10/20/2026
Meet the Founder: Kristen
Welcome to The Downtown Dog! My name is Kristen, and I am the founder, owner, and driving force behind our salon.
I’m Kristen, the owner of The Downtown Dog. My world revolves around two things: my family and my passion for pet care. I’m a proud mom to three amazing girls—Dacklynn (my outgoing oldest), Delilah (my daring middle), and Kassidy (our little overachiever!)—and wife to my incredible husband, Dalton.
My lifelong love for animals started early. Growing up, our family dog was a Malti-poo named Sunnie, but for my 11th birthday, I met my absolute "heart dog"—a Dobie-Peek-a-Pug named Missie. Missie was the main reason I fell in love with dogs and set my path in motion.
I went on to study Dairy Science, Veterinary Science, and Business Entrepreneurship at NTC. While shadowing at a local vet clinic during college, I realized my true passion in the animal industry was grooming. About 8 years ago, I began my grooming journey at Riverwest Grooming in Plover under my amazing mentor, Joliene, learning core fundamentals of dog and cat grooming alongside gentle techniques for senior pets and behaviorally challenging dogs.
While elderly and behaviorally challenging dogs gave me my start, I quickly fell head over heels for Poodles, Doodles, and XL giants like Great Pyrenees! Around that time, you might have also caught me doing walk-in nail trims at The Companion Shop on the third Saturday of every month, or running my first solo venture, Bookah’s (named after my own sweet Great Pyrenees).
As our client family grew, so did my vision. I missed aspects of veterinary care, so I decided to bridge the gap between pet styling and animal wellness by diving deep into canine Estheology—focusing on skin and coat health.
When searching for the perfect home to expand, I knew I wanted a true community feel. Finding 1332 Strongs Ave—just around the corner from where I started downtown—felt like destiny! My goal was to create a salon experience inspired by human spa care: a place where you walk in knowing your pet will be treated with gentle hands, tailored skin and coat solutions, and left looking, feeling, and smelling amazing.
Two and a half years later Downtown and I couldn't be happier with how far we’ve come—and we’re just getting started! Thank you for trusting us with your furry family members. 🐶❤️✨
