Zakayla Riley is the owner and Dog Groomer of Pawpin’ Pawz Luxury Mobile Grooming. We provide professional, convenient, and full-service grooming in our self-sufficient mobile grooming trailer right in front of your home!
Zakayla lives in Norwood with her amazing boyfriend Jeremiah and their two fur babies Benji and Shadow. When she is not busy grooming or “entrepreneuring, she can usually be found snuggled up with her pups or out on an adventure with them! Zakayla loves amusement parks, the outdoors and swimming, but most of all she LOVES animals. Zakayla says, “I thank God everyday for blessing me with the ability to work with them and for placing me exactly where I need to be in life.
So how long have you been in the dog grooming business? I have been grooming for about 3 years and will be celebrating one year in business this month!
As a young entrepreneur, what are some of the challenges you have faced? One of the biggest challenges that I faced, but also embraced was starting out as an in-home dog groomer. In the beginning I feared, that I would not be seen as a professional or that people would discredit me for not being in a salon or having a fancy van. I eventually got over that fear and started building my business from the ground up. House call grooming does provide a one-on-one intimate grooming experience for pets who may have anxieties, fears, physical limitations, and those who just enjoy special pampering. Though I made it look easy, in-home grooming does come with its challenges including, physical wear on my body, limited clientele, and sometimes unpredictable/uncomfortable situations. I absolutely love grooming in the pet’s home, however, it was limiting because to preserve my body, I had a 50 lbs weight limit in place and could not accept double-coat dogs. Because I groomed in the home, I had to take all of my equipment into each client’s home, set up, groom, clean, and break down. That limited the amount number of dogs I could service in the day.
At 23 years of age, you have accomplished a lot. What are some of your biggest accomplishments? One of my biggest accomplishments would be hosting The Pup Relief Tour in Cincinnati! This non-profit organization travels across the country to offer free dog grooming at a 2 day event. We were able to build out a pop-up salon at The Wesley Chapel Mission Center in Over-The-Rhine. With the help of 24 dog groomers from all over the country, we were able to groom over 150 dogs in Cincinnati for FREE! It is so rewarding to be a part of something that is so much bigger than me and to be able to give back to the community in a major way such as this, is nothing but a blessing from God.
In just one short year, I have gone above and beyond to take Pawpin’ Pawz from a start up to a thriving small business. Not only will we be celebrating one year in business this month, but we will also be debuting our first mobile grooming trailer! You heard that right ….. We have finally acquired our self-sufficient mobile grooming salon and with this expansion, will now be able to service large breed and double coat dogs with no problem. We are so excited to now be able to service more families in Cincinnati!
What are your plans for the future? The future is looking bright for Pawpin’ Pawz Luxury Mobile Grooming! We are always looking for new ways to be involved and make a difference in our community. Currently, we are doing the groundwork needed to begin our Pawz For Hope program, which offers free/low-cost dog grooming sessions to low-income and disabled persons/families.
How can people contact you? We are currently accepting new clients who are able to maintain a pre-booked schedule of 8 weeks or less; we service within a 15-mile radius of downtown Cincinnati, excluding KY; and we ask that you go online to www.pawpinpawz.com to request an appointment with us and answer frequently asked questions. Reach us by phone or text at 513-400-4063 and stay up to date with us on socials @pawpinpawz!
Is there anything else you would like to share? Lastly, we invite you to pawty with us at our first annual Paw-loween Party on October 29 3-6 in Washington Park. Check out some awesome local small businesses, dog costume contests, adoptable dogs, nail trimming, and ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of our new mobile grooming trailer! Hope to see you there!
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