I’ve profiled a variety of businesses frequented by their neighbors; this is the first where the business goes to them.
“We’ll come right to your door, you don’t even need to leave your house,” explained Kaio Noronha, owner of Rolling Bones Dog Spa, a mobile dog grooming service.
Noronha’s colorful van contains a grooming station, bathing tub and all the supplies necessary to provide complete grooming care. While obviously much more convenient for the pet owner, he said his business is beneficial for the pet as well.
“One on one, dogs tend not to get as nervous as they would waiting in the kennel for several hours,” he said, also noting that some dogs don’t like having to get into a car for transporting.
While some may think that dog grooming is for pampered pets, Noronha emphasized that his services are very important for canine health.
“If you don’t brush them properly, their coats can mat up to the point where the skin gets infected,” he noted. “Clipping hair under their bellies prevents urine from matting up there, which eliminates odors and also prevents skin problems. Overgrown nails can lead to their toes bending. We remove hair under the paw pads for better traction, which can help eliminate injuries.
Noronha said the biggest challenge he confronts is helping clients understand the importance of regular grooming for their tail-wagging friends.
His five-year-old operation, which consists of himself, the van, and one other employee, is based in River Ridge but services all of Jefferson Parish and beyond. With increasing demand for dog grooming both inside and outside the parish, he said he is on the verge of purchasing a second van and adding staff.
“There is a large market for this,” he observed, driven in part by the fact that “more people got dogs during the pandemic, and people also noticed the odors and the shedding more while they were at home with their dogs.”
While Noronha maintains a website, most of his business comes via referrals from existing customers, or from people who see the van while on the road. His main grooming package is what he calls “the Rock’n’Roll treatment”: a bath with oatmeal-based shampoo and conditioner (good for the skin); blow drying that helps reduce shedding; thorough brushing to eliminate matting, augmented by hair trimming if needed; and nail trimming. To this can be added brushing the dog’s teeth and what he gently described as “clearing the anal glands.”
The owner of two dogs himself, Noronha clearly enjoys his work. “I take a lot of pride in what I do, and the customers love it,” he reported. “But most of all, we do it for the animals.”
Rolling Bones Dog Spa
rollingbonesdogspa.com
504-444-5405
FB: @rollingbonesdogspa // IG: @rollingbonesdogspa
