A gentle touch at Rosie’s Grooming

Hand-scissoring is just one of the reasons discerning dogs choose Rosie’s Grooming for their beauty needs. Once they have experienced the care Rosie Urena provides, using only organic products, they and their owners tend to become regular customers.

Urena has 35 years of experience in dog grooming. Her fully equipped salon accommodates small, medium and large dogs.

Urena owned and operated her first shop at Trump Plaza in New York City for more than 16 years before moving the business to Ledgewood Boarding Kennel in Millerton, where she operated for another 16 years. She has been at her present location in Amenia for three years.

“Every dog is different,” she said, explaining that she does not post a rate schedule or quote prices over the phone. She needs to meet the dog first.

“Money is not everything,” Urena said, adding that her shop offers a service where the dog comes first. She believes in keeping customers happy, which may explain why she has so many repeat clients.

“I treat people and dogs the same,” she said.

“I speak to the dogs in Spanish,” Urena said, explaining that she calms them with her quiet demeanor. “My demeanor sets the stage for the grooming.”

While their owners are present, Urena explained, dogs can instinctively pick up on stress and react to it.

During the interview, a customer came to retrieve Scarlett O’Connor, 6, a standard poodle from Lakeville and New York City, who had finished her grooming appointment in great style.

“Not every poodle can support this haircut,” Urena said, describing the precision cut preferred for Scarlett, who proudly held her head high in a show of attitude.

Baby is ready to go home after enjoying a visit to Rosie’s Grooming.Provided

Another customer came to pick up Ollie, a pleasant, well-behaved shih tzu from Millbrook who had been in for a bath, trim and blow-dry for extra fluffiness.

Asked about differences between city and country dogs, Urena said they are mostly the same. “In the country, though, we have a lot of sporting dogs,” she added.

Urena grew up on a small farm in a village in the Dominican Republic, hoping as a young child to become a veterinarian.

“We were in charge of all of the animals,” she recalled. “I loved that life.”

In time, she broadened her career plans and earned an associate degree in animal science.

Two rescue dogs, both described by Urena as great dogs, have joined her household. Brissa, 17, is a Chihuahua-terrier mix from the Dominican Republic, and Milo, 5, is a Havanese, the national dog of Cuba. Milo had been tossed from a moving car in Rhode Island and was picked up by state troopers.

“I would never make a dog suffer so the customer can see hair,” Urena said when asked what she would want a new customer to know. The well-being of the dog comes first.

“I refuse to brush a dog in need of a short haircut for hot weather or to counter coat matting, nor will I do a shave-down just to make more money or to please a customer’s aesthetic taste,” she said.

Rosie’s Grooming is located at 20 Lango Road in Amenia. For more information, call 845-332-5366.