Door-to-door doggie business booming

By Shari Goldstein Stern

When Lakewood resident and entrepreneur Chris Lacquement was growing up, he was obsessed with his family’s Border Collies and Australian Shepherds and worked hard taking care of them. These intelligent dogs worked cattle for his father, who was a professional bull rider and cutting horse trainer. Today, Lacquement is the founder (2018) and owner of Lakewood Mobile Pet Grooming (LMPG) and White Rock Pet Grooming (WRPG).

Chris’s uncle was a successful groomer in South Texas. Inspired by Uncle Rod’s enviable profession, the ambitious young man left Dallas for Brownsville, Texas. He started an apprenticeship with the pro, which began with sweeping floors and daily lunch runs, working his way up to haircuts.

He loved the work, so he continued his journey when he returned to Dallas to work in the grooming field. He found a job at an established grooming salon in Lakewood, where he worked for 10 years. He liked the area, so chose it for his own business later.

Chris currently employs a team of 14, including nine trained groomers. “I opened the WRPG bricks and mortar location because the mobile business was overwhelmed. Wait times were six to eight weeks for a haircut,” he said. 

According to the business owner, operating six vans costs about $500 of gas per month, so $36,000 a year and continuing to rise. Since the vans idle all day while in use, the maintenance costs are through the roof.

Most of the Texan’s traffic is generated through Facebook and other social media. It didn’t hurt business, though, when Chris and his brand appeared on a Discovery Channel 2015 episode of “Mike Rowe’s Dirty Job.” Check it out on You Tube, Dirty Job, episode 416, “Animal Barbers.”

LMPG groomers perform every task a salon provides, but from inside the ideally-equipped vehicle, treating pets to luxury. All the client has to do is make an appointment well in advance, and take their dog(s) to the door when their groomer arrives.

“My favorite thing about what I do is working with animals. I love dogs. I get to know your pets like they are my own. When a dog shows up and acts like she/he is going to a play date, it fills my heart with happiness and lets me know we are doing something right,” the dog whisperer said.

Chris said some of the worst parts of his job are being bitten, pooped on and expressing anal glands. If you don’t know what that is, you may not want to. Chris explains, “That’s to help dogs who are scooting around on the floor or grass.” He knows your dog needs it, and he’s glad veterinarians do it, but he offers the service since groomers are poking around back there anyway.

Regarding the effects of the COVID pandemic, Chris said: “We have managed to do well and stay afloat during COVID. The hardest part was shutting down for weeks or months at a time. We were not considered an essential business. I was able to obtain a Paycheck Protection Loan during COVID, and I gave 100 percent of the money to my employees for their bills. I had enough savings and my wife’s income to get by.”

The businessman said, “We have many high-profile clients, many CEOs, professional athletes, coaches and Congressmen.”

Chris’ wife, Andrea, is in real estate. The husband said proudly, “She is my rock and support system.” With three children, Gage at 16, Landon at 12 and 7-month-old Cash, you know this mother and professional must be a brilliant multitasker.

Chris receives thank you messages often and appreciates his clients. One customer, Dee Dee, has her hands full with five dogs and two cats — all rescued when they were under a year old. “When Lakewood Mobile Pet Grooming came to my home in the beginning, Chris was pulling a trailer behind his pick-up truck,” she laughed. 

Her dogs have taken to one of Dee Dee’s favorite LMPG groomers, Bryan. “He treats them with so much care. He goes above and beyond as if they were his own,” she said.

Dee Dee tore down walls in her 1700 sq. ft. Lake Highlands home to make a more open, comfortable space for her menagerie. When asked why she’s chosen this lifestyle, she said, “The good Lord told me I’m supposed to adopt these animals. The two cats just found their way here and stayed.” The rescue Mom added this quip: “My son got married and I have nobody who needs me anymore.”