GROOMER & SALON QUALIFICATIONS

PAWS & ANCHOR STANDARDS

Paws & Anchor takes the care of your pet very seriously. Unfortunately the pet grooming industry is largely unregulated and no certification or safety requirements currently exist. Safety, Experience, and Education are our core values. Paws & Anchor Groomers are proudly: Red Cross Pet First Aid & CPR Certified, A.K.C. Salon S.A.F.E. Certified and IPG (Internationally Professional Groomer) Certified Groomers. We are proudly cage-free, but do not let the dogs interact for safety reasons. In addition, all of our salon products we use are natural, made in the U.S.A., contain NO Sulfates, Parabens, or Phthalates. Paws and Anchor also has a strong policy against, and never uses, dangerous cage dryers that can potentially harm animals. All pets are hand-dried with towels and cool air hand dryers after their bath. We use proper non-toxic pet-safe disinfectant (killing pathogens, viruses, bacteria and fungi for broad spectrum protection) to clean between each pet client and employ disinfectants and antimicrobial UV light sanitizers for our tools (designed to kill harmful surface and airborne pathogens quickly and efficiently, providing safety). We do our very best to give your pet the best care. 

At Paws & Anchor we provide individual care, and will call you as soon as your pet's services are almost complete, so they do not experience any potential stress waiting around for their pet parents at the salon. (Please specify at check-in: the best number to reach you and if a 15 minutes heads up is enough time for you.) Positive reinforcement is always utilized in the care of our animal clients. Your pet will be working with or supervised by someone on the Paws & Anchor team during their entire service experience. Paws & Anchor has strong ethics and policies regarding the safety of your pet. Pets are never left alone and the staff never steps away leaving them unsupervised on a grooming table or in a bathing tub. We are educated and experienced professional pet stylists and hygienists, and artists in handling and animal behavior. All of our groomers are internationally certified by a third party organization (IPG), and all of our staff have certifications from the most respected certifying bodies in the field. We also require that all staff participate in Continuing Education classes yearly at Pet Industry Conferences to stay on top of modern pet industry styles, techniques, and industry safety recommendations. See more details on the abounding variety of credentials of our team on the meet our crew page.


AN AKC S.A.F.E. CERTIFIED SALON

Paws & Anchor is an approved and certified AKC S.A.F.E. (Safety, Assurance, Fundamentals, and Education) Salon. As part of that process we certify that we will comply with the requirements of the AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer Program, including adhering to the AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer/Salon Safety Oath. We also agree to be inspected by the AKC at any time and have an emergency/disaster plan for our Salon. All AKC S.A.F.E. Salon owners have to pass the AKC Safety in the Salon course exam, and submit an approved application that demonstrates their Salon’s compliance with the Oath, and commit to having one AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer onsite at all times. Our certified AKC S.A.F.E. Groomers have passed the AKC Safety in the Salon course exam and submitted an approved application that details our grooming experience and certifies that we will comply with the requirements of the AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer Program. This also includes a commitment to the AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer/Salon Safety Oath which showcases their pledge to holding pet safety in the highest regard. Our certificates and safety oath are on display at the salon, and you can also find us on the AKC GroomerFinder profile listings.

 
RED CROSS PET FIRST AID & CPR CERTIFIED STAFF

All Paws & Anchor staff is Red Cross Pet CPR & First Aid Certified. The certification process covers caring for cats and dogs through a variety of topics, from understanding and checking a pet's vital signs, to preventative care for cats and dogs, to caring for the most critical emergency situations including breathing and cardiac emergencies, wounds, bleeding, and seizures. We believe in the importance of being able to recognize and provide first aid in emergency situations for the animals we are for until veterinary care is available. The content was developed by the American Red Cross team of scientific and medical experts.


ABOUT OUR CERTIFIED GROOMERS

No certification or state licensing is currently required to perform grooming services in the state of New Jersey. Sadly with no oversight, pet safety is a tremendous issue in pet grooming. Regardless, here at Paws & Anchor we take the additional step of ensuring that each of our groomers are Certified by a third party organization, IPG (International Professional Groomer). The IPG Certification is a revolutionary certification for pet grooming professionals. The foundation of the IPG certification lets clients and our community know that we are operating safely with the pets in
our care. Groomers learn the trade from a variety of sources available in the industry, but having a third party certification ensures that all of our groomers are on the same page, operating with safety standards, proper knowledge and ethics. The process of certification involves multiple written tests, and practical evaluation exams demonstrating technique when providing grooming haircuts and bathing services to pets. Topics covered in the certification process include: pet health and recognizing possible disease and illness (to bring to the attention to the pet parent to discuss with their veterinarian), canine skin and hair and the effects of grooming, health and safety concerns for the pet professional pet, understanding canine behavior and handling, bathing and drying techniques, safe pet trims, parasites, vaccinations, zoonotic diseases, canine first aid and emergencies, sanitation and disinfection, professionalism and ethics. As part of the certification process the grooming area, bathing area, and salon equipment that the groomer uses for pet services are all evaluated for safety as well.

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you

Location

Find us on the map

Our Regular Schedule

Private Grooming and Cat Grooming appointments are available After Open Hours on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays

Paws & Anchor Storefront

Monday:

11:00 am-3:00 pm

Tuesday:

11:00 am-3:00 pm

Wednesday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Thursday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Friday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Saturday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed