REPOST: original post was deleted My boyfriend and I took Archer, our 1 year old Bernese mtn/Pitbull mix to Kissable Paws July 9th for the first time. Right off the bat, Maria (the owner) was patient with us as Archer would not go inside. I came in to tell her that we would just cancel the appointment as there was no way we can get him in. Maria came outside and tried everything she could to get him in. But with no luck. Archer did like her so that was a good thing. We were recommended to give him a calming meds and rescheduled for the following week. Prior to Kissable Paws, we were taking Archer to Petco for his grooming needs. The last few times were not successful as Archer was more than scared like he was terrified to go inside like something bad had happened. So glad we found Kissable Paws, Maria and her assistant Julia. They are the most patient people and I'm glad that Archer is comfortable with them! Our second try was every bit successful! Maria was ready and she got Archer inside. He saw that there was nothing to be scared of and he got so excited, he just wanted to go in the waiting area with the other cute doggies! As for the grooming itself, Maria has a lot of experience taking care of difficult dogs that other groomers simply reject. She was able to wash him, cut his nails, dry him and trim him (in places other groomers couldn't!) Maria and Julia took care of Archer in a loving and patient way that my boyfriend and I truly appreciated. Kissable Paws is definitely our exclusive grooming salon! Will 100% recommend them to everyone we know with doggies and cats (which we will definitely have to come in and bring them one of these days) :) read more

We had a great first grooming experience with Kissable Paws. My Australian Cobberdog looked like a million bucks and was so happy. I'd return in a minute when he's due for his next grooming. The groomer is a trainer also and offered me some valuable tips also. read more

I take my bulldog in every few weeks for a nail trim, and it's always quick, efficient, and affordable. I spent last month in NC with my dogs, and while I was there I got his nails done and they barely cut them at all! Most of his nails are clear and his quicks aren't that long so I'm not sure why there was such a difference between the results, but we went back to Kissable Paws two days ago and his nails are back to their normal length now. We were also in and out in under 10 minute which was great. read more

Kissable Paws - Pet Groomers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

We continue to love Maria at Kissable Paws. Huey has a traumatic past so we've had difficulty with groomers and his anxiety/dog reactivity. Maria is so knowledgeable of breeds like his (pitbull lab mix) and always makes me (a 22 year old dog mom) feel so comfortable and heard. She just moved locations and I can't wait to see what's to come. I refuse to let Huey get groomed anywhere else now :) read more

See all

Hugely disappointed in my first grooming experience here. I brought my recently rescued 9lb yorkie here after doing my research on what seemed to be the highest rated groomer in the Salem area with new client availability. I was super anxious on making sure that her first grooming experience since being rescued was as minimally traumatic as possible. She was previously taken by law enforcement from a domestic abuse situation, and as a result is weary around men and generally scared in a new environment. After having her for a few months it was clear that she needed a proper grooming mostly on her face purely to help her quality of life. My husband took her to her appointment as I had work, and after very clearly telling the groomer all the things that mattered most for both her, us, and the groomer to be successful that being : she doesn't like men, this is her first time going to the groomers since we adopted her, we don't know if she's had previous experience with it or not or how she will react, she has separation anxiety, she has no teeth but will try to snap if feeling threatened, and that she MUST have her toe pads cleaned up, underlip/beard as short as possible because she can't keep her tongue in her mouth, and eyes crust cleaned. After being reassured over & over by this woman that she works on rescues all the time and completely understands how to handle anxious dogs, and that it would be no problem at all for her to work on our dog, the FIRST thing that happens is this random man coming from the back with arms extended going to grab my dog out of my husbands hands with no warning or introduction or anything. After being so clear about what my dog needed that just felt like blatant ignorance. When my husband had a nervous reaction, she once again reassured him that it would be no problem, & she works on rescues all the time. Drop off was at 8:30 AM & we didn't get our dog back until 3:30 PM. When I had called previously some guy picked up & didn't bother to ask answer any of my questions or clarify anything about how the day would go and just told me drop off is at 8:30. I didn't realize that meant that they were going to keep her in the back all day until it was her turn to get groomed out of a group of many other dogs. With this being her first experience, keeping her for 6 hours out of the day alone probably wasn't the way to provide a positive groomer experience for her. At 3 PM we got a call that our dog was being too difficult to work on, but she would keep doing her best and that she only had her on the table for 30 minutes, and 12 minutes later, she called us again to tell us that we needed to come pick her up immediately. My husband goes to pick her up & my dog is scared, but without cuts or nicks or anything thank God. But the woman insists on showing my husband a video of how "difficult" my dog was being, & it showed her flinching away at the sound & sight of the scissors near her face. In my opinion, that seems like a pretty expected behavior from a little dog that has come from a traumatic experience. She said she was afraid of accidentally cutting her tongue and so she just basically gave up. The video also featured a other dogs in the background on grooming tables, so it was clear that she didn't wanna spend the extra time my dog needed to be successful as she was multitasking multiple clients. We were new clients at Kissable Paws, and as it says all over their website they offer a 10% off discount on full service new client appointments. In all honesty my husband forgot to ask about it at the time of check out due to the circumstance, but I feel like it would've been the least she could've done to apply it based off of the experience we had but she was clearly banking on the fact that we would forget. She also didn't care to tell my husband until coming to pick up my terrified dog six hours later that they only except cash or check and not credit. Now after having my dog at home for the past few days, I have noticed some really unsightly hair cuts from her groom. Including completely uneven ears, uneven toenails, a terrible job trimming her toe pads, and what seems to be completely thoughtless cuts on the top of her head. After watching lots of videos online and talking to my friends & parents about what it's like when they take their dogs to the groomers, I know that there are LOTS of techniques to calm an anxious dog during grooming. I'm extremely disappointed and frustrated that we ended up paying $70 for a half assed grooming job and I am pissed that she tried to make it out like my dog was extremely uncooperative even after she had reassured us that she knew exactly what she was doing with nervous rescues. Super upset, super disappointed, and feel a little bit robbed at the same time. I would HIGHLY suggest going somewhere else with a little more hospitality, patience, and honesty. read more

Kissable Paws - "Groomed" - Pet Groomers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

See all

Maria has always been awesome with my dog. Small business owner and does a good job.

This place scarred me for life when it comes to trying a new groomer. I brought my poodle mix here for the first time, asked for a full shave, and hoped she was in good hands. When I picked her up, I noticed she seemed "off" and couldn't wait to run out of the place, but I paid for the grooming, tipped Maria, and went home. It was after I got home that I really was able to look over my dog. She was COVERED in open cuts. On her legs, under her ears, and her tummy. I brought her to the vet the next day, and she was ordered antibiotics because they were worried she would develop an infection. I did contact Maria, and she did offer for me to bring the vet bill and my dog in to show her the cuts, and she would pay it. I did not, as I didn't want to traumatized my anxious dog anymore. My main point for contacting her was to let her know I knew what happened. It would have been nice if I had been told at the time of pick up that my dog had been injured. I find it hard to believe my dog was cut multiple times and never once showed signs of pain. read more

My 7 year old Westie won't let me get near his lower back, legs and feet without giving me a low growl. Marie the owner was not put off by my warnings and she tamed him completely. He even let her clip his nails without a fuss. I also loved that the dogs could play in a day care while waiting for their turn at grooming. I am so happy I found this groomer and my Austin looked perfect and non the worse for wear. read more

I brought my 50lb dog here after trying other grooming places and no luck with cutting her nails because she HATES getting them cut. The owner was great and got them done (I don't know how!) read more

After reading all the reviews I finally felt that this place was a perfect spot to have my dog groomed. I have brought my dog to a few box store places and had really bad cuts with inexperienced groomers. Maria was able to work with my busy work schedule. It was nice that I could drop my dog off and pick him up later. Knowing my dog is a handful when I picked up my dog he looked very good and his tail was wagging in happiness. All in all it was a great experience and I would highly recommend to anyone to go here. Thanks Maria!!!!! read more

Such sweet and gentle groomers! Spoke with them at length to make sure they got it just right for both my dogs! Very affordable prices for grooming, bath, nails, anal gland expression and tooth brushing. There's even a small enclosed play area for the dogs who are waiting to be groomed so they don't have to stay caged up! It's cash of check only FYI. Will be coming back! read more

We brought our long haired cat in to be groomed and he absolutely loved his little spa day! He looks fantastic and he was very happy when we picked him up. His fur is so soft and shiny. We will be bringing our dogs in next! read more

Kissable Paws - Pet Groomers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I brought my male 15 year old Bichon here about one year ago/ I thought the owner was nice. When I left, I still had not noticed that my dog had something under his throat where his collar is. When my dog fell asleep, he rolled over and I noticed that there was something under his collar. When I felt the area, I noticed that whatever it was seemed to be like a "Tar" like product. I didn't think too much of it at the time, I just thought it was maybe somethig that they put there to stop bleeding because my dog is dificult to groom and I thought they might have "nicked him" or something. Well, months went by andd I changed groomers, then moved to another state. Everytime I would groom "Prince" I would try to cut a little more of this stuff off, taking caution not to cut him myself. It has been about a year now and today I was giving Price a bath because he seemed to be "rubbing" his neck like something was bothering him, then, I noticed some bright red blood. Well, after I took him out of thhe tub and got a good look at the area I could see a HUGE hole in his neck! YES, a HUGE HOLE ijn his neck just where the groom,er put some sort of stuff on my dog that is just like tar. I am not kidding. I hAVE researched this and canot find anything at all thhat is like this stuff that she put on him to cover over the dam hole that she caused my dog to have. I swear, this has taken me almost a year to cut this s stuff off lttle by little. I have no idea wat this is or why she put this on but I would have rathered if she told me what she had done. My dog could have died and now he just might still. I am lucky he never got an infection, or got septic or worse, died. How dare her to have not told m so that I could have gotten him some medical attention. Let this show you that she is NOT the sweet, wonderful person she pretends to be. She is a liar, a cheat and an abusive person so be very careful.If you bring your dog there please check him/her. If there is somethig on your pet that you never saw before be sure to check your pet very closely. How bad do you think she was treateng my little dog to have caused such a large wound? I swear she is lucky I don't have my hands on her right now. read more

Maria is the best, most dedicated hard working groomer I have ever come across. I have a pretty big Rhodesian Ridgeback who does NOT like getting her toe nails clipped. I have been to many groomers, tried to do it myself, but my dog just makes it so difficult and it's impossible to get done. But Maria gets it done. She goes above and beyond, and it's amazing. This is the only groomer I'll come to now, and that's all thanks to Maria. I wish I could give her 100 stars! read more

Me and my sweet deaf Old English Sheepdog Blu had been through so much in the past year, when it came to grooming. She turned two years old and all of a sudden hated to be groomed, and it came out of no where. I was told she would have to be sedated in order to be groomed. Which is a devastating thing for any owner to hear. That's when I came across Kissable Paws. I love how they state on their website that all dogs and cats are welcome, including pets with special needs! Which is something you don't see openly expressed on many grooming sites. I met Maria and I immediately knew that she knew what she was doing. She let Blu walk around and explore the Salon. It distracted her from my incredible nervousness that day, because I thought for sure I was going to be told she needed to be sedated again, and we know dogs are quick to pick up on their owner's emotional energy. Maria spent time with me and asked what I wanted done for Blu in a very patient and nice way. When I left, I felt calmer and really good about leaving Blu there. When I picked her up I was blown away. It was a show quality groom. Seriously, her paws were so perfectly rounded, I had never seen anything like it, except for on TV. Maria said that Blu did great and was a good girl (something I never thought I'd hear from a groomer ever again). Now I know that this is the place for me and my girl. Maria is the absolute best! Also, I don't know why people would complain about the pricing, I was paying a small fortune at other places for a terrible haircut. Maria has the most reasonable prices I've ever seen and for superb quality grooming. read more

I brought my 14 yr old schnauzer, Jake, to Kissable Paws for 'the works'. Petco won't groom him anymore due to him trying to bite the groomer when they groom around his mouth. The grooming job Maria did was the best Jake has ever looked. But the most important part is Jake was not stressed at all and did not try to bite Maria. Some people have a way with 'things' and Maria most certainly does with dogs. Top notch work! read more

Recently took my young puppy there for a nail trim. Was not impressed by the inside of the salon or the staff. Once arriving one of the staff came out and took my puppy to the back by dragging it by the leash when the puppy could have been easily picked up. After being dragged by the leash to the back you could hear my little puppy screaming in pain and being told to "just shut up and stop crying" and to "stop barking." She is 4 months old!!! This is obviously her first trip to the groomers and she was scared. I have worked with her at home before taking her. Not to mention but her nails look awful. I now feel like I have to undo the fear that they caused as I used to be able to touch my puppy's paws and now she looks so nervous when I do. Needless to say, we will not be going back. read more

Kissable paws is the real deal! Maria and her staff were so kind and gentle with my 2 year old shih tzu Benny. She listen to how I wanted his haircut and did exactly what I asked for. This was our first visit and we are so happy we found them! We had just moved back to the North shore and needed a new groomer. Benny was so relaxed and calm through the whole experience...I know that because Maria was kind enough to send me a video of him getting his haircut!! I know he could feel Maria's confidence and kindness! They are affordable, clean and best of all, they definitely know their craft! Thank you! read more

Hands down, without question, Maria is the best groomer that I have ever taken my dog to. She is knowledgeable, passionate about what she does, and caring about the dogs she is working with. I had an incident at another groomer where my dog was clipped badly enough to go to the hospital (which has made me VERY picky and paranoid about where I bring my baby). As a result, I put poor Maria through an interrogation the first time I went. She was very understanding and put my mind at ease, explaining that she personally clips each dog. My Yorkie always looks beautiful when she comes back from Kissable Paws, and I never fail to get compliments on her haircut. Not only that, but this is the first place that I have ever taken her where she is not stressed out and traumatized when I pick her up. Overall, Maria is amazing and goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. read more

Maybe it's my type of dog, maybe not, but this place does not seem to be the best option in the area. I guess my first sign should have been the bright pink theme, but I'm not really one to judge a book by its cover. I brought my Golden Retriever mix here for a standard bath and haircut and left $65 lighter without very much to show for it. The haircut seemed only to apply to the legs, which were not trimmed much shorter than when she went in. She has the hair of a Golden, so it's pretty easy to tell what was cut and what wasn't. Granted I didn't give a bullet list of what I wanted done to her, but I have owned a few Goldens in the past where the groomer didn't need to be told step by step what to do. The staff weren't very friendly or inviting when I showed up, nor did they seem very excited to see my dog. When my girlfriend showed up to get her, they made a point to mention that they didn't give the dog any water throughout the day. It was 95 degrees out. Come on. This is the first time I've paid for a grooming/bath in the Salem area, but $65 seems way over the top for what my dog got in return. I realize there are a lot of positive reviews of this place on Yelp, but based on the other dogs that were there and the bows in my dog's hair when I got home, I'm assuming Kissable Paws probably caters to the smaller, "lapdog" types and not types of dogs like mine. Based on my first (which will also be the last) experience here, I'm sure you can find somewhere better than this place. Even if it means driving a few miles, the money you save on a $40 haircut will offset the gas you spend to get there. I know that's what I'll be doing. read more

Always does a great job. Our 160 pound Newfoundland was a mess after jumping in a muddy pond, but Maria worked for hours and got him cleaned up and beautiful again. read more

Took my Portuguese Water Dog for a trim at Kissable for the first time today. Maria was patient while I spoke to her and asked her a variety of questions. The doggo seemed happy, but not hyper, when I picked him up, and the haircut was just what I asked for, and more reasonably priced than my regular place. I can't really speak to their styling prowess since I basically had him fully shaved, but they seem very experienced, so I would imagine they would do a great job styling as well. Will definitely go back. read more

We brought our cat here for the first time ever to get a flea bath, based on the recommendation of another family member. Maria worked wonders on our cat, ridding her of all fleas, cleaning her ears, trimming her nails and even glamming her up with a pink bow. She also let us know that our cat was suffering from an ear infection. After picking up our cat, Maria gave us information on the products that she has seen work the best for fleas based on the experiences of the many pets/families she has worked with. I would definitely recommend her services to other pet owners! read more

Maria is EXCELLENT. We love taking our Maltese Poodle to her. She knows exactly what to do, we don't have to tell her a thing. We're totally comfortable leaving him with her any time at all. He ALWAYS looks perfect. She can managed to get us in any time we call, she's great and Oreo definitely loves her!! read more

My shih tzu is petrified of the groomer and recently, not a fan of other dogs. I drive by here every day and the dogs in the window always look so happy. I was ok with our other groomer, but thought we could try someone new. We got booked for the same week and I dropped him off at 8am. I will admit that I was nervous to leave him with so many other dogs. Maria put him in the kennel and off I went on a doggy free day. When I went to pick him up, I was amazed. When she finished, he actually was playing with other dogs!!!!! And had NEVER had a hair cut this good. I can't stop looking at him. He is not an easy dog to trim (I've tried, believe me) She got his cut perfect. Even his face and ears. Which no other groomer has been able to do. I was double impressed. The fact that he was socialized with other dogs and the amazing haircut. My husband can't believe it either. We have never seen him look so good. I look forward to bringing him back. read more

I don't even know where to begin. Given my dog (75lbs) has fear based aggression, I have not even attempted to have him groomed in years. Thanks to a friend who recommended Maria and her staff, Spenser looks AMAZING!! Maria was patient, kind and knew exactly how to work with my dog. She even took a video of herself washing/drying him, knowing that I would not believe my eyes! I almost teared up upon seeing not only his physical transformation, but his giving kisses to Maria as we left! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! read more

My husband and I have been traveling around the US for a few months now with our 4-year-old female shih tzu, who's been having a tough time adjusting to new groomers on the road. We dropped her off at Kissable Paws while in the Salem area, letting the groomer know our pet is fearful and has been stressed out at (and for a day after) her last few appointments across the US. Kissable Paws has been the first place my dog came out happy and cut absolutely perfect. She was as playful as ever, and we took pictures of her haircut to show future groomers how we'd like her cut. We're so thankful Kissable Paws attended to our dog's needs and made for a pleasant experience for the 3 of us. We 100% recommend Kissable Paws, and are sad they're not located in our hometown! read more

They are the best! Maria told me about my dog's knee condition before the vet and she was right! Emmy is supper fluffy and long haired and Callie has les hair but has super energy and won't sit still. They both come out happy and beautiful. I won't bring them anywhere else! read more

It's cash only. Maria was great. My dog loved it. There is also a socialization component I really agree with. Cute space.

Can I give this place a big fat zero? I brought my two dogs there out of convenience and had a miserable experience. One dog got done sub par at best and the other dog came home soaking wet and still charged me. The dog acted up but she is a dog groomer she should know how to deal with dogs when they are becoming agitated. She claims to work wonders with dogs with anxiety but she sucks. She corners the dogs so of course they will be fearful and may become aggressive. She also claims to be cage free she had 8 caged up dogs when I was there. Brought my dog back so she could "finish the job" and she made me do it. She says my 25lbs dog was the most vicious dog she's ever seen. Mind you he is scared of his own shadow. This lady is a TERRIBLE business owner and runs a shit show operation. She's a rude miserable bitch read more

I also don't like to slam a small business, but I feel that I must vent after what the groomer did to my poor cat last week. In addition to making him look like a freak by leaving him half-shaven she had the gall to charge me half the rate! I brought my sweet-natured elderly 8 pound cat in for his usual summer lion cut and was reassured that the salon does cats and it would be no big deal, no anesthesia needed. I was concerned when I noticed the owner's two dogs circling around and moving freely about the work area like sharks which terrified and stressed out my already stressed cat. She proceeded to shave my cat, who was hissing and crying like any cat would and all was going as expected when she stopped mid-shave and announced she couldn't continue because it wasn't safe(?!). Then she went on about some nonsense about the cat having a heart attack and lectured me on not 'groomer shopping.' I was shocked and puzzled about why she stopped because it seemed like it was going well and she had a good grip on him. To add insult to injury, she charged me $25 for the pleasure of making the cat look like a half-shaven freak. I am boiling mad, offended and if I were a litigious person, I would haul her to small claims court just to teach her a lesson. Save your money and your time, folks, and find another salon. read more

We went to Petco, Petsmart, and a few small groomers and were not happy with our Labradoodle's grooming. There was always something wrong with the haircut or they wouldn't clean her ears. With this breed the hair must be pulled out monthly from inside the ears otherwise they get infected. At all the other groomers I complained that they weren't cleaning the ears well enough and their comment was always, "She doesn't like it!" To which I replied "I know she doesn't like it ... that's why I'm paying you because I don't want to do it!" One time we took her to Petco and she came home with an Airdale haircut. Talk about a bad hair day! I asked a local vet who she would recommend and she said "Kissable Paws." If you have a Labradoodle, this is the place to go. read more

I brought my two terriers to Maria for the first time and they received the "Best" grooming ever. Maria is very nice, easy to deal with and her work is impeccable. All my neighbors wanted to know where I took my boys and commented on how beautiful they looked. We will definetly be going to Kissable Paws from now on. I highly recommend Maria and her company. Heleene R read more

I was looking for a new groomer between Salem and Peabody and read some of the reviews for Kissable Paws. I wanted a place that allowed dogs to roam freely instead of being in a cage and Kissable Paws seemed perfect. I was also worried about him having to spend more than 4 hours there, but I dropped him off at 8:30 and he was ready by 12:30p. It definitely is more pricey than I am used to and I was a little surprised she only took cash (which she should remind people when they make an appointment) but I have a golden retriever who gets a puppy cut every summer and she did a fabulous job! He looked so good that I decided it was worth the extra money and I would definitely take him back there again! read more

Kissable Paws is awesome my dog looked so adorable after getting groomed I'm def very happy with this place. My favorite about this salon is she allows the dogs to roam freely that is the main reason why I chose this place walking by you see the cutest dogs waiting to be groomed. My dog was very comfortable with her so that is another reason. This is def my forever grooming salon. I totally love her haircut how cool is she that she shaved her head for a good cause. read more

The best. We took our poor skunked cat here after a big chain pet store groomer failed to do the job correctly. Kissable Paws was incredible and now the formerly stinky cat won't have to sleep in the basement any more. Highly recommend! read more

My dog, Lucy has seen Kathy since her first visit to the groomers as a puppy. You couldn't ask for a better person to take care of your "best friend". Very meticulous groomer whom looks over you pet carefully for anything that may be wrong with their fur, skin or any other part of their body. read more

Our goldendoodle puppy looked amazing after her first puppy cut that we will now be customers for life. Thank you Kissable Paws!

Bad! She cut my dog and charged me 20$ more than quoted. If you want bad service and high prices this is the place for you. If not stay the hell away! read more

This place is great. They are very friendly and aim to please. They were so nice to my puppy when I brought him in and spoiled him with sooo many treats! They have a whole treat bar with lots of options- even witch themed! I loved it and it was a great price. You should bring you kitty or puppy! There are many kitchy items to spruce up you home including grandcat and granddog items! Awesome! read more