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Love Fur Dogs has been in the planning stages since early in 2013. Now, April 2014, we are finally realizing our family’s dream and opening our doors in the Hubbard Woods Plaza. Opening a new start-up small business is not easy – its a lot of hard work! But this has been a real labor of love. And it really informs our unique name – Love Fur Dogs is really our mission statement too. More on what that mission of love is, and where it comes from in future blogs – stay tuned! We begin with tremendous gratitude to all who have supported us so generously to help us get to this special new beginning.
We are here because we want to share the love and expertise we have with dogs in our community. We are dog people. We are hair-all-over-our-dark-suit-pants, can’t-travel-anywhere-that-doesn’t-take-dogs, spending-all-our-spare-cash-on-dog-treats, sharing-our-queen-sized-bed-each-night with two incredible affectionate Australian Shepherds, DOG people. We know that there are lots of us around here, but no place to come for grooming in all of Glencoe, Winnetka, or Kenilworth – until now!
I am Jennifer Bishop Jenkins, a native Winnetkan. I went to Crow Island and my two daughters graduated from New Trier. I am also one of the first handful of people in the nation to become a Certified Master Groomer. I attained this elite title back in 1985 when there were only a few dozen who had stepped up to try to better our profession in this way. Next year will be 30 years! I was born in Evanston, raised in Winnetka, go to church in Kenilworth, have many friends in Glencoe, and have been living my settled adult life in Northfield for 15 years. We had a German Shepherd and a Lhasa Apso growing up, along with our gorgeous Siamese cat Tada Tida. My husband Bill Jenkins is a dog person, too, and had been fostering rescue dogs when I met him. Our two daughters love dogs more than words can say. Yup, we are dog people. Amidst much other good life work we have done in other fields, always trying to make the world a better place, there have always been our dogs giving us that unconditional love and constant joy, even during the most difficult times.
I started grooming for fun 1982 when I also began to show dogs. I learned alot from the dog show world which has no doubt shaped my extremely high standards and drive for excellence in grooming. Grooming is a real art form as well, appealing both to my heart of service and my desire to create beauty and goodness. I also taught high school for 25 years. My years of experience teaching and running schools have shaped my regard for wisdom and intelligence, patience, communication skills, and ability to lead others in learning. It was a perfect fit when I started working part time in vocational grooming schools. Vocational education is so important. Not every student is college bound, and even some that finish college do not find their careers always rewarding. Historically in our nation there are never enough groomers, especially good ones, it seems. Some people want to work with the animals they love. Being a good groomer is not easy – it is a real high level professional skill that takes mountains of knowledge and patience. But it is a rewarding profession. And so Love Fur Dogs will also contain the Bishop Grooming Academy – a vocational school that will apprentice the groomers of tomorrow from the animal lovers of today. As far as I can tell, I am the only award-winning and certified experienced TEACHER running a vocational school in this field. Most of the few grooming schools in the nation are run by just that – other groomers.
Your beloved family member is not just our client – they are like extended family to us as well. We will love your pet and give it all the healthy care and maintenance it requires, while also creating a safe and nurturing home away from home. Your four-legged best friend will be cared for, gently and beautifully groomed, and carefully returned better than ever to you.