- September 18, 2021
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WATERFORD — Rachelle Conner loves dogs and old Hollywood. So, she decided to open a business in Waterford that combined both: Golden Age Pet Parlor.
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The grooming salon opened in early August and is located at 811 Fox Lane, just off Milwaukee Avenue in the same plaza as the BP gas station and McDonald’s. Conner opened it alongside her husband, Corey.
“Golden Age” refers to Rachelle’s love for all things classic and vintage. It does not refer to the kind of dogs that the parlor services; the parlor services dogs of all ages.
Walking into the parlor, you’ll be greeted by Rachelle — often donning a Rosie the Riveter headband — and a plush couch with a chandelier backdrop, often the spot for a post-appointment glamor photoshoot for your pup.
“I’ve always been kind of obsessed with the Golden Age of Hollywood,” Rachelle said. “I thought it made sense to go with grooming and wanting to apply that to giving your dog this spa experience and glamorous makeover.”
Golden Age Pet Parlor also has a glamorous set-up for pets to snap some photos after their grooming session.
Besides signifying her favorite era, Rachelle also wanted her parlor’s name to stand for “something at its peak,” she said. “This is the ‘golden age’ of grooming. I want to provide your pet with the best experience that we can possibly give them.”
Rachelle has a background of about seven years in what she called the “corporate world,” grooming at big-box pet stores. She said her experience has been seeing pets and their owners get treated like just numbers to meet goals.
Rachelle Conner is co-owner of Golden Age Pet Parlor.
“It wasn’t how I wanted to operate things. I wanted to do more, focus on one-on-one grooming instead of having a bunch of dogs in cages,” Rachelle said.
Rachelle, from East Troy, heard from her regular clients that there weren’t many pet groomers available in the Waterford area, so she set up shop there. But a few of her regular clients from her previous — some who live as far as Sussex — make the drive to see her.
“The feedback we’ve gotten from the Waterford community and surrounding areas, it’s just been outstanding,” she said.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted in 2019 that the grooming industry would need to recruit, train and employ 64,000 new pet groomers by 2026 to keep up with the demand for pets.
The COVID-19 lockdown launched a “pandemic puppy boom” of people wanting more pets as companions since they were spending more time at home. That boom also resulted in a larger demand for grooming services.
But like other industries surviving the pandemic, the grooming industry is facing a shortage of workers. As a result, pet owners have had to wait several weeks to get their pups booked at any groomers.
Corey Conner, co-owner of Golden Age Pet Parlor, soothes a dog during its grooming session.
Rachelle and Corey are the only groomers at Golden Age, but Rachelle is already finding that they might need to hire a third pair of hands soon.
“I know other people in the industry have been looking for over a year and it’s been very, very difficult to find people,” Rachelle said. She added she may have better luck taking on someone with minimal experience in grooming — for example, maybe they have only bathed dogs in the past — and training them for the job.
But the pandemic isn’t the only thing contributing to the groomer shortage. Rachelle said groomers retire early or set restrictions on which dogs they can work on because of how much grooming does to a person’s body.
“Groomers are getting into their 30s and we’re realizing, ‘Okay, we can’t take six 100-pound dogs in a day.’ And, you know, a lot of us have carpal tunnel issues. I just recovered from three herniated discs in my back,” Rachelle said.
According to the BLS, the animal care and service industry is projected to have about 66,000 openings a year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are due to the need to replace workers who either change jobs or stop working altogether, like retiring.
Golden Age Pet Parlor is located at 811 Fox Lane, just off Milwaukee Avenue, in Waterford.
Ultimately, Rachelle wants to educate her customers on the upkeep needed for “pandemic puppies” or trendy breeds, like the poodle-mixes she has seen pop up.
“Yeah, these dogs are adorable, but they have a huge amount of maintenance for grooming,” Rachelle said.
Ella Hansen, 14, and her dog, Henry, 4, pose for a photo during the Racine County 4-H Dog Show on Saturday.
Ella Hansen, 14, takes her dog, Henry, 4, through a course at the Racine County 4-H Dog Show on Saturday.
The Barbee Family and their dog, June, 3, pose for a photo at the Racine County 4-H Dog Show on Saturday.
Baskets up for a raffle during the Racine County 4-H Dog Show on Saturday.
Melanie Minger and Jackson Bandkowski pose with their dog Rasta, 8, on Saturday.
Three handlers and their dogs test out their obedience skills during the Racine County 4-H Dog Show on Saturday at the County Fairgrounds in Yorkville.
Carlyn Rabe and her dog, Benny, pose alongside Nathan Strickland and his dog, Selby, on Saturday.
Dog Show competitors mingle between events on Saturday.
Adriana DeYong presents with her dog, Waylon, on Saturday.
The Beth Family from Franksville pose with their family dog, Shine, 5, on Saturday.
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Golden Age Pet Parlor also has a glamorous set-up for pets to snap some photos after their grooming session.
Golden Age Pet Parlor is located at 811 Fox Lane, just off Milwaukee Avenue, in Waterford.
Rachelle Conner is co-owner of Golden Age Pet Parlor.
Corey Conner, co-owner of Golden Age Pet Parlor, soothes a dog during its grooming session.
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