News

Forest Lake Times
June 2018

Pet Styles treats pets (and their owners) right

When a business exists in the same location for nearly 30 years, that staying power speaks volumes about the quality of the establishment and the excellent services offered. One such business is award-winning Pet Styles Grooming Salon of Forest Lake. Open since 1989, Pet Styles is a well-established local source for any and all pet grooming needs. With a client base exceeding 2,500 and a heavy rotation of satisfied, repeat customers, the quaint shop, nestled in historic downtown, has been owned and operated by Kari Halvorson for the past 21 years.
“This is my 21st year of ownership. How exciting! We couldn’t be busier. We are getting new customers every day. We are so proud,” Halvorson said, with a thank you to her customers. “Supporting local businesses is what Forest Lake is all about.”
“I have always had a love for animals,” she said. “Instead of going to vet school and becoming a doctor, I decided to go the artistic, creative route. Being a certified master pet groomer and owning my own business all these years is very rewarding. I am so thankful.”
Halvorson, who’s logged roughly 55,000 hours of grooming experience (equivalent to about 30 years), and her team of certified, professional pet groomers, provide services to dogs and cats. The business’s client base has exceeded 3,000 and is still growing.
“We specialize in all aspects of grooming from haircuts, trimming, shaping, styling, to ear cleaning and nails,” she said. “We pride ourselves on providing the best all-around pet spa experience possible.”
“We all know the breed standard haircut for each dog, but we also listen to what mom and/or dad wants for their pet. We can provide custom haircuts at their request. We have always offered stenciling, glitter, dye, mohawks and painted toenails. Our scissoring techniques are top-notch; it’s what we’re known for,” Halvorson said.
A few things set Pet Styles apart from the competition. One is that the business works with hard-to-handle pets or the pets that have been rejected by other grooming establishments.
“We simply care about each and every pet that comes through our door and we do our best to work with them,” Halvorson said. “We will gladly work with the elderly pets or one-eyed or no-eyed pets, and puppies and kittens.”
Secondly, what sets Pet Styles apart is its fair and honest pricing policy. Halvorson said that, unlike other grooming establishments, her place of business will never tack on any unexpected extra charges for shampoo or dematting or extra brushing, etc. There are no pop-up or hidden fees, and tax is included in the price.
“We do not have a ‘menu’ of confusing grooming packages where the price varies, making it difficult to understand,” she said. “We are a premier pet boutique without the boutique prices.”
“For all of us here, this is more than just a job,” Halvorson said. “We feel like each animal we work with is our own by proxy. Our customers have been overwhelmingly satisfied, and the majority of the pets we work with as puppies continue to return to our shop through adulthood into their senior years. We know them their whole life. How wonderful is that?”
Pet Styles Grooming Salon is located at 143 N. Lake Street in Forest Lake. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday and evenings and closed on Sundays. It is open on Mondays by appointment. Pet Styles is always accepting new clients. The business has a window appointment time of three hours, depending on the pet. The staff asks owners not to just stop in before the window is over because it may cause their pet to become excited, increasing the time it takes to finish the appointment. Pet Styles will call the pet’s owner a half hour before the pet is ready to be picked up.
Halvorson recommends booking an appointment early, as the business is currently booking appointments two to three weeks in advance. May is the time to start flea and tick prevention, so get in touch with Pet Styles today. Call 651-464-6996 to schedule an appointment or for more information. Go to petstylesmn.com for more great pictures.

Pet Style owner Kari Halvorson (left) and full-time groomer Joan VanGorden are happy to pamper your pets, including local dogs Gnomen (left) and Sully.