Our Team | Mary's Dog Grooming

Our team is small by intention. We believe a salon with fewer groomers — each fully invested in the animals they work with — produces a better experience than a high-volume operation where dogs become numbers. Every member of our team chose this work because they genuinely enjoy it, and that shows in how they handle the dogs in their care.

Mary Tremblay - Founder and Lead Groomer

12 Years Experience

Founder & Lead Groomer

Mary Tremblay

Mary started grooming dogs in 2012 after years of watching how larger chain salons handled anxious animals — with speed rather than sensitivity. She opened her own salon in Gatineau because she wanted to do things differently: slower, quieter, and focused on making the experience manageable for the dog first.

Over the years, she's developed a particular reputation for working with dogs that other salons have turned away — reactive, fearful, or highly anxious animals that need a completely different approach. Her method is patient, quiet, and built around reading the dog's responses rather than pushing through regardless.

She has completed continuing education in canine handling, stress signals, and grooming techniques for challenging coats. She also mentors the other members of the team, sharing what she's learned from more than a decade of hands-on work.

Specialties Anxious dogs, senior dogs, doodle cuts, mixed breeds

Favourite Breeds Goldendoodles, older mixed breeds, rescue dogs of all kinds

Education Professional Groomer Certification, Canine Stress Signal Training, Ongoing breed-specific grooming workshops

"A dog that leaves here feeling okay about the experience — even if it wasn't their favourite thing — is a success. That's what I'm working toward every time."

8 Years Experience

Senior Groomer

Julie Beaumont

Julie joined the salon four years after it opened and has been a steady, reliable presence ever since. She came in with eight years of grooming experience and a calm working style that fits naturally with the salon's approach. She's the groomer clients most often request by name for their puppies — her patience with young dogs is exceptional.

She has a background in show-style grooming and is particularly skilled with poodle and poodle-cross cuts — the kind that require precision and consistency across repeated visits. Clients with doodles, labradoodles, and poodles who want a particular style often see Julie specifically for that reason.

Outside of the salon, Julie volunteers occasionally with a local rescue organization, helping to groom dogs before adoption events. It's given her a wide exposure to different temperaments and coat conditions, which she brings back to her everyday work at the salon.

Specialties Puppies, poodle-style cuts, high-energy dogs, rescue temperaments

Favourite Breeds Standard poodles, Labradoodles, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Education Professional Grooming Diploma, Show-style scissoring workshops, Puppy handling certification

"The best visits are when a puppy comes in terrified and leaves wagging their tail. Those are the appointments I look forward to the most."

6 Years Experience

Groomer & Coat Care Specialist

Claire Okafor

Claire joined the team three years ago with a focus on what she describes as the technical side of grooming — the coat itself, how it behaves, what it needs, and how to maintain it over time. She's spent considerable time studying double-coated breeds and the specific challenges their undercoats present throughout the year.

She leads most of the salon's deshedding appointments and has developed a systematic approach to undercoat removal that clients of huskies, shepherds, and retrievers have found genuinely useful. She's also good at explaining home brushing routines that complement professional treatments — a practical skill that helps clients keep their dogs' coats in better shape between visits.

Claire tends to be the groomer who takes on the larger dogs — her handling technique is calm but confident, which works well with big breeds that can be physically challenging to manage on the grooming table.

Specialties Double-coat breeds, deshedding, large dogs, coat condition assessment

Favourite Breeds Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs

Education Professional Groomer Certification, Double-coat specialty training, Large breed handling workshop

"Coat health isn't just about what you do in the salon. I always try to send owners home with something practical they can do themselves — it makes a real difference."

What We Share

How We Work Together

We Talk About the Dogs

After each appointment, we briefly share notes on how the dog did — what worked, what was difficult, what to try differently next time. That information carries forward to every future visit.

We Keep Learning

Grooming techniques, handling approaches, and product knowledge all evolve. We each pursue continuing education independently and share what we learn with the rest of the team.

We Support Each Other

When a grooming session gets challenging, we can call on a colleague. Having a second person available — to assist with a difficult nail trim or calm a stressed dog — makes a real difference.

Meet Our Groomers