Shortly after Cassie Bratton left her abusive relationship, she was laid off from a medical device company. With no income, limited skills and dwindling confidence, she struggled to take care of her three children. Enrolling in a dog grooming training program changed her life.
How to become a dog sitter through the program
powerformerly The Grooming Project, is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that employs parents struggling with issues, such as substance abuse recovery, cases unresolved legal cases and domestic violence, and train them for careers in the pet grooming industry.
“Working with animals every day is a great way for students to learn how to regulate their emotions,” said Abby Jaskolski, director of communications. “They take the emotional rule they learned in school and apply it to the way they interact with their children at home.”
Lack of dog caretakers
Natasha Kirsch, whose mother is a groomer, founded the Grooming Project in 2016 to provide multiple career paths for struggling parents. But as the demand for groomers has grown over the past few years, along with an increase in pet parents, the nonprofit has focused on pet grooming.
Five experienced pet care instructors, including two Pawsperity graduates, train students for 6 to 9 months, and upon graduation, students have numerous job offers in the area. Cassie works full-time for a beauty salon in Missouri. She plans to stay at The Salon long-term and learn how to run a dog daycare and work in dog therapy.
More than financial stability
Abby of 103 graduates said: “The successes we’ve seen have been amazing. “Women would come to us with their heads bowed and the stress on them. When they leave, they are proud of their achievements and excited about their careers.”
Abby doesn’t see demand slowing down anytime soon. Major pet brands that offer grooming have inquired about recruiting Pawsperity graduates in their stores across the country.
Pawsperity recently moved to a larger facility to provide market-priced dog grooming and daycare to the public, helping to fund the program. And employees plan to double the number of families they serve this year.
It’s a new spiritual space for our students to function in, says Abby, and the joy and excitement that comes from that simple change can be unbelievable.
To learn more, visit www.pawsperity.org
