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While most Siberian Huskies would rather pull a sled in frigid temperatures than take a bath, Rocco, a 100-pound Husky mix, opts for a spa day. About once a month, the red and white long-haired dog strides into Homeboy Puppy Fades Pet Grooming Salon and scans the room for his favorite groomer, Richard Orea.
Although Orea likes working with all dogs, he especially looks forward to Rocco’s appointments. “Despite his size, he’s one of my favorite customers and an awesome dog,” says Orea. “He’s got plenty of energy but never pulls me on the leash and loves the attention I give him.”
More Than a Tidy-Up
The mutual admiration that canine and groomer share for each other extends beyond the brush-out. Theirs is a trust encounter of all-hands-on suds and towel rubs in delicate places.
Orea and the three groomers at Homeboy Industries’ Puppy Fades, in Pasadena, California, are formerly incarcerated. They’re rewriting their history by caring for another creature.
While pet grooming salons focus on sprucing up their furry customers, this grooming shop and its dog clients are creating a new business model. They’re changing the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals and those previously involved in gangs as they rejoin society, one spattered Schnauzer and a sponge at a time.
“Our employees love bonding with the pets,” says Thomas Vozzo, senior advisor at Homeboy Industries. “They view these dogs as their own animals, and their eyes light up when their dogs come into the shop.”
Soap, Water, and Much More
Rocco and hundreds of dogs have visited Puppy Fades since its opening in April. For dogs who romp through mud, collect coat tangles, or emit pesky body odor, getting a little canine shampoo and water—along with plenty of tender loving care at the new doggy beauty shop—equals bonding time with their groomers. Add in some trimming and styling, nail clipping, dental brushing, and a colorful bow, and each technician takes pride in making every dog look its best.
“We’ve had about every breed and mix under the sun, including Poodles, German Shepherd Dogs, Scotties, and Westies,” says manager Iris Chen.
When a rescue group brought four 120-pound Tibetan Mastiffs to the shop, the groomers spent an entire day combing, trimming, bathing, and drying the neglected dogs.
The Puppy Fades grooming team consists of two managers hired from outside the prison system and four certified pet groomers from the West Coast Grooming Academy.
Before their release, those incarcerated can opt to join Homeboy’s 18-month re-entry training program. Upon graduation, they can apply to attend a four-month dog grooming program at the West Coast Grooming Academy.
“They undergo a screening process before they can join the program,” Chen says. “We accept on a case-by-case basis, but candidates often qualify if they’ve dealt with homelessness, substance abuse, previous incarceration, or belonged to a gang.”
According to Vozzo, only the brightest and best candidates are accepted for dog grooming. “We pick those with an affinity with dogs,” he says. “Dog handling forms the basis of grooming so it’s not a skill that comes naturally to everyone.”
Orea is the perfect example of what hard work, dedication, and never giving up is all about. From the ages of 16 to 24 he was in and out of jail. Two years ago, he joined Homeboy Industries’ re-entry training program after getting out of a treatment facility for recovering from an addiction to crystal meth.
“I had to find a new way of life and interacting with dogs worked the best for me,” Orea says.
Second Chances, New Futures
Los Angeles native and Jesuit priest Father Gregory Boyle founded Homeboy Industries 37 years ago in East Los Angeles to help people deal with trauma.
“Working with a global network of 150 organizations in 42 states and seven countries, the Homeboy Network is the largest gang-intervention rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world,” Vozzo says. “Give people a job, and it changes their life. We believe in giving second, third, and fourth chances.”
Each year, Homeboy helps 8,000 people released from prison in some way—whether that’s with rent money, tattoo removal, or recovery from drugs and alcohol. Case managers and employment counselors provide continued support.
On Puppy Fades’ opening day, a groomer’s brother and sister approached Vozzo with tears in their eyes and thanked him and Father Boyle. “They had disconnected with their brother while he was in prison but reunited because he now had a purpose,” Vozzo says.
Puppy Fades provides a quality job and pays an hourly salary of $20 per hour, plus tips. The minimum wage in California is $16.50 per hour. The groomers are invited to remain at the Pasadena shop or seek employment elsewhere if they wish. “Their goals matter to us,” Chen says. “Some say they want to open their own business, or they want to stay here forever.”
Orea likes working at Puppy Fades because of the camaraderie with the other groomers. “It’s like a family because we all went through the grooming program together,” Orea says.
Homeboy’s concept of teamwork—rather than every groomer being out for themselves—helps play to everyone’s strengths.
Relying on each other comes in handy when a groomer feels stumped about whether to trim a tail one way or the other, or how to manage an unusual coat type. Above all, the dog’s best interests and making the dog feel relaxed matters the most.
“Dogs can come into the shop for the first time and might act scared or anxious, but by the time they leave they’re happy and wagging their tail,” Orea says. “To me that makes all the difference in a dog’s life.”
A Perfect Partnership
Puppy Fades is Homeboy Industries’ first pet grooming shop, with five to seven more scheduled for future openings in the Greater Los Angeles area. Homeboy also operates a bakery, silk screening business, café, and an electronic recycling business for the formerly incarcerated.
“We thought adding a dog grooming business would be a natural fit for Homeboy since many of our people have an affinity for dogs,” Vozzo says.
While four months may not sound long enough for the groomers to learn the fine points of trimming and managing the different coat types of every breed, West Coast Grooming Academy called on breed experts to help. They brought their dogs in and presented master classes on breed haircut specifics.
“I worked on a family of eight Bouvier des Flandres and learned how to hand strip their coats,” Orea says. The rough-coated, 27-inch-tall Bouvier belongs to the AKC’s Working Group and has a coarse double coat that requires this unique technique to maintain the harsh texture.
Orea also remembers trimming Andrew, a West Highland White Terrier. “He needed his skirt trimmed and that was a project,” Orea says. The Westie is a small dog, but the skirt is the long, wiry coat that hangs under the dog’s belly and down either side of its body, between the front and back legs.
“I also learned how to give a Schnauzer a haircut, and it’s a good thing the dog was patient, because there’s a lot to it,” Orea recalls. “The Westie and Schnauzer cuts are pretty detailed, but the Schnauzer owner gave me a textbook I could look up later.”
Mastering the art of nail cutting is a challenge for many pet owners, but Orea doesn’t mind doing “pawticures” at all. “Puppies and little dogs can get fussy if they don’t like their feet touched, so I’ll ask a coworker to hold a puppy while I cut its nails, which usually works.
Total Acceptance
Since Puppy Fades opened, manager Dee Lujan has noticed a few changes in the team’s confidence level. “In the beginning, the homies were afraid of making mistakes and being perceived as bad, lazy, or not good enough,” says Lujan. “We encouraged them to be vulnerable and that it’s OK to ask for help.”
Realizing that the dogs don’t judge or care if the groomers were once incarcerated, lived in a homeless shelter, or have tattoos on their eyelids is life-changing for the groomers.
“All the dogs care about is how the groomers show them compassion and make them feel fresh and clean,” Lujan says.
Getting dirty has a purpose after all. It’s what dogs do best.
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