. She has her Certificate in Grooming from Pawsperity Grooming School.
Blue Springs
Lindsey
Following a stint working at the zoo, Lindsey was determined to prove her Dad wrong when she got into grooming. She knew that with her extensive background around animals, she could make a career out of working with and helping dogs. That was in 2018, and she’s not looked back. In 2023, she added cat grooming to her resume as well. Her favorite dog to groom depends on her mood, but doodles rank high. Her all-time favorite breed is a Sheba which she has 2 of at home. Lindsey loves seeing when the dog’s face comes together, they look less like a ragamuffin. Besides the 2 Shebas, Diego and Obi Wan Kenobi, Lindsey has a Pitbull named Roo and 5 cats; Hoz, Weasley, Ryder, Big Mac and Tookie. Let’s not forget the 12 pet ducks that she tends to for eggs. When Lindsey isn’t at the Barkery in Blue Springs, she enjoys gardening, fishing, camping and blacksmithing.
Lindsey has her certification of grooming from PetSmart and is one of our groomers who is certified for cat grooming.
Lexi
Lexi began bathing dogs in 2018 while working for a pet store in Lawrence. While there, she was able to work with all kinds of animals including exotic birds, reptiles and of course all the fluffy domestic animals too. It was there that her interest in grooming began. She started grooming in 2020 and continues her training as often as she can. Lexi doesn’t consider grooming her “job” as she gets to form amazing relationships with her human and furry clients, bring artistic and creative ideas to life and continue to advocate for our best dog friends. In fact, Lexi is always happy to discuss skin & coat issues and recommend treatments and products. Her favorite dog to groom is the husky, particularly with a longer wooly coat. She matches their wacky personalities and LOVE to talk. Her favorite everyday trim is a contour trim on dogs like golden retrievers, pomeranians, and other double coated dogs in need of a shape up. Not surprising, Lexi has a house full of pets including a wooly husky named Calypso, a shiba inu named Sashimi, two short haired tabby cats named Frank & Meera and a gargoyle gecko named Gary. In her spare time, Lexi enjoys spending time with her husband and son, building Star Wars legos and reading sci-fi novels. In her career, she has received praise for her patience and love for her puppies and clients.
Gardner
Savannah
Savannah is in her 12th year in the grooming industry. She once aspired for a career in the medical field, (but not wanting all those years in school). She always loved dogs, so her plans changed when she got a job as a Kennel Tech then Kennel Manager. She grew up on a farm so when she found a place to intern as a groomer, she was hooked. She groomed at a few places before landing at Brookside Barkery & Bath in Gardner, KS. You’ll find Savannah happiest grooming dogs with challenging fur: think cute, social media worthy. She’s great with old dogs and puppies as she is so patient. Her favorite breeds to groom are poodles, airedale terriers and shih tzus. She has 2 dogs at home; Athena and Chola, both rescue pitbulls. When she is not grooming, Savannah enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, woodburning, spending time with her family and traveling.
Savannah is AKC Safe Certified and has numerous continuing education certifications.
Keyln
Keyln has loved dogs all her life. She started out in doggie daycare and bathing before transitioning to grooming, which she’s been doing for over 3 years. Being artistic allows Keyln to practice her creativity every day, which is why she loves what she does. She thrives by doing something different every day, never knowing what’s going to happen. Her grooming superpower is the misunderstood dogs; she has a special talent for aggressive and/or anxious dogs that just need that calming spirit. At home, you’ll find Keyln tending to her 5 fish and 3 cats Sophie, Ash, & Tiger. She also has 3 dogs; Bandit the pointer, Bailey the german shepherd mix and Goose, the standard poodle who accompanies her most days to the salon in Gardner. In her spare time, Keyln likes working on cars, playing with her dogs and spending time with her family. Sweet Keyln is preparing for her new arrival in a few months too!
Morgan
Morgan started bathing dogs at our Gardner store in 2021, right out of high school. It’s no surprise that Morgan is in the pet industry. She has always had a love for dogs, whether it was 4h or her personal pets. After bathing for 3 years, she knew she wanted to do more with her knowledge and love for dogs. So she attended KC Grooming Academy and graduated in January 2024. We’re happy that she came back to groom with us. Her favorite dogs to groom are poodles and golden retrievers. She also enjoys all of the before and afters and seeing her hard work show in the end product. If you’ve been to our Gardner store, you’ve met sweet Shadow, Morgan’s 14 year old yorkie/papillon mix. He’s loved by all. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games or watching Chiefs football games. Sometimes she’s just a couch potato enjoying her time off. Oh, and she’s planning her wedding too! She has her Certificate of Grooming from KC Grooming Academy and is Pet First Aid and CPR certified.