Celebrating our 100th issue with a client who has been with us monthly for the entire time: Fur Paws Only – owned by Kristen Berry I first met Kristen when I joined the Lambeth Villager team six years ago. At that time, Kristen had her arms and face buried in fur as she was hugging one of her furry clients…and we’ve been together ever since, not only dealing with her advertising but I also entrusted her with my beloved Lucy, the other female in my husband’s life. I could tell you stories about Kristen and my entanglements, but they would take up half this magazine. Let it just suffice to say that whenever I’ve needed her, Kristen has come to my aid, grooming and or boarding my fur babies, and they just love her. Kristen has been fabulous for my two babies, as well as fabulous to me as a loyal client who I found out is the ONLY original client from that very first magazine 10 years ago who has been with us every month since the start, so that proves her advertising is working for her. It seemed fitting to want to celebrate our 100th Anniversary Issue with her by telling her story. Kristen was born and raised in London. She played soccer and ringette growing up – ringette being the biggest part of her life, travelling all over Canada from Vancouver to Newfoundland and everywhere in between and winning GOLD at the Canada Winter Games in 1999. It was an experience she’s never forgotten. Kristen seemed destined to work with dogs from the moment she got her first pet, a Pomeranian named Mitzi. Kristen was also familiarized with the professional dog show world by her great uncle, who bred and showed English Cocker Spaniels. Let’s just say she was then hooked. In 2000, Kristen graduated with a certificate from a local grooming school and then went on to work at various boarding kennels, vet clinics, big box pet stores and also as an instructor teaching grooming technique. In 2001-2002, she decided to further her knowledge of animals by attending Sheridan College for their animal care program and spent three years borrowing her sister’s yellow lab, Riley to take to class. Kristen got a Boxer named Storm in 2006, who was shadowed her so much she had to take her to the salon every day. In 2008,
Celebrating Our 100th Anniversary Issue
when she got married, she insisted on taking her dogs on her and Edward’s honeymoon. In 2009 Kristen opened her own grooming salon in Lovely Lambeth. Her dad was retiring at the same time and wanted to help out...that was over 15 yrs ago, and he’s still helping, which she loves. Kristen and Edward have two children, a boy and a girl and both children grew up in the salon watching Grandpa shampooing dogs that they wanted to help or play with. Kristen was determined to never feel the loss and pain again after losing her furry friends to old age, but fast forward to 2019, and her children convinced her to adopt a little Chihuahua/Dachshund mix and named him Dino, who’s a spicy bean and chooses who he’s going to cuddle with and when. They don’t even know how old he is, so they celebrate his birthday on Halloween. Then, just before the world shut down in 2020, they also got Maple Bacon, a Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix. Through her grooming salon, Kristen is quite well known within the animal care world for donating an enormous amount of her time, expertise and supplies to many dog rescue and adoption care agencies by offering them free grooming services for the canines in their care. She continues to attend seminars and shows to learn and expand her grooming skills and knowledge, and in my humble opinion, she is one of the best I’ve ever come across in my 70 years of being a dog owner. Kristen has an affinity for animals, dogs, all sizes, in particular. I sometimes think she’s like me and likes dogs more than people for their loyalty and unconditional love. If you have a dog that you’d like to get groomed and know it will be treated with love and tender care, then you should contact Kristen at Fur Paws Only dog salon, and she will see about accommodating you. If you also need to board your dog with someone you can trust, call her for that too. She truly is one of a kind in her field.
Page 6 Lambeth Villager • December 2025
To advertise here, please contact Gloria@villagerpublications.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs