In Style Mobile Pet Grooming by Dawn

10/18/2026

It time!!
Our THIRD annual Gift-a-Groom project is on!

PROJECT "SHELTER GIFT-a-GROOM" for neglected and abandoned pets.

Did you know there are dogs in shelters who have never been groomed, or even brushed? These poor dogs usually have terrible mats made worse by filthy coats. It’s hard to find a home when you smell awful and look like a disgusting mess. We would like to help, but, we need your assistance to reach as many shelter dogs in need of grooming as possible! How can you help? You can GIFT-a-GROOM! 🎁✂️

How it works:

👉 If you would like to participate , send us a private message stating you would like to donate.

👉 You can remain anonymous, or ask us to include your name and a short message on the donation card provided to shelter.

👉 Before and after photos will be posted of the dog that receives the Shelter Gift-a-Groom.

Unlike the Gift-a-Groom we’ve done before, there are no tiers for Shelter Gift-a-Groom. The donation amount is $75 and will be used to cover supplies, fuel and other related expenses for providing these desperately needed grooms!

With your help we can give these dogs the coat care they deserve and improve their chances of finding a forever home to rest their paws!

09/27/2026

Dolly and Darla are two of the sweetest terrier mixes! They both had their Gift-a-Groom on Friday.

06/26/2026

Murphy thoroughly enjoyed his Gift-a-Groom spa day!

06/12/2026

Another Gift-a-groom from our wonderful donors over the holidays! This little senior lady is currently in foster the Animal Rescue Inc. She’s a little hard of hearing and doesn’t see well, but that doesn’t decrease her cute factor or how sweet and spunky she is. Despite some anxiety, some matted legs and some stiff, uncomfortable joints, she took the whole experience fairly well…although sometimes laying down! 😁 Getting an after picture was a cat and mouse game since she felt great without the extra hair and was anxious to go strut her stuff!

05/29/2026

Ginger loved her Gift-a-Groom spa day.

05/29/2026

Phoebe appreciated her Gift-a-Groom spa day so much she actually fell asleep.

04/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1aTQh4mGcc/

02/28/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CPCNHmGSA/

Hess Equine experienced a tragic first this week. With a combined 50+ years of practicing equine veterinary medicine, our team saw the first (and hopefully last!) case of equine rabies.

The reality is that rabies is 100% preventable with adequate annual vaccination.

The truth is that rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms develop.

The brutality is that there is no way to test for rabies in a living animal.

Pennsylvania was one of the top six states reporting the greatest number of rabies cases in 2022. The commonwealth continues to have a very high incidence of the disease in wild and feral animals.

EVERY mammal is susceptible to the rabies virus.

Horses by their very existence are in close proximity to wild animals that may carry rabies (notably: raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats, groundhogs, etc). We generally see very few cases of equine rabies because most horse owners follow veterinary recommendations and annually vaccinate against rabies.

There are two forms of the rabies virus:

1. Furious: this is marked by significant aggression, abnormal vocalization, foaming at the mouth, fear of water (especially human cases), the classic “old yeller” version. Furious rabies accounts for about 80% of rabies cases, making it recognizable with the single most common factor among domestically affected animals being the lack of proper vaccine administration.
2. Paralytic: these animals become weaker and weaker, eventually paralysis sets in, and finally coma & death.

The incubation period from the time of exposure to the saliva of an infected animal through a break in the skin (typically a bite or scratch) is normally 2-3 months but can be as soon as one week and may take up to one year for central nervous system infection and resulting symptoms. NOTE: this is NOT like “old yeller”, this is a disease that takes time to manifest.

The bottom line in preventing the unnecessary and tragic loss of your equid to rabies is PROPERLY VACCINATING THEM EVERY YEAR UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF YOUR VETERINARIAN.

If you believe you may have been bitten by a rabid animal or come into contact with the saliva of a potentially rabid animal please seek medical attention immediately and contact your local health department.

If you would like to learn more about the rabies virus and how it affects humans worldwide please visit https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies.

02/25/2026

URGENT ALERT: Two separate incidents of rabid raccoons have been confirmed in northern Harford County. The first in Jarrettsvile and the second in Churchville.

Please keep an eye on your pet’s surroundings and keep them leashed at all times. Do not leave your pets unattended. Any animal may be infected!

It is believed that pets and people may have been exposed in both incidents.

Rabies is fatal unless immediately treated!

Symptoms of rabies include; wandering in circles or appearing “drunk”, seemingly confused, extreme aggressive behavior, excessive salivation (often referred to as foaming at the mouth) and behavioral changes such as approaching animals normally avoided. Should you observe an animal you suspect may be rabid immediately contact animal control or local police department.

Harford County Animal Control at 410-638-3505.

02/23/2026

"My dog had to be shaved because it was matted. Did my groomer cause these areas that look like bruising?"

After a shave-down on a severely matted dog, it’s very common to see dark areas on the skin that can look like bruising. In many cases, this is actually hyperpigmentation, not true bruising.

Bruising comes from a recent injury and is usually tender, red/purple, and changes color as it heals.
Hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin that happens over time from constant pulling, pressure, and trapped moisture under tight mats. Once the coat is removed, that previously hidden skin is finally visible — which can look alarming, but isn’t caused by the grooming itself.

This is a good example of how matting can affect a dog’s skin underneath, even when it’s not obvious from the outside. The shave allows the skin to breathe and begin recovering.

It’s still important to monitor healing. Contact a vet if you notice:
• Increasing redness or swelling
• Warmth, odor, or discharge
• Open sores or scabbing
• Pain, excessive licking, or scratching
• Behavior changes or lethargy

Most of the time, with time, cleanliness, and regular grooming moving forward, the skin improves significantly as the coat grows back. 💛