Joybound Engelstad Dog Grooming Academy Welcomes New Manager, Expands Program For Students
Thanks to the student bather at the Joybound Grooming Salon, this pup is almost ready for his close-up.
The Joybound People & Pets Engelstad Dog Grooming Academy and salon, which opened in August 2024, is an innovative career-training program and pet service, funded in part by the Engelstad Foundation, a longtime advocate and supporter of Joybound People & Pets. Open to the public, the grooming salon invites pet owners to bring their dogs of all sizes, shapes, breeds, and ages to Joybound for a professional mani-pedi, bath and brushing, full haircut, and all around styling by academy students-in-training and experienced, professional instructors and groomers to help make their family pets look and feel their best.
And because this is a training academy, grooming fees are offered at competitive discounts.
Former Engelstad Grooming Academy Director Bernie Machado helped found the program, bringing her extensive years of experience in professional dog grooming and salon management.
“The idea at Joybound was to create a vocational school — free of charge to students — for people who have barriers to employment and career guidance for any number of reasons,” said former Engelstad Grooming Academy Director Bernie Machado. “We wanted to offer people a chance in life to find work they really love, and thus was born the academy — an amazing partnership between our passion to do right by our community and the financial and expert resources available to make this concept a reality.”
Engelstad Grooming Academy Manager Uziel Acosta (l) looks on as Mr. Nick, one of two professional groomers and Academy instructors, puts the finishing touches on a salon client.
During a year of dramatic growth and expansion, the Engelstad Grooming Academy has also welcomed a new Academy manager to the team, Uziel Acosta.
Uziel comes with a strong background in workforce development, which is just what Joybound was looking for as it deepens its commitment to providing community benefit in the animal welfare space.
“I love to build systems that uplift communities,” said Uziel, who is an educator at heart — a mentor, a guide. “I think of myself as a world changer, no matter the size of the world. Every mind is a world.”
Uziel develops programs that offer people opportunities to develop skills and gain hands-on experience so they can move forward, make changes in their lives, enter or re-enter the workforce, and by extension, positively affect their communities and those around them.
The salon invites pet owners to bring their dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds, and ages to Joybound for professional fear-free grooming.
“Dog grooming is new to me, but here I am and I have found that I love it!” said Uziel. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a job environment where I’ve been on my feet this much — constantly. This is non-stop, and honestly, so much fun. Not a boring moment. I mean really — it’s dogs!”
For students of the Engelstad Grooming Academy, who have often navigated hardships, enrollment in the workforce program is an opportunity to gain real world experience leading to careers in animal care. The efforts are paying off: In the first year of operation, the Academy has graduated 30 students, 21 of whom have secured full-time employment in the grooming industry.
“We’re a fear-free grooming facility, mindful at every step of the dog’s comfort level, monitoring stress and anxiety,” said Uziel. “We’re passionate about treating dogs humanely, always with care, compassion, and patience, treating each animal individually and moving through the grooming session at the dog’s pace, not our pace.” The salon averages between eight and twelve dogs per day.
Student bather Susie gives Joey a soothing blow dry after a refreshing, warm and soapy bath.
All salon services can be found and booked online, and include bath and shampoo, blow dry, hair trim, nail trim, ear cleaning, and full haircut and styling. Some services are walk-in services; others need a reservation. Some services are stand alone; others are offered in packages.
In addition to Uziel, the grooming facility is staffed by two experienced professional grooming instructors, Ms. Marisa and Mr. Nick, and grooming students who work under the close supervision of the instructors.
The development program run four weeks to be certified in brushing and bathing, and another four weeks to be certified in full haircuts and styling. The program has recently expanded to include an additional ten-week internship, that allows students to combine the skills they learned in the first two sessions and handle dogs from bathing through styling. They also assist with salon scheduling, client communication, and grooming area maintenance to gain experience operating in a full-service professional setting.
Academy students learn the language, mechanics, and skills of dog grooming. They learn dog breeds, anatomy, and types of coats. They learn dog handling safety measures, and they are certified in pet first aid and CPR, which gives them a boost over candidates going for the same jobs in the pet grooming industry.
After graduation, students can walk into grooming salons and apply for bather/brusher, which is one step along many paths toward becoming a professional, licensed groomer and stylist. Students can find work in doggy daycare centers, boarding facilities, retail pet supply stores, and grooming salons — opportunities are endless for well-paying, in-demand jobs in rapidly expanding pet-related industries.
After her spa day, Xena gives student trimmer Ashley a kiss before heading home, clean and refreshed.
“At Joybound, we celebrate the human-animal bond through our programs, events, and outreach. Our Engelstad Grooming Academy recognizes that dogs are family members, and we embrace that truth in our program,” said Uziel. “For people who love working with animals and feel a connection with the joy animals bring to people, this is an opportunity to be a part of that human-animal bond every day — here at the Academy, and then out in the world. The Engelstad Dog Grooming Academy certificate opens many doors in pet grooming and animal care.”
Joybound’s Grooming Academy is a blend of life enhancement opportunities through workforce development programs and community benefit for dog lovers and pet owners. If you love animals and are looking for a fulfilling career, dog grooming may be the perfect fit for you. Learn more at Engelstad Grooming Academy.
“At the end of the day, we’re making an impact in several ways. We’re uplifting people who need uplifting; we’re caring for our shelter dogs through regular professional bathing and grooming, getting them ready for adoption; and we’re providing an affordable, accessible dog grooming resource to the community.”
When you bring your dog to Joybound for grooming, you’re not just ensuring they look and feel their best, you’re also supporting a program that provides life-changing career opportunities for those eager to enter the workforce. Visit Joybound Grooming Salon to book an appointment.
