Wags N’ Wheels: Trimming the town’s furry feet from the comfort of home

In today’s world, our dogs and cats have become what is known to most pet owners as our “fur babies” They are family and family should take care of each other. Part of this care is grooming and maintenance; a place where a lot of people like to cut corners with both themselves and their dogs. The Axe spray just ain’t doing it man…

I have been there a time or two before with my beloved dog, Chubs. Not so much the stinking it up or the cutting corners, rather the cutting of his nails. I was young and naïve or brave and cheap, however you want to dress it up. Young baby Chubs trusted me as I had previously cut his nails in the past with no problem. He also trusted me because again, we are family. I was not prepared to see what was to come that one fateful day thirteen years ago that I learned I was NOT a dog groomer. Clip. Clip. Gush. There was blood. There was SO. MUCH. BLOOD.

In retrospect, this should have been the sign where nursing school wasn’t for me, instead I had to waste multiple semesters and thousands of dollars only to discover I could not even stomach cutting into a very dead and formaldehyde-soaked feline specimen in college. Hello, Communications!

Ok, so the amount of blood may be hard to realistically convey as…

 1.) I do not do well with blood. 2.) That is my fur BABY! 3.) I did this to him! I did this to my family! 

Crying, Chubs ran from me as I ran after him while simultaneously calling vet 911 and most likely annoying the receptionist with my constant questions that YouTube probably could have answered, but again there was SO MUCH BLOOD. 

Tina, the receptionist, told me to take flour from the kitchen and pack it on his little toe to stop the bleeding. It sounded like a YouTube hack but I was up for anything. There was now flour everywhere too.

After the fear shook off and he let me mend his wound, I vowed never to try that again. I ignored the mess so that my roommate thought he had missed the party.

And the rest of the day Chubs and I laid there on the couch, mortified… as I fed him treats like a hand maiden feeding grapes to my Roman Emperor and showered him with love and remorse. (By the way, do NOT feed your dogs grapes. That is toxic. And no, I did not have to call Tina about that one).

So ever since that day, Chubs has had routine manicure and pedicures, fancy for nail trims. Sometimes those nail trims can be hectic or difficult on the owner and the dog, with both the transportation and the anxiety associated with office settings like a vet or groomers. So here comes Wags N’ Wheels: a new business here in the Quincy area that specializes in the routine maintenance of animals between vet and grooming appointments in the comfort of your own home.

With more than 15 years combined experience in the animal field, Kaylee Kindhart, Erin Hammond and Paris Miller decided to come together to form an in-home grooming service after seeing the idea on a common Facebook group used by vet technicians and realizing the need for something like that here locally. The three entrepreneurs work together at a vet clinic here in Quincy full-time, so their hours are based mainly in the between 6 and 8:30 pm, along with some limited daytime availability. The price of a regular house call trimming starts at $20 with household discounts to apply for any additional pets. A list of their services can be found on their Facebook page @Wagsnwheels2021.

Traveling and trimming, these ladies have seen all kinds of animals and their owners. I’d like to think that their experiences reflect that of the opening scene to Disney’s animated classic 101 Dalmatians where the owners and dogs resemble each other. 

I’d also like to think Chubs the Chihuahua is a representation of myself. Tiny, but still big. 

Hammond said that many of the clients and their pets “resemble each other in personality” as well. Chubs and I both really like sleeping and food so…yes, I would have to agree.

I have used the Wags N’ Wheels service and found them to be extremely convenient. The inconvenience and pressure this service takes off both myself and my dog is worth every penny. 

Speaking of pennies, I will always proudly support ambition to make more pennies and businesses offered locally by members of our Qmunity. If you have a business you would like to spotlight on the Muddy River Vibe, please email me at bboll@muddyrivernews.com.

Brittany Boll is an award-winning mixologist and social media influencer in our Quincy community, which she has dubbed our #Qmunity. She reports on what’s cool in Q-Town as Muddy River’s #Qmunity Connoisseur. If you have an idea for our Muddy Vibes, please drop her an email at bboll@muddyrivernews.com.