What do you do?

DOG GROOMER
Bonnie Kane
Royal Pet Beauty Shop

History in this line of work:
I’ve been grooming for 27 years.

What drew her to this vocation:
I love animals, and at first I wanted to be a veterinarian. But I lived for a while next to a grooming school, and I quickly realized that this was the best way for me to work with animals. Oddly enough, I went through grooming school with my mother. I started in high school, and this has been my only job.

Health insurance benefits:
I own the business, so I have to take care of health care on my own.

Fringe benefits or perks:
Working with the animals is the best. Each animal has a totally different personality. As you can imagine, we get every breed and mix imaginable. The work is hard, but the money is great. That’s part of the benefit, too—you’re paid well. The more you work, the more money you make, and the work is always there.

Drawbacks, hassles, or hazards of the job:
There’s a lot of stress. You have to be aggressive, because this work has to be done for the health of the animal. Most of the time it’s not just to look good. Animals can get sick if they’re not groomed. When they fidget you can cut them, and that makes you feel awful. Plus, you get clients who don’t want to face up to the fact that their neglect has hurt their animals—you have to brush them, you know—and we can only do so much. Also, vacation’s a problem. I’ve had to cancel vacations. I’d love to have some time off.

Interests outside of work:
I love working in Uptown. I like to Rollerblade, love the lakes, the people. Of course, I love animals. I have dogs, a cat, and some birds.

Family:
I’m married with two children.

Housing:
We own our own home.

Transportation:
I drive to work from Brooklyn Park, thankfully nowhere near the I-35 bridge.

What she wanted to be as a child:
Well, I wanted to be a vet. But this turned out to be right up my alley.

What else, if anything, she’d rather be doing:
Sometimes I get it in my head to be a professional, to get out of these scrubs and work in a field that’s more professional. But I’d also love to teach dog grooming. I’d love to do that someday.

Where she sees herself in five years:
Dog grooming.

Income or salary:
You can make anywhere between $35,000 and $60,000 doing this.