Grooming by Missy returns to Hinckley
After 20 years, Melissa Zubricky has returned her dog-grooming business to Hinckley Township.
Grooming by Missy opened in January in the shopping plaza at 1369 Ridge Rd. Zubricky had a grooming business in Richfield Village from 2000-2014, but she had to close because the building she worked in went up for sale.
Zubricky started her dog-grooming business in Hinckley in 1991, moving to Richfield in 2000 when a better opportunity arose. She hadn’t planned to reopen, but when the current building space opened up, “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity here for the building,” she said.
She is leasing the space for five years.
Grooming by Missy provides full-service dog-grooming, offering haircuts, baths (including flea-dips and medicated baths), toenail clipping and other services. The building has a bathing area with a tub and walk-in shower stall, a grooming area and a kennel area. She keeps dogs separated from each other and doesn’t let them walk free, to keep the animals safe.
Zubricky grew up in Hinckley and graduated from Highland High School in 1986. She lives in Medina with her husband Mark and her three dogs, Vegas, Symann and Rox.
She has been a groomer for 37 years. “I had my heart set on going to veterinary school, but financially I couldn’t afford it, so I started as a bather/dryer with a groomer, and I stayed with it,” Zubricky said.
Ohio doesn’t require dog groomers to be state certified, but Zubricky is groomer-certified and salon-certified through Oregon. To achieve those certifications, she needs to know different breed standards for grooming and what is necessary to design a safe salon space for dogs and customers.
She is also certified in pet CPR and first aid.
“I certified myself, because it is a lot easier for people to accept, instead of asking, ‘OK, do you have any education?” she said.
Zubricky also regularly takes part in grooming competitions to keep her skills sharp. She competes with the International Judges Association, which sponsors pet expos with different dog rescue organizations.
“As we’re grooming, people can see what we are doing with the dogs, and a lot of them are adopted out that day,” she said. “So as soon as we are done grooming them, they’re going home with their new owners.”
She has won several awards at such competitions, which can be seen on the walls of the salon. Grooming by Missy is open Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. For more information, visit “Grooming by Missy in Hinckley Ohio” on Facebook, or call 330-278-1157.
Feature image photo caption: Melissa Zubricky and her rescue dog Vegas at Grooming by Missy. Photo by E. Peterson
