Staff photo.
Orbe Sanchez trims the fur behind Olive’s ears during her grooming appointment at Happy Dog Baths and Grooming in Crestline Village.
In Vestavia Hills, waiting weeks or months for a good salon appointment isn’t unusual — and dogs here are no exception, lining up months for a spot at Happy Dog Baths & Grooming at 678 Montgomery Highway in the City Center.
Two groomers are booked out months in advance. They groom about 13 dogs a day, plus bath appointments, four days a week.
“The people that groom in Vestavia go ahead and book out for the full year,” said owner Mike Mahaffey. “People like to get their dogs groomed typically every six to eight weeks, so we go ahead and make those appointments.”
Happy Dog Baths & Grooming didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It grew out of a business that was already well known to local pet owners.
“We knew that there was a need,” Mahaffey said.
Photos courtesy of Happy Dog Baths and Grooming.
Owners Dr. Kris and Mike Mahaffey.
Before the grooming shop, Mahaffey and his wife, veterinarian Dr. Kris Mahaffey, ran Pet Vet Animal Hospital on Kentucky Avenue for more than 20 years.
About six years ago, they sold that clinic to a corporation, which operated two additional years before closing.
A year later they opened the salon and now offer grooming, baths and special offerings such as blueberry facials for fur whitening, fluff drying grooming for coat volume, and special senior baths and massages to pamper older dogs.
“We knew we had a lot of business opportunity in Vestavia, and at the time Vestavia really didn’t have a groomer in the area,” Mahaffey said. “We saw the old Subway location and thought that it would be a perfect opportunity for us, and that’s why we opened that facility.”
A signature feature is that dogs are all groomed in the front of the shop — always in full view.
The mix of breeds tells its own story about Vestavia Hills.
“We see a lot of doodles — Goldendoodles, Bernedoodles, Labradoodles,” Mahaffey said. “We see a lot of doodles, but we see a lot of small dogs, too.”
Photo courtesy of Happy Dog Baths and Grooming.
Happy Dog Baths and Grooming in Crestline has a three-week waiting list.
A Crestline location of Happy Dog is equally popular.
“There’s so many amazing dogs, and the parents just truly care about their animals,” said Kristine Harrison, a longtime groomer with the company.
The Mahaffeys also run Dr. Kris’s Mobile Vet Clinic, serving Over the Mountain pet clients.
He said there is no complicated formula behind their success. It feels as straightforward as a trip to the barber.
“It’s just like getting a bad haircut,” Mahaffey said. “You get a bad haircut, you’re probably not going to go back to that person, but if you like the way it looks, you just keep coming back and back and back.”
Mahaffey said Vestavia Hills has been a strong place of support for the businesses.
“We have great clients. Period,” Mahaffey said. “We have ones that have been coming to us for years.”
For more, visit happydog205.com.
