The People Behind the Care

Rachel

Rachel grew up in Phelps, New York, where she was raised on her family’s dairy farm. She now lives here with her husband, her two kids, and their beloved family pets. Rachel has always loved animals and dreamed of becoming a dog groomer, and when she arrived here she took the opportunity to follow that dream. She has been grooming at Paw Retreat since early 2014, and her favorite part of the work is the relationships she builds with her clients.

Lena

Although she was born and raised in Germany, Lena has spent the majority of her life in Central Texas. Growing up she always loved animals and had a lot of pets, so she knew she wanted to work with them when she got older. Lena started her grooming career in 2016 after graduating from the PetSmart grooming academy and has been sharpening her skills ever since. What she loves most about the job is that it never gets boring — every dog who comes in has their own personality, and there is always something new to learn.

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and grew up on acreage surrounded by horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. She started her career as a vet tech, then decided to try grooming and instantly fell in love with it. Three years in, she still truly enjoys the craft — it gives her an artistic outlet, and she finds deep satisfaction in creating a positive, happy environment and helping pets feel and look their best.

Kaitlyn has thirteen animals in total: four dogs, one cat, two donkeys, and six chickens. In her spare time she loves hiking, camping, and anything outdoors. She also loves to travel, and her newest goal is to visit every single zoo in America.

Brianna

Brianna was born and raised in Central Texas, in the city of West. Growing up on a farm, she was bringing home stray dogs, cats, turtles, and just about anything else from the time she was big enough to pick them up. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance, with a special expertise in karaoke.

She spent her early career years in retail and office management while also doing theatre and loving her late dog, Diego. Diego is where she began grooming on her front porch at just 18 years old — and why she has a special place in her heart for her “grumpy old puppy” clients. Based in Salado since 2022, you will often find Brianna with her dogs Lucy (Aussie/Chow) and Obi D.O.G. (Jack Russell/Good Boy), trying new places to eat with her husband, James, or watching Bob’s Burgers on repeat.

Nicolette

Nicolette was born and raised in Northern California, where her love for animals began at a very young age. Growing up with dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and even chickens taught her that every animal deserves patience, kindness, and love. Her grooming journey started as a bather before she attended professional grooming school, and from there she built her skills grooming dogs of all breeds, sizes, and personalities. She eventually owned and operated her own grooming business in Northern California.

About four years ago she made the move to Texas and has loved becoming part of this community. Her goal is to make every appointment as calm, gentle, and stress-free as possible — whether a pup is young, senior, shy, or full of energy, she believes every dog deserves to be treated like family. There is nothing more rewarding to her than a happy dog, a wagging tail, and a smiling owner at the end of an appointment.