8 years ago we adopted a special needs dog named Berkeley. Berkeley had a spinal cord injury…read morerendering part of his back fused together. Berkeley could not do stairs but learned to "ski" down the stairs. He would lie down and sit differently than other dogs because he adapted to his injury. I was introduced to Larissa through a neighbour and when Larissa told me she was setting up a grooming shop in her home, I was delighted. I was anxious about taking Berkeley to a groomer because I wasn't sure he would be able to handle sitting for extended periods of time. As it turns out, Larissa became a neighbour and the convenience of taking my dogs for a walk to her shop proved to be invaluable.
Larissa worked with Berkeley and they quickly found their rhythm. Like Berkeley, she adapted her grooming techniques so that he could be comfortable in the tub and on the table. When we adopted Berkeley, he came to us a sticky, matted, smelly mess of a dog. You would never have known he was a Shih Tzu. When I went to pick up Berkeley later that afternoon, I didn't even recognize my own dog! He was so happy, so handsome and loved his new haircut.
Over the years, we adopted two more rescues, Japanese Chins named Belle and Toya. Both dogs suffered emotional trauma from being in a puppy mill and Belle especially was terrified of humans and specifically children. Larissa again learned to work with both dogs to make them feel safe.
Larissa provides a safe, loving environment and has been extremely patient and gentle with all of my special needs dogs. I never worry that my "kids" will be locked up in kennels for hours or be further traumatized by their experience.
As Berkeley aged, his body became more and more sensitive and arthritis kicked in. On a particularly bad day for Berkeley, he moved and squirmed and Larissa accidentally nicked him. She was immediately on the phone, advising me what happened, indicating that she had treated the cut (which was nothing serious) and asked if I wanted her to continue the groom or wait until a better day for Berkeley. She treated my boy as if he was her own dog.
Sadly, Berkeley passed away on July 23, 2012. On June 2, 2013, Toya passed away suddenly at home due to a heart condition she was diagnosed with 3 months prior. In an extreme panic, I didn't know what to do and called Larissa, completely hysterical. Being neighbours, without hesitation, she came over immediately and attempted CPR but regrettably it was too late. Larissa spent the next several hours with my husband and me, providing comfort in our loss and then in pouring rain, drove us with our beloved Toya to Guardian Veterinary Clinic. Larissa has become family and gave of her personal family time to be with us when we needed someone most. I simply don't know of any groomer who would ever do this for a client.
In the last month, we were gifted with an opportunity to rescue two more Shih Tzu dogs. Buttons is a 4 year old special needs dog that came from an abusive situation. Buttons is terrified of people and terrified of stairs and does not use them. Once again, Larissa has come through and has learned to find a way to help Buttons feel safe and calm and grooms him in a fashion that he feels comfortable, which I recently learned involved him refusing to stand on the table so she groomed him lying down!
Our newest addition is a 2 year old Shiz Tzu named Bandit. He is full of energy and does not sit for long. He returned from the shop looking handsome and happy as ever.
I would follow Larissa anywhere and if that meant moving to another city, I would seriously have to consider it. Larissa continues to take courses to improve her skills and spends time researching cuts so different breeds of dogs do get breed appropriate cuts.
All 5 of our special needs rescues have been treated with love, respect, compassion and understanding. If ever there was a medical issue I needed to be aware of, Larissa brought it to my attention immediately. She never hides a nick, she tells me what kind of a day each dog had at the shop - were they nervous, did they have an accident, were they scared and I know that I never have to be concerned about their safety or care in the shop. Larissa has cared for my family for 8 years now and so long as she grooms, she will continue to care for my furry family in the years to come.
