Takoma Pet Services

Ironically, this company states that “communication especially when you have certain particular expectations is very important,” yet my experience showed the opposite. Today was my second appointment with this company, and unfortunately I do not recommend their services. I want to note that Eddie, my dog’s first groomer, was attentive and understanding during our previous appointment. However, today’s experience made it clear that the company itself is not reliable. My dog was scheduled for his second grooming today. When I arrived, I was greeted by a young woman who did not speak any English. Normally, this would not be an issue, and I understand that a language barrier is not reflective of someone’s ability to do their job well. However, my dog has severe anxiety, so being able to clearly communicate his needs to the groomer is important for both his safety and the groomer’s ability to work with him comfortably. I attempted to explain his needs and how I prefer his cut, but she did not appear to understand and did not acknowledge what I had said. This made me nervous, but because I recognize that language barriers do not necessarily reflect someone’s skill and because my previous appointment with Eddie had gone well, I decided to proceed with the appointment. However, additional concerns quickly arose. The groomer appeared completely uninterested in my dog—she did not greet him, pet him, or acknowledge him in any way, which I found very unusual for someone whose job involves working with dogs. As she walked away with him, I noticed his leash beginning to slip from her hand. Because we live next to a busy road, I quickly followed them in case he broke free so that I could catch him. Her lack of comfort and control while handling him was a major red flag. As she approached the van, a teenage boy who was “in training” opened the back of the van and then attempted to handle my dog, something I had never agreed to. Because of these concerns, I declined the service for my dog’s safety. I offered to pay the $25 trip fee for the inconvenience, but was later charged $40 for cancellation, which felt extremely unfair given the circumstances. Overall, I would not recommend this company, especially if your dog has anxiety or requires clear communication and careful handling.

We have been getting our 70 lbs husky mix groomed at Takoma Mobile Groomers for a year and they have been nothing short of a miracle. Our pup, who is very nervous, loves his groomer and is so much less anxious without the overstimulation of being groomed around tons of other stressed out dogs. They are always prompt and communication is a breeze. The professionalism, convenience and price truly can’t be beat. 15/10.

First and last time client (I used the mobile service). I requested a full groom with a HAIRCUT and the groomer shaved down my 9 year old Scottish Terrier—a double coated dog—down to his undercoat! He was NOT matted as I brush him regularly! Instead of issuing a genuine apology, this grooming service blamed me and sent me a photo of my dog AFTER they shaved him.It will take SEVERAL MONTHS AND POSSIBLY UP TO TWO OR MORE YEARS for my dog’s fur to grow back and to get it back to what is normal for a Scottie. When it comes to Scottish Terriers, these groomers clearly don’t know what they’re doing and don’t care! I was even told by the owner (I think—have no way of knowing) that they’ve groomed Scotties before. Oh really? Then why was my Scottie shaved down to his undercoat? The ignorance of this grooming service astounds me! I was shocked when my dog was returned to me—it’s that bad! I had to maintain my composure as my neighbor was present (believe me when I say this was difficult for me to do at the time). I foolishly gave the groomer a tip, not because I thought he did a good job but because I was raised to believe that this is what one does in the service industry! DO NOT use this groomer if you have a Scottish Terrier—you will absolutely regret it! I paid $160.00 only for my sweet dog to be BUTCHERED! So much for “loving” and “pampering” my dog, customer service, and any sense of decency! Response to the owner’s reply: To imply that my dog was wildly overgrown is absolutely preposterous! And rather than give me a genuine apology for the HORRIBLE job you did, you doubled down with your “sorry not sorry attitude and took ZERO responsibility for what you did. I’m so glad I found a competent groomer after this fiasco!

Recently used their mobile grooming and I highly recommend. They were on time and very communicative. Also great price point. Love the cut!! I have been having my senior poodle get groomed for close to 15 years and this is one of his best cuts and experiences.

🚨DO NOT BOOK THIS SERVICE🚨 tldr: they completely botched up our dog’s grooming and didn’t care to correct/amend the mistake. My boyfriend booked this grooming company for our golden retriever, Bugz, to prepare for family holiday photos to send to loved ones and parents abroad. In our original request (email confirmation shown), there was NOTHING that requested a CUT. It was supposed to be a BASIC GROOM, only TRIMMING the butt and feet. My boyfriend was VERY clear and made sure to communicate this in English and in Spanish (he’s fluent) with the groomer when they arrived so there wouldn’t be any miscommunication. Our Bugz came back to us completely cut: his long fluffy tail is so short and stubby now, his leg wings are GONE. You NEVER cut a golden’s tail and IF you do, you TRIM it to give it a tapered look. This is so far past unacceptable already and when we spoke to them about it, they even admitted that they don’t usually cut the tail that short. So WHY NOW?? He is an incredibly well behaved dog, is 8 years old, and has been getting groomed his whole life - I don’t believe he was so restless that they “had”to cut it as short as they did. UNBELIEVABLE. They even said to “look at the photo again” (referring to the photo we sent about what we wanted), saying that the “tail and legs are clearly trimmed down.” I provided that photo in this review with the tail and wings circled so you can compare the example with our Bugz and you can see that BOTH his tail AND his wings are GONE. Their response? “Sorry 🤷🏻‍♀️” We paid $190 for the worst grooming job I’ve ever seen for our boy - almost double what we pay in San Francisco or NYC, two of the most expensive cities in America. I cannot even believe how infuriated we are about this, it is UNACCEPTABLE. DO. NOT. BOOK. HERE.