Ran into a lady at the Tractor Supply who runs a dog grooming biz out of her van

She was loading up on those big absorbent pads, like three cases of them. I asked if she ran a kennel and she laughed, said nope, she drives a converted van around Amarillo and does mobile grooming for people's dogs right in their driveway. Said she started with just $800 worth of gear and a beat up van from a guy on Canyon Drive. Has anyone else seen those mobile setups popping up around town?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_clark1mo ago

Started with just $800 worth of gear and a beat up van" - I mean, cool for her and all, but is this really something to get worked up about? People have been washing dogs out of their own driveways for decades. A van just makes it slightly more portable. Amarillo gets like 15 inches of rain a year tops, so how much water is she really hauling around in that thing before it starts smelling like damp dog and regret? I've seen those mobile grooming trucks parked outside my neighbor's house a few times, and honestly the whole operation looks like a pain. They have to run a generator the whole time, there's never enough room to actually dry a golden retriever properly, and half the time they just end up blowing hair all over the street anyway.

olivia_hernandez1mo ago

Man, you just described half the businesses in Amarillo these days. Its like everybody's trying to hack together their own little empire out of a van or a trailer or a spare bedroom. I see it everywhere now - mobile mechanics, mobile coffee stands, even a lady who does mobile notary stuff. Its like the whole town decided brick and mortar is a ripoff so they just throw a mattress in a van and call it a business. The grooming van thing makes total sense if you think about it though, nobody wants to haul a muddy golden retriever across town for a bath.