Furever Friends opened at its 25 North Avenue West in Cranford this past winter, and is  owned and operated by Walter Acuna and his wife, Jennifer Acuna-Alfaro.  It is primarily a grooming salon, but there is also a retail area in the front to acquire must-haves for the pampered pooch in your life.

“My sister-in-law is actually a home-health care aid, and she had a client up here.” Jennifer told Cranford Radio.  “She told me about this shop.  It used to be ‘Pads, Paws, and Claws.’ They were looking for another groomer. . . . So I came up here and wound up getting the job.  I worked for the former owner for almost a year.  She became sick and couldn’t do this any more, and asked if I would like to take over.”

Jennifer has actually been grooming dogs for more than two decades, has shown dogs, participated in grooming competitions, worked for a professional handler, and worked as a veterinary assistant.

It takes about three hours to groom a dog properly.  Each canine customer needs to be washed, dried, brushed out, and it becomes even more complicated if their fur has become matted.  And Jennifer works very hard to keep the dogs calm and happy.  She explains, “You want them to enjoy coming in here like it’s a spa day.  When we go to get out hair done, it’s relaxing.  You want it to be as close to that as possible for them.” To keep dogs from stressing out before going to the vet or groomer, she recommends taking them for a nice long walk first, even walking to the shop from home if possible.  Keep it fun and positive.  She also recommends brushing dogs between grooming, to decrease shedding and matting, and to keeps doggies looking delightful.   And if your furry friend is in “ruff” shape between groomings, the shop also offers simple brush-outs in addition to complete grooming  services.

Check out their website at FureverFriendsNJ .  Or stop in with your fuzzy loved one for a spa day!