Bree Ogbonna is an artist and she has chosen Boulder City as the place to display her skills. No, really!! Bree had a choice of communities to relocate to and she picked Boulder City! Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Bree and her husband were looking for an established grooming business to take over and grow. Bree visited a few different locations before coming to Boulder City, where she fell in love with the surrounding area and decided to move to the area from the Houston, Texas area. When the purchase of the business was completed early this year, Bree, her husband, Ogechi (known as “O”), and their two fur babies – a rescued Jack Russell mix named Oso and their Goldendoodle, Savannah – packed up and and traveled west to start a new adventure. She’s the new owner of The Doggie Stylist on Boulder City Parkway.
We sat down with Bree to discuss her skills and qualifications and find out her first impressions of our city and its residents. First of all, Bree is very passionate about what she does. She started grooming dogs when she was young and had a pet Yorkie. She practiced different cuts and styles on her own dog before applying for jobs with local groomers and pet superstores. As she continued to hone her skills in a practical sense, she was accepted into a program for military wives who want to learn a skill. She spent more than two years learning various things related to pet grooming, including behavioral science, anatomy, etc. When the world seemingly stopped in March 2020, she was furloughed from her regular job and took that opportunity to advance her education with more classes. You’ll see a wall of diplomas and certificates for various programs Bree successfully completed during her time at Golden Paws Grooming School in Houston. She hasn’t stopped learning, either! She continues to stay up-to-date on the latest best practices in her industry and applies them to her shop.
She told us she wants the animals in her care to feel like it’s their “spa day” when they visit her store. While she does have a few kennels for waiting customers, she provides a cage free grooming experience for her furry clients. She uses safe and gentle plant-based soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. She also has hypoallergenic products for animals with sensitive skin. Making sure her clients feel safe and cared for is of paramount importance to her. A frightened animal likely will not react well to having, say, his or her nails trimmed. In cases like that, Bree asks the pet parent if they want to hold their pet while she completes this task with her Dremel machine, rather than clippers, for the safety of the animal. She also uses pet safe dōTerra oils in her establishment to maintain a calm, spalike environment.
Bree assesses each client individually as they all have different needs and their pet parents may have varied expectations for a grooming session. Much like human hair stylists and aestheticians, Bree records services for her clients in a file that she can refer back to on future visits. This helps ensure consistency and a satisfactory result each time. For example, some pets require deshedding treatments each visit, while others may only need that service occasionally. Bree is able to look back and see what was done when and structure the current appointment accordingly.
In addition to servicing her furry clients, Bree helps pet parents understand more about their pets. She helps educate them on proper grooming and care for their fur babies in between appointments. She’s already built a steady clientele of her own, consisting of clients of the previous owner, as well as new clients who have discovered her talents. Oftentimes, groomers may notice something about a pet that a pet parent may not, and this can be extremely helpful and lead to early interventions if a health problem is suspected.
One thing Bree emphasized during our visit was that she is excited about her work and looks forward to coming into the shop each day. This is reflected in the care and concern she takes with the animals. She doesn’t overbook her schedule, allowing for a relaxed appointment. Animals easily pick up on stressed individuals and Bree is careful to convey kindness and love instead. When pets feel secure, they are more likely to cooperate for treatments.
Bree is active on social media, of course. Her Instagram is HERE and she has a TikTok channel HERE. You can see her love for her clients in the photos and videos posted. She is accepting new clients by appointment at (702) 539-6481. Appointments are available Tuesday thru Saturday, from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. Her shop location is 1402-B Boulder City Parkway, in the mall that is also home to the laundromat, Woods Family Sandwiches and the Dawn Lee Insurance Agency.
Bree tells us that she’s received a warm welcome from our community and she looks forward to giving back. She has previously volunteered time to a nationwide grooming organization that helps pets get ready for their furever homes. She is planning to be here long term and will be investigating more ways to become involved in Boulder City. She says she feels lucky to have found Boulder City, but we feel like we’re the lucky ones! Please consider her the next time your dog could use a trim. You won’t be sorry!
