Groomer for 12 years, now owner of Barking Beauties

After 12 years of hard work, DeLynn Britton no longer has to groom in her basement or work for someone else. Britton is now the owner/groomer of Barking Beauties Pet Boarding and Grooming.

At the age of 16, Britton’s experience as a groomer began as a bather at a Petco in Des Moines. After two short years, Britton decided to go to Valley Junction for a year to become more qualified as a groomer. Torn between potential careers, Britton then balanced nursing school and part-time grooming for four years in Des Moines.

She also helped in Pleasant Hill as a groomer for a year and a half before she moved to Newton in 2011.

As a resident of Newton and part-time groomer for the last four years, Britton slowly realized her passion was grooming. In 2013, Britton thought of the name Barking Beauties, and 2015 turned out to be a happy new year for Britton as Jan. 1 was the day she became the full time owner/groomer of Barking Beauties. All of this hard work by Britton did not go unnoticed either.

“She (Britton) is very loving and caring. Her prices are reasonable and we compliment her every time. We were very pleased,” Colfax resident Kelly Taylor said.

Britton’s motto as a groomer is quality before quantity. It may be a simple idea, but Britton’s motto speaks volumes in an unstable economy. Additionally, she knows there are other groomers that will schedule as many dogs as possible to earn more money. Britton never chose this profession to strike it rich.

“The more time you take with one dog, the happier the dog is going to be and the happier the client is going to be. Taking personal measures with the dog is more important to me than having to rush them in and out,” Britton said. “I love being able to send a dog out the door with an owner and knowing they are more knowledgeable in how to care for their dog.”

Britton would like to work more with animal shelters, but with Barking Beauties Britton hopes to be a one stop shop for dog owners. Although Britton receives phone calls from clients in the middle of the night, she could not be happier. Britton always wants to educate her clients about their dogs because the more they know the better. Britton is also very happy to gain clients’ trust as a groomer.

“I love the calls because I know they trust me. They trust that I take care of their dog. It’s very humbling. Especially when you have a new client come in, and they say this person told me to come in here saying I did great with their dog,” Britton said.

Barking Beauties is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment.

Although each dog is different for treatment, Britton offers the following services: bath with shampoo, skin/coat needs, brush out, nail and ear treatment, bows or bandanas and perfume or cologne. Prices start at $30, but range depending on the dog. Britton could not be more thankful for this opportunity with Barking Beauties in Newton.

“I have noticed a huge difference being here. I’m able to communicate more and get to know more people. That’s what I really like about it,” Britton said. “I just wanted to be more a part of the community and be involved more in what they do. I’m from Des Moines and I’ve never seen a town like this. Their community is so close.”

Contact Britton at 515-313-6155, find Barking Beauties on Facebook or stop and visit at 112 E. Second St. S. in Newton.