Cheshire grooming salon introduces ‘welfare grooms’ to combat cost-of-living crisis

The Dog Shack at Molly’s Urban Farm in Eastham, Ellesmere Port, is offering budget “welfare grooms” for dogs.

The business, which is owned by Nicola Forster and Francesca Wills, introduced the special grooms after noticing that lots of its regular customers were not visiting as often due to not being able to afford it.

The welfare groom takes fur everywhere from the dog and costs £10 for a small dog or £15 for a medium or large dog.

Forster told the Wirral Globe: “Four weeks ago, one of my customers came in and her dog was covered in fleas with his nails outgrown and he was in a real state. She told me she could just about afford to feed her house at the moment, so dog grooming is the very last thing on her list.”

She added: “It’s for people who can’t afford a groom but want to keep their dogs comfortable and happy.

“We don’t make any money off it whatsoever, but it’s about the dog rather than it being a business for us.”

Forster told the Wirral Globe that the business plans to keep the welfare groom in the future to help people and dogs in the community.

 “Someone has to offer something because there is nothing like it around,” she added.