We've been working with Liz since before she went out on her own. She'd cared for Hanna & Jager our Chinese Shar-pei while they were still with us. Riesling our French Bulldog has never been to another spa and doesn't know how good she has it. An aside, Riesling is trained to use a potty grate system in our home. It sits on the tiled floor in our bathroom. This occasionally causes her confusion when we travel. One day we went to pick her up from the west side location. Riesling had spied an air vent in the floor that looked like a grate. Apparently in need she released a load of molten diarrhea down into their vent. We got an update that it happened but Serenity was otherwise nice about it. How does the saying go? Something something accept the things I cannot change ... read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Riesling the French Bulldog stares out the window. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The employees here are so much more than just groomers. They take such great care and support for the work that they do and they love animals! Every time I come in they ask about my pet and if there are any updates. They listen to what I say about my pups and tell me how they were during the process when I pick up. They are always so careful and treat my dog like their own. I love spoiling my babies and the pet spa is such a little dog treat:) highly recommend to all people who want to treat their doggies read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Pup is tired after her day at the spa! we got the special which came with a delicious scent and a cute bandana for the holiday! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

First, I will say that they gave my dog a nice cut, which was great because it was my first time going there after my former groomer went out of business. But I was shocked when 1-1/2 hours after drop off they emailed me that I had to sign a lengthy "matted dog" disclaimer and charged me an extra $15 fee to cut her close which is the cut I always ask for! (She was not a neglected, matted dog--or she sure must have developed a lot of mats from when I brushed her in the morning till when they started grooming her.) When I was finally able to pick her up, the groomer said "the poor old lady had a really hard time because she wasn't able to stand up." I asked what she was talking about because she stands just fine! She said she kept sitting down while she was grooming her. Is my dog really the first dog they've come across that tries to sit down when you touch their butt? They charged me a $10 "senior dog fee" for that--for my SEVEN-year-old dog. Then they informed me that their policy is to REQUIRE their clients to bring their dog in for grooming every 6-8 weeks. And they also require clients to bring the dog in for a $22 nail trim every 4 weeks. I was floored. My dog has Cushing's disease and she has very fine sparse hair that grows slowly and me or my vet cut her nails. I was told I could just bring documentation that I had the vet cut her nails. Say WHAT?? It is really rare for me to ever write negative reviews, but in spite of the nice haircut, I simply cannot tolerate this type of business model that focuses on nickel and diming customers and dictates how we must use their services and when. If I'm going to have to pay over $100 to groom a small dog, then I'll want one a feel more confident in. Back on the hunt for a quality groomer. read more

My dog gets anxious about getting a bath/going to the groomers so I was willing to pay double at Serenity for what others charge because they promised the sun, moon and stars. What I got was a dog that couldn't walk. I shared in advance that my 8 year old rescue dog had old injuries and they offered a belly band and mentioned anti slip mats which sounded great. My dog has been to other groomers and never had issues with her old injuries - the issue was her anxiety and trying to find somewhere that treats one dog at a time. I missed the mark on that too. I had to leave my dog there for four hours. Other groomers took less than an hour because she just needs a bath, nail trim, ears and anal glands (if needed) and teeth brushed - no actual grooming/cutting. I picked her up and 3 hours later at home when it was time to go for her dinner walk and eat she wouldn't move. Walks are her favorite thing so I knew something was wrong. She was whining and crying and protecting her back leg. We will not be back for that reason but there is more. The place is chaotic. When I dropped her off there were about 8-10 other dogs running around various parts of the "spa". Consider that when booking - especially with an anxious dog. I knew they took breaks in between and offered "play" time but that isn't for all dogs. Their fees are insane and they require you to come every 6-8 weeks and require a nail trim every 3-4 weeks. *when I called and text to discuss the situation they said it's not surprising because she has an old injury. That just isn't a good response when 3 other groomers have taken care of her without issue (as recently as 9/8/25) read more

I have 2 dogs that have super easy coats to maintain. I just got treated extremely rudely by the scheduling staff about changing my appointments. she talked down to me and very sternly , very disrespectfully. I am a 60 year old grandmother of 4 and nanny them. my temperament is super sweet and soft. This woman just absolutely made me feel shamed and like I was a problem for needing a different schedule for my senior dog vs. my puppy and kept rigidly demanding that I follow their rules or they will stop booking me because I've been difficult! I was no such thing. I'm so confused why I was just treated this way. And now they've denied booking either of my dogs. I've never in my life been called difficult. Serenity Pet Spa is not a good fit if you enjoy Great Customer Service. and that's coming from a woman (me) who has 3 extremely successful businesses. I would never ever treat my customers the way I was just so rudely treated. read more

Received multiple calls letting me know they are short staffed and it will take longer than expected. Then another call that both my dogs (which are trained by the #1 trainer in WI) are misbehaving and not letting her trim them. They are issue free and have never had a negative thing said about them. Pair that with some poor attitude, inability to handle adversity and topped off with smack talking dogs read more

This place is overbooked and the dogs are victims of it. Took my 7 month old poodle for 2 puppy trims that were fine. I intentionally choose a lead groomer. On his first cut the salon was running behind and short staffed. Instead of rescheduling they choose to take in my dog. At the 4 hour mark we waited in the parking lot and witnessed the groomer being extremely rough with our dog. (WE HAVE VIDEO FROM OUR DASHCAM) After 10 minutes we couldn't stand by and witnessed and intervened. A poor experience and no apology. I wouldn't even let them finish the cut. Not a good environment for new puppies getting acquainted with grooming. I'm so saddened by how my dog. read more

They did a great job on my Yorkie-poo. I love that they are kennel free. She came home exhausted from all of the excitement. read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Serenity is amazing. For one, they accept the fact that my beagle, Benny, is a beagle and can be quite loud. I never get looked down upon because my dog is not perfect. Although, the dogs, in my experience unless they have an alternative I am not aware of, do need to tolerate being with other dogs. Greatest thing though is in September of 2023, our 13 year old pitbull, Molly, had to have one of her front legs amputated due to cancer. They had always been great with her but I wasn't sure how she'd do. It's May and she still stumbles and falls frequently. They have been wonderful. I pay only a slight amount extra so 2 people groom and bath her. That way she doesn't have to hold herself up and can relax in her bath, which I'm sure feels great on her aches and pains. When I picked her up today they had given her an excellent blanket bed to lay on and she was fast asleep. I couldn't recommend them any higher. read more

My pups haircut turned out so cute, and I could tell he was a lot happier when I picked him up than other groomers. Friendly staff! read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Heather did a fabulous job on my standard poodle, Rusty. He hates blow dryers but she was able to dry him, she said, without too much resistance. He's never looked so good! read more

Serenity Pet Spa has a wonderful atmosphere and my Yorkipoo loved the space! I love that the fur babies are not kenneled or caged. I am not happy with the threats of not grooming by puppy(she's 4 months old) because of "matted" hair by her buttocks. It was made out to be that it was severely matted, and I don't appreciate at all, when in fact it wasn't. She's a small puppy who absolutely hates being brushed, that is why we chose a dog groomer that she could see every 2-3 weeks. We will not be returning with our puppy for services after this interaction. read more

As an employee of the west side location, I can honestly say that all of the employees know what they're doing. The master groomers really know what each breed should look like groomed. The owner Lis really trains her employees to be "the best of the best". This is the only place I know of that gives Facials to the dogs. Each groomer here will do rehabs on dogs that are a challenge on the grooming tables. We even have doggie daycare, for all the dogs. Especially, the puppies or if they have never been groomed before. They always let them adjust to the sights and sounds, before they're even on the grooming tables. I love how we're really the only spa that lets the dogs roam around freely, instead of kennels. Dogs are only put in kennels is to completely dry off or the owner asked for everyone's safety. I enjoy how I help everyone out, when I can get the dogs used to being picked up or having their feet lift and touched. Getting dog kisses is just a great bonus to working here. read more

See all

Outstanding groomers!! I really don't think there's a better skilled dog grooming salon anywhere!

They are expensive, but they are worth every penny! My dogs are not afraid of going there. The dogs are trained from puppies by the groomers, with a lot of patience and understanding, to sit still for their cut. The people are super nice and accommodating. Highly recommend! read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Standard Poodles - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The pet stylists have been great. They helped our puppy feel comfortable with grooming process.

My Havanese always looks wonderful after a groom at Serenity. They really know what and how to handle a dog to make my pet - long, soft coated - look fabulous read more

Always and consistently a good groom and kind patient treatment for my girl! I'm glad that I am on their customer list. read more

Serenity Pet Spa - After a visit to Serinity Pet Spa and Heather! Always a good outcome LIZZY loves Heather. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Andrea does an awesome job every time with my rough collie, Riley! There is no other groomer for Riley . And in his younger years he has had other groomers who did not have the skill/talent that Andrea does and Riley was not a fan of them. He loves going which tells me a lot. I have total trust with Serenity Pet Spa which means so much and is why we go about every 6 weeks! We go every 6 weeks to maintain Riley's coat and for his health. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my pup , he deserves the best! And that's what Serenity Pet Spa is!!! :) read more

I have a two-year old collie I am petting sitting that hadn't been groomed in a while, that needed a major de-shedding, and also needed a sanitary cut. He was not happy with anyone touching him anywhere near his "tush". Sommer was outstanding and immediately put the dog at ease, and established trust, rapport, and control. She did a fantastic job, the dog looks fabulous, I wouldn't hesitate to use her again. Thank you! read more

This is by far the best dog salon in Madison! They provide the ultimate in services for your dog's individual needs and are very experienced and knowledgeable. I leave my dogs there knowing they're in safe and happy hands! Thank you Serenity Pet Spa!!! read more

Serenity Pet Spa - My English Bulldog, Django - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The Serenity Pet Spa website encourages people to call for more information on puppy grooming. So I called and asked for more information on pricing and scheduling- I was told the following: "Um, I don't have the prices memorized and I couldn't tell you if we were booking 1 week or 6 months out. I just groom here." 0/10 helpful. Hope your grooming skills are better than your customer service. read more

We drive from Janesville to take Ginger to the Serenity Pet Spa on Odana Road to see Shi. Shi is the only Groomer who has been able to groom Ginger. Ginger is a bit untrusting and she doesn't like being around other people or other dogs. I have been told by many a Groomer here in Janesville that I would need to give her an Anti-Anxiety pill in order to have her groomed. NO WAY. Shi is amazing. Ginger is transferred easily into her arms and Ginger comes out looking like a Princess!! In fact, as soon as we drive up, Ginger can't wait to get out the car!! read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Very good with my dog Nice cut .. she fished on. Time they told me in advance how long it would take Respectful and courteous Next appointment i 6 weeks, no need to put several other appointments on the books just to get her in read more

After being convinced by a recent Cap Times article that Serenity Pet Spa (West) would be a great local business for our 2-year-old Goldendoodle's regular grooming, we quickly realized that we had been hoodwinked. The owner, Lis Johnston, says in the article, "We're trying to re-create what a groomer is. We're not here to just do a service for you. We're part of your family. We are the first line of defense for anything that could go wrong with your dog." However, we found nothing further from the truth. The fact is, after the grooming, we were presented with a different dog. Not because of the haircut, but due to all of the sores, cuts, and lacerations to our dog's inner ears, belly, and private parts. Serenity's trim turned our beloved pooch's temperament from energy-filled happiness to a sad, injured, and extremely uncomfortable dog. It even required a trip to the vet. We spoke with Serenity prior to our first grooming there about leaving our pup's fur a little longer in those sensitive areas (mentioned above) as it can cause discomfort when trimmed too short. There were no issues after our first visit and our requests were honored. At her second of the two mandatory appointments for new clients, we discussed these sensitive areas again with the male groomer responsible for our pup's groom, who seemingly understood. We soon discovered our requests (and notes in the system) were completely neglected. We arrived a little early for pick-up after the 4.5 hour appointment and watched through the front shop window as an obviously frustrated groomer brushed her tail in a manner that was clearly extremely uncomfortable for our dog. We then witnessed the groomer repeatedly yelling at her, tightening the neck restraint when she tried to look back at him, and firmly pulling her back up by her tail when she tried to sit down on the table. When we checked out, he said she "did great, with no issues". What we witnessed didn't seem that way. Once home, we found several cuts inside both of her ears, lacerations on her belly, and a large (and several smaller) abrasions around her private area (see image below). As soon as we saw the injuries, we quickly followed-up with Lis and her team via email. The response we got was a description of Serenity's sanitary procedures and at no point did they take responsibility for the visible wounds they caused for failing to listen to or follow our requests. When we asked to discuss our experience at the Salon further either in-person or via phone, we were left with radio silence from Serenity's management for nearly 2 weeks, despite reaching out to them several more times. After we finally connected over the phone, we were told our dog likely had cuts to her inner ears before being groomed that day and had agitated her private area herself (we saw the injuries within minutes of her being home). Essentially, blaming our dog for the injuries caused by the groomer. We had asked that the groomer receive more training to prevent this from happening to other dogs in his care and this request was also ignored with more excuses being made and blame shifted elsewhere. After the proverbial teeth-pulling process to have them address this issue, Serenity management finally offered to pay for a vet bill as the extent of responsibility owned. If Lis considers her groomers as part of "our family", we would like to emancipate. Though she says she wants to "re-create what a groomer is", from our experience this is a huge step backwards from the care we normally receive during pet grooming in Madison. It appears everything we read was just lip-service. Wanting to support a local business closer to our new home, we tried to give them plenty of opportunities to win our business back. At the end of the day their manager agreed that they are incapable of delivering the service they market to the Madison community. We highly recommend you do NOT take your dog to Serenity Pet Spa (West) if you are looking for a safe, comfortable groom for your pet, as well as high-quality customer service, because we experienced quite the opposite. Needless to say we will be taking our business elsewhere. read more

See all

Lis Johnston, the owner, does a marvelous job grooming my Gordon Setters. They look so beautiful when they come home.

love this place! Our dog has anxiety but does well here. the staff is friendly. they do a great cut/wash. have been going 3 years, no cuts or nicks, which has happened at every other groomer. they always have fun specials. our dog had a blueberry facial on her last visit. Highly recommend this place!! read more

These people are great groomers. At the same time, they give terrible customer service. There has been lots of turnovers and confusion in the last year so scheduling was a nightmare. The owner called me once on a Saturday night completely frantic to cancel but couldn't give me any firm date! Very unprofessional. Once they also had to cancel due to illness on the part of the groomer. Fine, but I found out after I drove 20 minutes and came in the door. Most importantly, their attitude is wrong. They act as if they are doing you a big favor to endow your dog with their prize-winning skills. They were rude on several occasions. And they overcharge. Their prices went up in 2022 without any explanation. At the end I was paying over $200, and they were refusing to do the anals (another $40 at the vets--and no real good excuse.) I went elsewhere and got the whole thing done, including the anals, for $130. The new folks are efficient and courteous. Very easy to schedule on line. Why pay so much more for a snotty attitude? A great groom is not worth it. read more

Really disappointing customer service. We got our puppy two trims hoping to have a rotation going but they were never able to give out the date for next grooming visit in advance. They will randomly give you a day based on what works for them and the general availability you give them. We got scheduled for the third visit on a short notice (4 business days) and we could not make this day as our puppy was getting neutered the day before and we can't get the wound wet for 14 days. I called them hoping they would reschedule but they told me to RESCHEDULE THE NEUTER APPOINTMENT as they can't get my puppy in for 8 weeks it I let this appointment go. For the first two appointments they also didnt tell me how much the cut would be and just ask for a percentage tip and i felt like I overpaid. I don't think working with them makes sense if you work and need your groomer to meet you half way in terms of flexibility so I decided to move on. read more

They did a wonderful job grooming my nervous Samoyed, but the time estimate they gave me was way off. Next time I'd ask the groomers themselves instead of the clerk at the front desk. read more

The entire team at Serenity Pet Spa is amazing. There is no other place I'd rather take my Dachshund, Dillon. They take excellent care of him every single time. Love them! read more

In my opinion: Although owner was very good and considerate with my puppy mill dog, she failed to provide adequate communication with me on a few occasions and therefore I question her customer service. Upon unannounced change of staff I was a bit surprised when I showed up to my appointment but explained my dogs issues and rolled with the punches. She did a nice job in the end. Another time the owner failed to notify me of appointment cancellation due to an illness, from something planned that was likely to cause her illness the next day. Understandably, I was annoyed and short with her staff after taking time off of work and driving across town with a dog that potentially vomits in the car all for nothing. I only relieved a call upon arriving back home from her staff. I then sent an email explaining we would be skipping one of our usual six week apt due to being out if town and received an email from the owner with all sorts of inaccurate assumptions and attacking comments and about me and my past behavior. Obviously she is not interested in customer service as a friend of mine had similar issues with this business and no longer takes her pet there. read more

While they did a great job grooming my dog, I was told that the total cost would be $75-$100, and it was $160. I usually pay $80 for our 30-lb Aussiedoodle and just moved to the area, so I felt the estimate was fair, but the final price shocked me. They also require you to be on a constant rotation, which makes it seem like they can't keep their business. In other words, we will not be returning, as this is NOT an ethical way to run a business. If I had read the negative and shocking reviews beforehand, I would have NEVER contacted them. read more

Dream team! Summer and team are the only team our +14.5 year old toy poodle with various aging dog quirks will tolerate. And, to be honest, they know how to manage her modalities and personality too. The Serenity Pet Spa team's table side manners are tough to match. We are so appreciative of the team and their approach to grooming. read more

the groomers know dogs, and breeds. they know what coat care is necessary to keep my dogs healthy. They work hard to make the grooming experience good for the dogs and owners... and are integral to helping keep my dogs healthy with regular skin, coat and nail care. read more

They do a terrific job grooming our dogs! We can drop them off together which makes them less nervous and they are so meticulous about their cuts for breeds. They come home looking like show dogs. read more

Serenity Pet Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

After visiting Serenity Pet Spa, my Australian Labradoodle looks beautiful. Unfortunately, because they are very popular, it took longer than I had hoped to get an appointment. Consequently, she had developed some deep mats which Tabby painstakingly removed yielding an excellent grooming. Visiting from out-of-state, I only wish I had access to these well-trained groomers all the time. Thank you Tabby and the Serenity Pet Spa. read more

Always the place to take my Snickers. She is so soft and smells so good when I pick her up. I had to be a little late this time and was so happy to see her helping to be a receptionist when I finally could get there to pick her up: so cute. Thanks read more

Best grooming in Dane County! I've been taking my Westie there for several years now and they are simply the best! The groomers are very nice, the environment is so relaxed. The dogs are allowed to move around and are Not confined to a cage. BoBo is always happy to go there. When I picked up tonight all the dogs seemed to be smiling, waging tales and freely roaming around the secure salon area. Thank you Heather for taking such loving care of BoBo . You and Serenity Pet Spa are really appreciated! read more

Sommer is so good with Harley. I really appreciate her care for my little guy. He always comes back happy from his spa day.