14 DAY TRIAL // The dog grooming industry has grown immensely in the last couple of years and creative pet makeovers have been associated to a more unique type of art. Dog coiffures proved that art could not be limited to painting or sculpting, but that it could also be used to turn a pet into a superhero-lookalike.
The passionate groomers enjoyed their own creative dog styling competition in Hershey, Pennsylvania and battled for the title of the world's top groomer. The prize was a spot on the cover of the famous Groomer to Groomer magazine.
One of this year's most promising contestants was Sue Eld-Weaver, a mother-of-four from Northamptonshire, UK that battled in creative grooming skills with some of America's most famous pet stylists.
The pet grooming trend has transformed into an actual business in the USA, with important revenues turning it into a multi-billion dollars industry. “People spend more money on their pets than they do on their children around here,” Adriene Pope, champion dog groomer from South Carolina, says, according to Daily Mail.
Luxurious conditions for pets include special heating or cooling systems, flat screen TVs, personalized furniture and many other perks. The design and work put into creating the perfect makeover is huge, and in order to get their hands on the big prize the stylist must offer their best performance.
“I reckon you could compare this to someone who sculpts things out of wood or concrete. Picasso used a white blank piece of paper, I use a dog. This is my canvas," Mrs. Pope said, notes Daily Mail. The pooch must be flawless in order to stand a chance as a top runner in the competition, and nothing less perfect is accepted.
There is a lot of work in preparing the animals for the competition, but what counts more is the actual performance in front of the judges. Dogs are transformed into lions, pandas, tigers, buffaloes, characters from cartoons, Donald Duck, The Simpsons, Yoda or even Batman.
This year's winning theme was based on the “Memoirs of a Geisha” and belonged to UK's first contestant in the American Competition, Mrs. Pope. The flawless work included the perfect cutting of the animal's fluffed-up fur and an amazing dye job showing the extreme passion for dog grooming.