Extremely Disappointing Experience at Vanity Fur I had a very unpleasant experience at Vanity Fur. I arrived 10 minutes early for my grooming appointment and was shocked by how I was treated. Instead of a simple hello, I was abruptly told--in a confrontational and unfriendly tone--to leave and come back at my scheduled time. No greeting, no professionalism, just rudeness. the opposite of customer service! The employee who spoke to me was sitting on the curb outside the business when I arrived. It was clear I had interrupted her break, but that's no excuse for the tone and attitude I received. Her lack of customer service and basic courtesy was unacceptable. Vanity Fur is in the service industry, and treating customers this way is completely inappropriate. I was genuinely shocked by the interaction and will not be returning. I do not recommend this place to anyone who values respectful and professional service. read more

Professional, relatively clean considering it's a pet groomer. The nicest groomers I've ever had.

Everyone at Vanity Fur is wonderful. We have been going there over a decade and always had excellent service and wonderful grooming. We just lost our 16 year old dog Suki and they sent such a wonderful card. They were a big part of her life every 5 weeks for so many years. read more

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Took my friend and I chihuahua there. They loved it. Came back really happy & clean. Staff was nice & I felt very comfortable leaving my dog there. Will definitely be coming back for some grooming again ! read more

From 2010 when we moved into the area until shortly before she died in 2017, she always got her hair groomed at Vanity Fur and the wonderful staff here. All the gals working here are great. The owner, Cori, took care of my dog until 2016. Darcy took over afterwards. As my dog got older, she developed cataracts. Since she couldn't see, she got jumpy and scared easily, so it took much patience to get her groomed, but both Cori and Darcy were always super good with her, and my dog never seemed to be afraid here. (she would shiver like mad whenever we walked into the vet though) Christy groomed her once and asked me to ask for Cori or Darcy next time because she wasn't as comfortable handling my dog. I really appreciated her honesty and humility. They always gave me a call as they were finishing up so I could pick her up without having her in the kennel and she always came home smelling and looking beautiful. She never had any cuts or nicks, and never developed any infections. (She did get an ear infection after going to a groomer before we found this place, but never here) After my dog died, I was very surprised to receive a hadnwritten card from the team expressing their condolences, along with a paw print they had on file for her. I was absolutely touched at their loving kindness. Personal, friendly, professional people and a happy, clean, beautiful dog. Thank you for the great job guys! read more

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I love this grooming salon! Christy has been grooming my beagle/poodle mix for 5 years. He never does well with a groomer, and has even been blacklisted at Petco. He is anxious and needs lots of breaks during his services. Christy has taken such good care of him every time we come, and always provides a full report of how he's done after each visit. I recently moved from Milwaukee to Madison and drove back just to have one last appointment here. Christy went above and beyond, and is helping me find a new groomer in Madison that she will share my boy's needs with! This has calmed my nerves about searching for a new groomer for his golden years (he's currently 16!). I cannot say enough good things about Christy and Vanity Fur. Thank you so much for the years of amazing service!! read more

Well this review is a long time coming, but well needed and can be helpful for anybody looking for a groomer. I went to have my dog groomed and was turned around for being 15 minutes late and asked to pay before hand.if I ever wanted him to be groomed again. to be fair a year ago or so he did miss appointment but as a client for 5 1/2 years, you think they would extend some grace the groomer Julia is very nice and sweet and accommodating and honestly, she's the only one that I ever felt comfortable grooming, my dog the owner I don't know her name. Let's just call her "rotator cuff" i'll always remember that because she was in pain but somehow able to groom and I believe roughhousing The dogs , I'll always remember my dog being groomed by her then spending hundreds at the vet trying to figure out why he was crying and seem to be in so much pain. I believe she is too rough with the dogs I can recall coming to pick my dog up and another dog screaming in agonizing pain while getting groomed I believe they are overbooked and burnt out and grooming mind you it's very expensive as well. Id suggest to anyone to keep searching for value & professionalism. read more

Bummer, I really hate having to write negative reviews but the lack of professionalism & respect shown by this business needs to be shared publicly. They've confirmed & cancelled on my three dogs grooming appointments over three different times (keep in mind we have been loyal customers for over two years.) My patience was tested again this morning after they showed up & could only groom 2 of the 3 dogs I had appointments for because they didn't want to "exhaust their employees" I came home early from family vacation to get all three dogs groomed like we had confirmed prior. I am willing to post texts/emails/etc. if needed. [& it happened again-after receiving another confirmation from the business, they failed to show up for our last chance appointment:( Apparently there was a minor accident with the van...which I had to call to figure out after waiting for over an hour for a no-show] read more

Our friend religiously brings both her dogs here. We had high hopes for this place. Unfortunately, our 11 month old Kai Ken doesn't like strangers, tolerates familiar people, and takes a hour for her introductions. We had high hopes, regardless. I scheduled a bath, nails, and file. We arrived six minutes late, and were not greeted or acknowledged by the employee who seemed like she was in an in depth phone conversation. We were "scolded" for being late and said that if we were more than 15 minutes late, they would assumed we were a no-show. We apologized for being late, and then we were notified to come back in two hours. I received a phone call around an hour and a half that the nail trims had not gone as planned, and to come help. When I arrived my puppy was bathed, clean, but seemed frazzled. I helped calm my pup down while she did the last of her nails. I was then told that we should probably stick to doing her nails at home, and that this happens with nervous dogs. What was suppose to be a relaxing pamper ended up being a wreck. Vanity Fur is perhaps not the place for uneasy dogs. Three stars for an a-okay experience. read more

This place is just weird. Weird owner. Weird people. Just...weird. My sister worked there. Too be honest she was fired after working for 5 hours (apparently all she did was make a few mistakes). She said that the dogs are yelled at, stay in hot conditions, and are not treated appropriately. How can a place invest in your animal when they refuse to invest more than 5 hours into one of their new hires? That's just straight up odd and shows one thing: A lack of care. Do you care about your dog? Honestly, these guys don't. read more

OUTSTANDING grooming salon. My cat's first lion cut and I was shocked how amazing she looked and how personal the groomer was. The cut was clean and beautiful! She spoke with me for ten minutes after discussing the grooming, my cats coat health and made friendly suggestions about tricks to keep my cats coat looking the best. I'll add pictures shortly but wow is all I can say! Highly recommend taking your cats here for all their grooming needs! We will be back as regulars! read more

When I was new to the area, it was important to me to find a pet grooming service I could trust. After doing some research, I decided on Vanity Fur which was just a 10 min drive up the street to Shorewood...and I LOVE Shorewood...cute, quaint, nice town. Lots of little shops and restaurants downtown. This boutique is literally a little SPA for pets...it is so chic inside, and the store focuses on making it a stress free experience. The groomers always seem a little busy, but this may just come with their popularity and demand. I always need to call several weeks in advance for an appointment. But concerning the quality of the grooming, I know my babies are always in good hands. It was nice to find a groomer that offered services for felines. Their haircuts are always perfectly adorable as well as functional, and they always clean the ears and clean and cut their nails, which is a nice bonus. Vanity Fur does offer a wide variety of services, which they tailor to the individual pet and owner's needs. My first few times there, the groomers discussed in depth the personalities of my animals, and what I wanted done as well as their recommendations on what was most functional. Some unique services include spa packages, nail painting and hair coloring... fun! Although I have not partaken in these! Slightly on the pricey side, but my pets are handled delicately and treated with care, and the results are always fantastic...did I mention ADORABLE!?!? I would recommend anyone to trust Vanity Fur with their pet. read more

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I had an appointment that I waited almost three weeks for, which happened to be the day before the Governor closed down pet grooming and other businesses. I called at 10:30 a.m. and left a message to confirm my 12 p.m. appointment. I never heard back. I took a chance and drove the 25 miles to the groomer, with my 125 pound Newfoundland only to find doors closed and locked. I called to find out about my appointment and was told that "the Governor shut everything down." I explained that that wasn't until the next day, and she said, well, we just finished our last dog and we're closed. When I asked why she didn't bother calling me, or listening to my voice mail, she said that she doesn't answer calls when she's grooming. I get that. But if you know you're going to close, the very LEAST you can do is call your other appointments and tell them you're closing! She offered to reschedule and I declined. To be honest, I will NEVER go to this groomer and I will NEVER recommend her to anyone. It was just beyond comprehension that she would close up and not even call when I had an appointment. HORRIBLE customer service! Certainly not worthy of more than $100 to groom my gentle giant! read more

Had to give 1 star..0 stars is what they deserve I have taken my beautiful Australian Labradoodle there twice. We were new to the breed, and found they are prone to matting. Unfortunately the wet snow in winter is hard on their coat, and she needed to be shaved down because of matting. I was met about 5 minutes before our 9 am appointment by the RUDE, caustic groomer who informed me she had no time to look at a photo of the cut I wanted on my dogs face. I insisted, apologizing and told her I could find the photo quickly. She glanced at it briefly, argued with me in a rude unprofessional manner about my dogs matting. I am 73 years old caring for a paralyzed Veteran, and this dog is being trained as his Service dog. Terrible icy weather prevented me from getting in sooner. I almost cried when I picked up my dog, she looked terrible, scalped. They kept her beard and muzzle hair but left nothing around her eyes. Awful. I realized there was nothing I do. The hair was gone, so I tried to calm down. It will grow back I told myself. I called later to express my disappointment, they did not care a bit. I asked to speak to the owner, who wasn't in. I called a few days later, again not available. I then read the reviews on Yelp. Vindicated. They are rude, rude, rude. Never ever going back!!! Just to be clear the first 2 times I had my my dog groomed there, Darcy Zwicky was my dog's groomer. She was professional and took the time to explain and listen to my concerns. Quality grooming and customer service with her. Unfortunately because of the lack of support and concern from the owner I will need to find a new place for my dog. This evening the owner contacted me by email, expressed concern and explained she was vacationing with her young family, as it is Spring break it was understandable she did not return my call. She promised to contact me tomorrow and was extremely apologetic. Hopefully this can be resolved. I certainly like to give people an opportunity to correct a situation, and a person's business and livelihood can be impacted by bad reviews. I will continue to update the resolution of this matter. Nevertheless, rude, impatient, employees that makes a client feel intimidated and dismissed should never be tolerated. read more

If I could give Vanity Fur less than a star I would. My daughter worked there so this is a behind the scenes look-the groomers yell at the dogs, the bathing and drying stations in the back are filthy, and it's extremely hot for the dogs. Don't go there! read more

We will not be taking our dog here anymore. We had an appointment at 8:00 AM. We arrived around 8 min early and were greeted with EXTREME rudeness. "UHM.....can I help you?" I told her we had an appoint at 8 AM. Instead of asking us to hold on for a few min, we were told we came too early and she would need 5-10 min to finish the current dog. Her tone was nasty and made us feel so uncomfortable that we did not even want to wait in the lobby. We went across the street to Starbucks to grab a coffee. We arrived back at 8:03 AM to her staring smugly at us and received a lecture about being late. She told us with morning appointments we cannot be late and was incredibly rude to us despite the fact that we CLEARLY were not late. I was already put off from our first interaction and this sealed the deal. There is absolutely no reason for her attitude. We pay a high price for a mini groom. Definitely not worth the rude behavior. read more

It's just okay. I agree that one woman who works there is incredibly rude, but I could deal with that if everything else was awesome, which it's not. I've only gone twice but both times my puppy seemed really stressed out when I picked her up. Also, I find the back wall of kennels full of whining pets off putting. I know places like this use kennels, but my pup doesn't do kennels. Fortunately, neither does EmBark so that's where we go now. Even though I have to drive across town to get there, it's a much better experience for both of us. read more

Love this place for a quick nail trim! Haven't had any problems with this place and always feel welcome. I do take my pup somewhere else to get groomed so I can only base this review on nail trims. read more

I cannot stress the amount of rude attitude I've received by the owner. I bring my dog in many times and there's always something up her ass when you walk in. She's fortunate she still has a business because if I was in her industry and I heard about this, I would tell her to change the attitude before she's going to shut down. I've experienced her being rude to other guests. She takes too long to groom a dog, has too many dogs in the cages in the back, and is definitely stressed out. Change your schedule, hire more people, or close. Your service is not needed. read more

They do a great job grooming my dog, much better than any other place I've tried. He always comes out looking great, fresh, and happy. Only reason that I can't give 5 stars is that every time I call to make an appointment, the person is very rude. I travel for work and my weekly schedule varies, so sometimes I call early in the week to see if there is anything open later in the week if it looks like I will be home. Every time I ask, I am given a haughty response about how "far in advance" they have been booked. It's a dog groomer, not a New York restaurant. It bugs me every time but they do a great job so I keep going back. read more

Just dropped my cats off. Young blonde who checked them in appeared stoned. I had to say "Hello" four times. Zero positive energy here. I'll update more after I return. read more

I have never written a review. I feel compelled to warn people of my experience. When walking in for the first time to try Vanity Fur, there was a puppy on the table that was shrieking/crying so loud, I heard it prior to opening the door. The dog was in obvious distress and discomfort. I then observed the groomer angrily grab the puppy by the neck and struggle with it until it stopped. All of this while it was contained on a leash on the grooming table. At the same time another person who was with her (possibly the owner?) came over and said she wasn't hurting the puppy. I was so disturbed and upset by this I walked right out. read more

I think this place is the bees knees. Everyone that works there is very kind and treats your animal with the respect and care they deserve. To some of us (pointing at myself), our pets are our children. When dropping them off to get groomed, you want to me reassured they are in good hands. I already wrote about my cat getting a cute lion cut, which she has a couple more times since and her cut it always prrrrrrfect. This time I needed to take my dog in for an Oatmeal Bath. I know what you are thinking, seriously? Why would a dog need an Oatmeal Bath? It turns out my lab gets really dry skin in the winter and the vet recommended fish oil and an oatmeal bath. When I called Vanity Fur, they knew exactly what I was talking about. I dropped her off for two hours and they said they let her soak in the bath for a while to make sure the oatmeal had a chance to work on the skin. I honestly had no idea they were actually going to bathe her in oatmeal- I assumed it would be just a oatmeal shampoo! I was so pleased with the effort they took in bathing her. Her coat had never looked so good and the itching stopped. And the smell....she smelled so good. No more icky dog smell. Anyway, I love this place and highly recommend it. Their groomers are top notch and it turns out their baths are great too- I think this was considered a medicated bath- $5 upcharge- but so worth it. They do get very busy on weekends- so make sure you plan ahead! read more

Vanity Fur - Rosie may with her lion - Pet Groomers Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We love taking our dog and cat to Vanity Fur! Yes, you read that correctly. Our cat. Surprisingly the dog likes the groomer less than the cat. Good for him, he's a smooth haired mini dachshund and only needs his nails trimmed. I shudder to think how he'd react to being fully groomed. The cat is much more chill. Good for Cori and the rest of the grooming crew. She gets a "Lion Cut". If you haven't already done this for your long haired cats, what are you waiting for??? It looks hilariously funny and gone are the 3am hair balls on your favorite duvet cover. Seriously folks, if you have a pet and live in the 'hood head on over and check them out. They are great at what they do. read more

Took our new dog Ziggy in for a bath and nail trimming. The owner greeted me cheerfully and took my nervous pup in hand confidently and kindly. I was impressed with the cute decor and also that I could see dogs being groomed when I walked in. She told me what they would do, gave an assessment of the time, and I left feeling good. I was right. When we came back, Ziggy was quite content and looked and smelled fabulous. I was charged less than quoted and given sound advice about how frequently to bring her back (less often than I thought). I had a dog years ago that I took to another local groomer and never felt quite right about leaving her there. I thought this place was clean, homey and fun. read more

Vanity Fur - Ziggy getting her final touches at Vanity Fur - Pet Groomers Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Every time I have brought my cat here for a lion cut, she comes back well groomed and in good spirits. I have always had a good experience here and would recommend to others! read more

Should have read some of these reviews before I took my pet here. My experience was nearly identical. I got here at 8:19am for an 8:30am appointment. Never had been there before. And the sign said they're doing outside drop offs or what have you. Anyway, I saw a few dogs in the window, and didn't want to get them all riled up by knocking so I waited a few moments at the door. The groomer comes to the door and says "Um can I help you?", I explain I'm here for my 8:30am appointment and she shuts the door, comes back and says "Um we don't take cats before their appointment time, so we will see you at. Your. Appointment. Time. Thanks." And loudly shut and locked the door. Had they would have conveyed that to me before my appointment, I would have easily complied. But never in their emails or voicemail confirming the appointment did they ever. And she was extremely rude. Didn't even bother coming back to give her my business, clearly she didn't want it. The fact that they either have 5 stars or 1 star and not too much in between should tell everyone something. read more

I can't take my dog here anymore and it's sad because they do pretty decent work however I can't spend my hard earned money in an establishment that has rude employees. I dropped my dog off at 745am for her 8am appointment. There is nothing more off putting than being spoken to rudely first thing in the morning, sets the tone for the day. I overlooked it and left my furry friend for her appointment. By 10:15 I was concerned that I hadn't received a phone call so I went back to the shop to find my dog sitting in a kennel with a towel over it and was told, in the future to wait until they call me to tell me she's ready. Excuse me?! From the looks of it she was ready, just sitting in a hot crate whimpering and being punished. It took everything inside of me not lose it in there and that's when I knew, never again. I'll find a groomer that actually enjoys doing their job. read more

I take my bunny here to get brushed and have her nails clipped, and even though it's not a huge task, they do such a great job! They're very gentle and soothing and have been nothing but nice to me. I usually watch how they take care of their dogs while I'm there and they always seem to be very friendly and professional! read more

Vanity Fur - Happy after her nail trim! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This place is one of the worst grooming facilities I've ever been to, and I've been in many over my eight years in the pet care business. I've been a dog handler, bather, grooming assistant, and trainer in those eight years, making me quite knowledgeable on this subject. The staff here is rude, arrogant, careless, and treat your dog or cat in a way they never would in front of you. I worked here for a matter of four days because I was appalled at the fact that I was asked to yell at dogs who are barking to be quiet (which all dogs do due to the high-stress environment they're in), unless their parents are present. I've always worked with the attitude of, "Work like you're being watched", especially when it comes to caring for someone's animal companion. Not only that, but to yell at a dog when they're barking is completely counterproductive. The power of ignoring is best in these situations, because dogs want a reaction out of you when they bark incessantly, and by telling them to be quiet, you're rewarding negative behavior. I think it's quite unfortunate that the staff and owner of Vanity Fur don't care to educate themselves on dog behaviors and training, and would rather just continue to pretend to care for your dog, meanwhile when you're away they act as though they clearly don't care for the animals well-being. I wouldn't recommend anyone to bring their pet here. read more

THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE NOW!! I have been taking my 3 year old Cockapoo here since I adopted her when she was only 7 weeks old. Over the years I have been satisfied with my service, but the new people they have working in there are rude and do not do a good job anymore. I took my dog in for grooming and anyone who takes their dog to a groomer knows that is usually takes anywhere from 2 to even 6 hours sometimes. I dropped her off and drove to run errands(30 minutes away) and was called to come and get my dog. I let them know where I was and that I was on my way. In ten minutes another person called me to ask me to basically "hurry up". I went to pick up my dog and not only was she not groomed properly she smelled as if she hadn't even been bathed!! I didn't notice right away until she was crawling on me in the car but I had other appointments to get to so I couldn't go back. I called once I got home to speak to someone and of course had to leave a message. I LEFT 10 MESSAGES OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK and got NO ONE to call me back. Now my dog has patches of hair coming off of her and will not stop scratching!!!I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow and if ANYTHING is found to be wrong with her these people will hear from my LAWYERS! read more

Thanks for the honest reviews about the rudeness in this place. Confirms the uneasy vibes I felt as a passerby and observer. This place reeks of rudeness and bad vibes. Staff and animals seem unhappy read more

Not a place to take your puppy. My cockapoo was cut on the neck. I had to rush her to emergency for stitches. The owner did not seem to care. While I was at the ER she had my other puppy which I told her not to cut his hair just wash him. She did pay for the ER bill (after I went back and insisted) but deducted the cut from the total. The whole experience was absurd. The owner is RUDE and unprofessional who lacks care. read more

Vanity Fur - Puppy with stitches on her neck after going to Vanity Fur. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I've been using the same groomer for years because she is the absolute BEST groomer on the planet! My cockapoo, De, has hair that gets pretty messy over time. Sarah cleans her up and makes her fresh and comfortable - De smells heavenly too! This is a great small business to support and I definitely recommend it over large chain stores grooming services. read more

Do not recommend. I called on Tuesday for an appointment and I was told that the only appointment available this week was Friday at 8am. I wrote down the time, date and who I spoke with. I arrived at 7:45 am for my appoint on Friday at 8. The front door was locked and no one was inside. I called at 8 am. A groomer came by at 8:15 to open up. I mentioned that I had an appointment for my dog and she(the groomer) told me to wait outside until they have time to open. I mentioned that I had an appointment at 8am and needed to get to work. She said that they don't have any appointments this morning. I mentioned that I called on Tuesday and set this up. She said again that there were no appointments Friday morning. She did not offer to check the schedule. She did not offer to setup a time to reschedule. She walked inside and shut the door. Non existent customer service in a very competitive business. I wonder how this business would handle a more difficult problem? I'll go down the street to another groomer. read more

I did not like this business at all. The owner is BEYOND RUDE. The owner called me reminding me about an appointment I made weeks ago for the next day, mistakenly I forgot about it with all the busy hassles that go on throughout the week. I apologized about my forgetfulness and explained I wasn't able to make the appointment so I asked if I was able to reschedule it. This is what really ticked me off, the owner simply replied, "Oh nooo you can't reschedule. This shows what kind of clientele you are, you absolutely cannot reschedule." Excuse me? I found that to be extremely rude. She doesn't know what goes on throughout others busy week. I'll take my money somewhere else. I DO NOT recommend this place. Awful, awful, awful customer service. read more

We just moved here last week and my poor pom was in a constant bed-head state after a looooong road trip -- matted fur, the worst. I looked here on Yelp for dog groomers near me and found that Vanity Fur was closest to my home -- a big plus (4 kids, boxes everywhere, daily meltdowns). I was nervous because of the bad reviews, but I decided to give it a chance. The woman who answered the phone was very nice and took our Kip in that very day. I arrived late because of a traumatic experience at Walmart (don't get me started -- why do I even go there?) and she was STILL very nice. I appreciated her kindness especially after a long move and several "close-to-tears" days. Kip was nervous, but then again, she always is when being groomed. I got a call about 3 hours later... Kip was ready. When I went to get her, I was so impressed, Kip was calm and looked great -- and believe me -- there was A LOT of work there. She only charged me $5 extra for the matting. Very happy. Made a return appointment. read more

Super personable pet groomer where you absolutely know your pet is being cared for. Owner/Groomer Cori takes care of our dog and cat and we will never go anywhere else! They also have a small pet boutique with a great range of treats. read more

Vanity Fur is not just for dogs! We took our cat, Lady Meow, in for the "lion cut". I was initially nervous about leaving her there for an extended period of time because she's an older cat, but my fears were put aside when I walked in the door. All the animals that were being serviced were calm and happy when I entered to door. Meow was greeted very friendly by staff and they even commented that they "loved her pink carrying case"! That's all an overly eager Cat-Mama needs to hear! When we returned a few hours later Meow looked lovely!!! They took great care of our cat. I will be back again next winter when Meow's fur coat needs taming at Vanity Fur! read more

So good! I took my long haired cat here for a lion shave. I reeeeally didn't think my cat would cooperate, but they did it, and did it really well. The groomer that worked with me was really great- informative and friendly. Take your pet and your money here. :) read more