I took my 5-year-old Maltese to my longtime groomer, Jessica E. at Cage Free Grooming at her recommendation. Jessica E. has groomed my Toby for years and I have followed her as her grooming career has blossomed. (She is an AMAZING groomer, ask for her if you can).
Cage Free is really conveniently located in Tempe. Lots of parking and close to lots of other shops. Totally easy to drop your dog off and get some of your errands out of the way.
The salon is:
- clean
- welcoming
- quiet
- professional
- affordable
- cage free
I instantly felt comfortable as I entered the salon with Toby. The salon is spotless which is really hard to accomplish. I was even looking for hair and for imperfections (just because I'm nervous to leave my dog at new places). Jessica had me fill out some paperwork and took an extra few minutes to let my dog run around and make sure he was comfortable. Those little extra touches mean a lot to me.
Jessica has groomed Toby for years but she still always takes the time to ask what I'd like and discuss what he needs. She always gets it perfect. Toby loves her and I should note, Jessica really understands each breed: their unique temperaments, what their grooming needs are, etc.
I also love how at Cage Free my dog is free to roam under close supervision. I always hate going to other salons that just keep him in the tiniest cage possible for hours.
Overall I would absolutely return. I don't really understand these negative reviews. For one, you have to sign a permission for them to shave your animal. If you signed the form then you gave them permission. Also, grooming instructions can be really subjective. I always bring in a picture of my dog with a grooming cut I like.
I will note that I don't think I interacted with the owner but I didn't notice any problems with any other animals or think their grooming cuts looked bad.