Professional Pet Groomer

Part-Time | 2–3 Days/Week | Saturdays Required | Full-Time Potential

About The Modern Paw The Modern Paw is a boutique pet supply store and grooming salon in Kitchener, Ontario. We are a small, family-owned business that believes pets deserve thoughtful, personalized care — and that grooming should be a positive experience for both the pet and their person.

Our grooming salon is intentionally small and operates on a 1-on-1 basis, allowing our groomers to focus on one pet at a time rather than working in a busy, high-volume salon environment.

We are looking for an experienced, confident Pet Groomer to join our growing team.

The Role

This position is ideal for an experienced groomer who is comfortable working independently and takes pride in producing quality grooms while treating every pet with patience and kindness.

You will be responsible for managing your own appointments from start to finish, including consultation, bathing, drying, grooming, finishing, and communicating with clients about their pet's grooming needs.

This is not an entry-level or grooming-school position. We are looking for someone with a minimum of 2 years of hands-on professional grooming experience after completing their training/schooling.

What We're Looking For

Required:

- Minimum 2 years of actual professional grooming experience — not including time spent only bathing, assisting, or attending grooming school
- Confident grooming dogs of different breeds, sizes, coat types, and temperaments
- Able to complete grooms independently from start to finish
- Comfortable making professional grooming decisions based on coat condition, breed, client instructions, and the pet's individual needs
- Strong understanding of protected handling, bathing, drying, clipping, scissoring, finishing, nails, and ears
- Patient, gentle,



and respectful approach to animals
- Able to recognize when a pet needs additional time, accommodations, or a change in approach
- Reliable and professional
- Comfortable communicating with pet parents
- Willing to work as part of a small, collaborative team
- Available to work Saturdays

Strong assets:

- Professional experience grooming cats
- Experience with difficult, anxious, senior, or special-needs pets
- Fear Free or low-stress handling experience
- Experience with breed-specific trims
- Interest in continuing education

Why Work at The Modern Paw? Our salon is different from a large, high-volume grooming environment.

You'll have the chance to:

- Work 1-on-1 with each pet
- Focus on quality rather than rushing through a high volume of appointments
- Build relationships with your regular clients and their pets
- Work in a smaller, calmer salon environment
- Be part of a small, collaborative team
- Participate in our fun, pet-focused store events and community activities
- Enjoy generous tip-sharing
- Receive staff discounts on products and services
- Grow your schedule as our grooming business continues to grow
- Have opportunities to contribute beyond grooming if you enjoy retail, events, or connecting with customers

Pay is commensurate with experience.

Schedule

This position will begin as part-time, approximately 2–3 days per week, with the potential to grow into a full-time position as the grooming business continues to grow.





Saturday availability is required.

Additional weekday availability is preferred.

We are particularly interested in someone looking for a long-term opportunity rather than a short-term position.

The Right Fit The right person for The Modern Paw is:

- Experienced and confident in their grooming skills
- Comfortable working independently
- Patient and kind with animals
- Detail-oriented without losing sight of the pet's comfort
- Professional and dependable
- Comfortable asking questions when needed
- Willing to contribute to a positive team environment
- Interested in building long-term relationships with clients and their pets
- Someone who enjoys being part of a small business and a fun, community-focused setting

How to Apply Please send your resume along with a brief introduction outlining your grooming experience and availability.

Applicants should include:

- Years of professional grooming experience
- Types of dogs/cats and coat types you are comfortable grooming
- Whether you have professional cat-grooming experience
- Your current availability, including Saturday availability
- Please describe the types of grooms you currently complete independently.
- Photos or a portfolio of your grooming work, if available

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and we will reach out to candidates whose experience and approach align with what we’re looking for to arrange an interview. Pay: $19.00-$26.00 per hour

Expected hours: 15.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits

- Casual dress
- Company events
- Flexible schedule
- On-site gym
- In office parking
- Store discount

Application question(s):
- What interests you about this position?

Experience:
- Pet grooming: 2 years (preferred)

Work Location: In person

📌 Professional Pet Groomer (Kitchener)
🏢 The Modern Paw
📍 Kitchener