by Bea Peterson
It’s not work if you love what you do. And that is the attitude Vanessa Lewis has about pet grooming and/or photography. Vanessa is a 2002 graduate of HFCS. She and her husband Philip lived in North Carolina for six years. “I wanted to come home,” she said. And last June they returned to her home town. “I’m very glad to be back,” she said. “I love Hoosick Falls.”
[private]Lewis had a very successful photography business in the South. She is also a trained dog and cat groomer. “When I returned I noticed that Hoosick Falls had plenty of photographers, but no pet grooming,” she said. “Animals have been my life,” she added. She volunteered at an animal shelter and took photos of the animals available for adoption. The shelter was the sad part of animal life, she said. The grooming was a happy part. “When I got so busy with the photography, I would often go to the grooming place on a Saturday and wash dogs all day for free, just to be around them.” This is the first grooming job she has had on her own.
She opened her shop downstairs in the Armory at 80 Church Street in February. “It’s all because of HAYC3,” she said. “They offered me low rent and Board members donated items for my business. It was a great opportunity and I couldn’t have done it without them.” She accepts all sizes of dogs, and is happy to groom cats and trim their nails. She only takes one animal at a time. “It’s just me and the dog or cat and they always stay calm that way,” she said. One dog didn’t want to be on the grooming table, so she sat on the floor and groomed him in her lap. “I do what I have to do to make them comfortable. It makes me happy to make them happy.” She adds that she never comes in when she is not smiling, “I just love the animals.” It carries into her home life as well. She and Philip and their three children, Finleigh, 8, Keegan, 5, and Henley, 2, have three dogs and four cats.
Pawparazza is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Call 518-366-3717 for an appointment.
Vanessa still does photography too, but more as a hobby. Check out her work at www.vanessamlewis.com.[/private]