THE PAWS TEAM
Jeni
Owner + Stylist
Meet Jeni!
With over 17 years in the pet grooming industry, Jeni has been working at Paws since 2009. In July 2019, she became the owner of Paws Grooming Studio & Spa to further pursue her passion for working with animals. This passion stems from a young age when she was seen giving makeovers to childhood stuffed animals, but also a mentor that had an extraordinary love for grooming and knowledge that ignited her passion. Although she enjoys working with all breeds of dogs, Poodles hold a special place in her heart. One of Jeni’s aspirations is to do competitive grooming, as well as conformation shows.
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Jeni lives in the Ann Arbor area with her family and their four dogs, Creeker (Chihuahua/Yorkie mix) Hadley (Pit mix), Branch (Toy Poodle), and Birdie (Standard Poodle). Jeni would describe herself as ambitious, encouraging, empathetic, and outgoing. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family at their family cottage up north taking in the fresh air and scenery with her cup of joe.
Mikinzi
Manager + Stylist
Meet Mikinzi!
Almost 10 years ago Mikinzi took her love for animals and started her grooming career. She has since been a part of the Paws family since 2013. Mikinzi cannot pin-point any specific pet she prefers working with, but she does enjoy comforting over-joyous or nervous pets and building a positive relationship. Her calm demeanor and attention to detail is something that she hopes one day will set her apart in competitive Creative Grooming!
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Mikinzi and her family live in the Metro Detroit Area with their three dogs, B.B. (Chihuahua), Jace (Pit/lab mix), Percy (Standard Poodle), and two cats, Shelley and Merle. Mikinzi can often be found with her children, crafting, or cardio drumming (so neat)! When posed with the question, “if you could go anywhere, where would you go?”, she replies “Always somewhere the sun is shining”!
Brittany
Stylist
Meet Brittany!
Brittany has been a professional stylist since 2013 and started at Paws Grooming Studio back in October 2016. She got her start at a grooming salon in Wisconsin when a fellow groomer injured herself and had Brittany take over. Although she is mostly self-taught, she was born for grooming! Throughout the years, Brittany has loved working will all dogs but loves most double-coated breeds from small to big; such as Pomeranians and Malamutes. Although Brittany loves grooming, one day she dreams of getting into the show ring and competing.
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Although born in Michigan, Brittany has lived in Wisconsin and New Hampshire. Brittany and her family and dogs, Beaker (Greyhound) and Zoey (Chihuahua mix), live in the Metro Detroit Area. She plans to travel to Alaska one day soon, as she loves exploring and being in nature. Brittany’s talents aren’t limited, as she can play over 20 instruments and can seriously bust a move! In her spare time, she loves being surrounded by her family and enjoying the comforts of watching her children grow.
Caitlin
Stylist
Meet Caitlin!
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Caitlin has over 10 years of grooming experience but joined the Paws team in October 2020. Her love for animals and years of volunteer work led to her pursuing a career working with animals. While she loved interacting with the animals she encountered, she wanted to be able to make a connection with them that was both rewarding for her and making each pet feel their best. Fast forward ten years, Caitlin says grooming is her true passion and she hopes to be able to expand her grooming career both creatively and technically.
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Although Caitlin dreams of living somewhere warm year-round, she and her family live in the Metro Detroit area with their two dogs, Bindi (Pomeranian) and Tech (Pitbull mix), Pikachu the Chinchilla, and betta fish Vanilla Ice. When Caitlin is not at the salon, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors with her dogs, swimming, or getting creative with her paintings. A fun fact about Caitlin that many don't know is that she is a twin!
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Chelsea
Stylist
Meet Chelsea!
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Although Chelsea joined the Paws team in 2023, she has been grooming and styling pups since 2017. Before becoming a groomer, Chelsea was a bather at her first salon with only having experiences with short-coated and low-maintenance breeds. She was infatuated with the skills and creativity the groomers perfected each pup with. After attending grooming academy and mentoring under her peers, she has applied her knowledge, passion, and keen eye to beautifying each pup that graces her table since. Chelsea's passion for grooming can be reflected in her calm demeanor and the love she shows each client and pup. Although she has a soft spot for Shih Tzus and Doodles, she truly loves building a loving and trusting relationship with some pups that have anxieties and trust barriers.
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Chelsea and her pup, Fritz (Miniature Poodle) love a good hiking/camping trip or even relaxing on the couch reading and gaming. A dream for Chelsea would be to hike across the Isle of Skye in Scotland and explore its beautiful terrain.
Christina
Stylist
Meet Christina!
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Although Christina only has a few years under her belt, she can make any pup beautiful and shine like they are supposed to! She became a part of the Paws family in March 2021 to expand her techniques, skill, and passion for grooming. Christina has always had an artistic side to her that she found extremely compatible with her love of dogs, which is how she found her way into the grooming profession. She adores working with Poodles and Bichons, as she hopes to one day dabble in creative- and show-style grooming.
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Christina has lived in Michigan her whole life, and she loves enjoying the outdoors with her cat named Mouse, and dogs, June (Miniature Poodle) and Ollie (Plott Hound Mix). When she is enjoying her time out of the salon, Christina enjoys hiking, listening to music, and using her creative side to draw or paint--sometimes drawing realistic animal art with chalk/pastel!
Jenna
Stylist
Meet Jenna!
Jenna has been a professional stylist since 2012 and joined the Paws family in January 2020. Although she loves animals of all types, she has always been drawn to dogs--a passion ignited from childhood that became her career. Some of her favorite breeds she enjoys working with are Schnauzers and Terriers of all types! Although Jenna loves her current career as a groomer, she is also pursuing a career in nursing through the University of Michigan-Flint.
Jenna lives in the Ann Arbor area with her husband, two cats, Basil and Lucio, and their dog, Nora (Kerry Blue Terrier). Always ready to explore, Jenna describes herself as a compassionate and creative person who enjoys expanding her knowledge. She enjoys hockey (both playing and following), hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding. If she could go anywhere, it would be where she could explore mountainous regions and forests and wander the great outdoors!
Sam
Stylist
Meet Sam!
Sam has been a professional stylist since 2016 and joined the Paws team in 2023. While finishing up her college degree, she needed a job and found herself grooming in no time. After finishing her bachelors in psychology, she realized that grooming wasn't just a job to pay the bills but her passion. Some of her favorite breeds to work with are Poodles, Shih Tzus, and even some kitties! She has aspirations to become a certified master dog and cat groomer and pet aesthetician as well as continue to be competitive in sports with her dogs!
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Sam and her family live with their four dogs Moxie and Fuji (Japanese Chins), Azula (Standard Poodle), and Garth (Toy Aussie), and her cat Izzy, and salamander Kirby (Axolotl). When she isn't at the salon, she keeps busy reading and attending sporting events for her pups. In 2023, Azula and Sam qualified for their first year in dock diving to go to the national and ranked amongst the top 200 in the country! Sam is also a certified AKC canine good citizen evaluator!
Shannon
Stylist
Meet Shannon!
Shannon joined the Paws team in 2023, but she came with over 20+ years of experience. She always knew she wanted to work with animals, however, dog grooming wasn't on her radar until she was in a pet store shopping for her pets and she had her "ah-ha" moment. She attended her training at one of the nation's top grooming institutions and as she says, "the rest is history". Shannon loves working with breeds of all types--with Poodles and Bichons being at the top of her--however, she loves the excitement of working with purebreds and breed-specific patterns. Shannon aspires to continuously learn and grow with the grooming industry and competitive grooming world as well.
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Shannon and her family live with their 2 cats, Liam and Riot, and their 2 dogs Echo (Miniature Poodle) and Baby (Chihuahua mix). When she's not at the salon, Shannon is often caught in the wilderness hiking, camping, and engaging in dog sports. Although she loves crafting and making bows while listening to audiobooks.