Of dogs, Mark Twain once said, “The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.” Cats, he claimed, were “the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know.” Most pet owners think like Twain—believing their pets to exist somewhere between royalty and deity. Nicola and Chris Salt, owners of The Grooming Room Pet Spa LLC, aim to treat each furry client accordingly, and will work with all breeds, from purebreds to dogs they suspect are actually small men in dog suits.

The Salts approach each treatment like it’s their first, meticulously gathering background information on each new pet before they proceed. Then, within their clean, cheerful salon, they spruce up cats and dogs with comprehensive baths, hot-oil treatments, and facials. Client comfort is their top priority, so they tailor treatments to give extra table time to seniors and to calm nervous animals. The proprietors also aim for environmental friendliness, with a hand-selected collection of all-natural products from top brands such as Eagle Pack, Angels' Eyes, and Dead Sea Mineral Mud treatment.