21 Pooch Dog and Cat Grooming Salon DTLA– A New Business in South Park!
Walk down 11th Ave. to Broadway and turn left. About 50 feet north on Broadway you will find a store front housing the newest business in South Park and a delightful lady by the name of Valeriia Shipareva. When you meet her, you will know that here is a unique young adventurer who left her birth home in Russia and landed in Los Angeles looking for a new way of life. Her first business venture, only a year and a half ago, was to open the 21 Pooch Dog and Cat Grooming Salon in Hollywood, only a few blocks from her apartment. Why a dog and cat grooming business? It’s all her dog Biggei the Beagle’s fault.
When still in Russia Valeriia adopted Biggei, a two-week-old floppy-eared creature. She soon realized why all her friends were so wild about their dogs and were spending so much on care and grooming. This gave her the idea that maybe this would be a business in which she could thrive. She signed up for dog and cat grooming school, got her training, and worked for groomers to get needed skills to open her own shop. Upon immigrating to the United States, she immediately opened her first 21 Pooch Dog and Cat Grooming Salon in Hollywood. She soon realized that a lot of her customers were coming from Downtown L.A.
Just a month or so ago she opened her second shop, 21 Pooch Dog and Cat grooming Salon DTLA in South Park at 1061 S. Broadway, just a few blocks away from one of the biggest and craziest concentrations of pooches and kitties in L.A. This has obviously been a smart move.
While the shop’s main focus is on grooming, 21 Pooch Dog and Cat Grooming Salon DTLA also carries a nice array of dog and cat harnesses, dog and cat bedding, and general treats and accessories. Valeriia told me that before committing to purchasing a new product to sell in the shop, she tries it out on Biggei. If Biggei does not approve of size, fit, color, comfort, or taste she won’t have it in the shop!
My wife Enid and I first sought out her shop on recommendation from Julie, our friend and SPNA member, who was looking for something that could help her dog relax during the noisy 4th of July week. One of Biggei’s favorite approved product lines is a great CBT chewy that worked for our friend’s pet – and it certainly helped our two dogs weather the fireworks of the last few weeks. Thanks, Biggei!
Future plans for the South Park shop will include Doggie Day Care and a great do-it-yourself dog washing set-up with specially designed stainless steel washing tubs, cleaning products, and a special blow dryer that’s sure to be attractive to all of us here in South Park who have been struggling to wash our pets in the master bathtub or in the kitchen sink. This is going to be a sure winner!
All information about the shop and grooming activities can be found on Valeriia’s website: 21Pooch.com, where you can see her pricing schedule and make an appointment. We wish Valeriia the best of luck and a hearty welcome to our great neighborhood…and to our wonderful country!
By John Nilsson