Thorndale Ont., woman 'never dreamt' she'd be among the world's best dog groomers
Owner of dog salon won international contest against more than 400 groomers from 55 countries
For Jessica Daltrey, grooming dogs is a lot more than just giving them haircuts — it's also about making sure they're healthy and happy while they get the royal treatment.
"[It takes] everything inside of you. All of your blood, sweat, tears, time, and energy," said Daltrey. "We have our hands on dogs in a different way than their owners, so we can find different lumps and bumps and [assess] their overall skin health."
The 31-year-old owner of Franklyn's Paw Spa in Thorndale, Ont., took her passion and her Kerry Blue Terrier, Braz to an international dog grooming competition, called Groomania, in Belgium last month.
Daltrey and her teammates brought home a silver medal and ranked second worldwide after they beat the top four groomers from 23 different teams at the championship.
Daltrey herself won the best in show award against more than 400 groomers from 55 countries.
"These championships are just like the Olympics, so it was my first international 'best in show' and I just never dreamt of winning. It doesn't even seem real," she said.
Groomania takes place every two years, and was held this year from Sept. 20 to Sept. 22. It consists of two portions, including an individual competition among groomers, followed by a challenge between first-place champions.
Daltrey said dogs can't have a grooming session for a minimum of six weeks before the championship to ensure they have long enough coats, and they have to be in good physical shape. With a time limit of two-and-a-half hours, the pressure is on as a panel of 11 judges look out for the best precision and technical abilities.
"What they're looking for is your technique for handling your dog, making sure the dog is groomed according to the breed's standards and choosing the different angles to best suit that dog's profile," she said.
'Overwhelming' support from community
Still in disbelief from her global victory, Daltrey said the support from her community back home has been even more humbling, with everyone from her clients, staff, family and friends continuing to celebrate her win since she returned home last week.
Daltrey's employee of two years, Tori Deelstra made sure to watch the event live as it unfolded.
"I had goosebumps and tears because I've seen her put the dedication in these last two years. Being behind the scenes of her passion toward her career is super extraordinary to watch," said Deelstra.
"When I started working here, she went to world's just to see what it was all about and so to see her get there and win was a whole surreal experience."
At her first day back at work on Tuesday, Daltrey was welcomed with an arch of balloons, her trophies, posters of support, and most importantly, by the dozens of furry four-legged clients she sees on a daily basis.
"The best part of this job is my clients and my dogs, a lot of them have been here since I graduated pet grooming school in 2015 so they all feel like family," said Daltrey. "The messages of support have been so overwhelming and genuine."
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