LI pet groomers going to the dogs, profitably

Marsha Nelson has found profitability, she says, and happiness, in a van. So have Marc Lichtenstein and Mark Cohen.

Nelson, Lichtenstein and Cohen are animal groomers on wheels, and they are doing what so many others only wish they could do: combining a passion for what they do with an ability to make money.

But this is a business that can be, well, hairy. Some animals are not always cooperative. There is competition, and the investment can be high.

Customers must also be cautious. According to the Clark, Pa.-based National Dog Groomers Association of America, no state in the country requires groomers to be licensed. A bill to license groomers is under consideration in the state legislature in California, but association executive director Jeff Reynolds said the proposed legislation "needs a lot of work" before his group can support it. Many groomers, however, have gone to one grooming school or another.

Nonetheless, there is happiness to be had in clipping, shearing and bathing dogs and cats.

Nelson, owner of Luv'n Pooches & Pals, is based in Hempstead and takes her van -- which cost about $70,000, paid for through a loan -- to locations on Nassau's North Shore. She says she has about 300 customers. She and most mobile groomers charge about $70 for dogs under 25 pounds.

"It is profitable," said Nelson, who began grooming in 1990, left for a while to work in day care, and returned full-time in 2000. Mobile animal grooming is popular these days, she said, because people are so time-pressed.

Lichtenstein, owner of Long Island Pet Mobile, based in Deer Park, owns two vans after only nine months in business. "I started with one van and one groomer, and it's blossomed," he said. He now has three groomers working for him. Lichtenstein had worked in real estate until the economic downturn forced him out. Competition is an issue. "It takes a while to get the business where you want it to be," he said.

Cohen, of Sound Beach, started Wags to Woof Mobile Grooming five years ago. He wanted to be independent of a boss or an office routine. "This business is more recession-proof than some others," Cohen said. "Just like yourself, your dog grows hair, and you got to cut the hair."