With family in mind, couple brings mobile dog

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Cameron and Eric McEntire opened Woofie's in Greenville to bring mobile dog grooming to the area and spend more time together as a family. Caitlin Herrington/Staff

GREENVILLE — It might not sound like a logical leap for a pharmacist with a decade of experience to open a mobile grooming salon, but the choice has been right for the McEntire family.

It was a team effort that brought the entire family together, which was entirely the point for Eric and Cameron McEntire.

“I was a pharmacist for 10 years, and I wasn't spending a lot of time with the family,” Eric said. “I wasn't able to. It was difficult to find that time and told Cameron that we needed to start looking at some other avenues.”

Her father ran across the Woofie’s franchise, brought it to their attention and the van opened for business this summer in southeast Greenville. With Cameron’s background in event planning and Eric’s lean toward the scheduling side, it’s been a perfect fit.

Not to mention they’re both able to spend a lot more time together and with their children, 2½-year-old daughter Eddie and 7-month-old son Jude.

“The biggest transition is having him home all the time,” Cameron said. “You do have to find that ebb and flow, where he's used to being gone for 13 hours. He loves not being confined into four walls, and that's been nice because every day looks different.”

The pair went through training with Woofie’s — Eric tackling his after long days at the pharmacy — and worked together to hire a staff of bathers, groomers, dog walkers and pet sitters. Some of their friends made the list after the rounds of background checks.

“And if the people that we've hired can't do it, it's me and Eric will come and walk your dog,” she laughs.

For Woofie’s customers, the convenience is key, Eric said. They opted for a smaller van so their head groomer, who came from a salon, would feel comfortable driving it. It runs off a lithium battery and has a 50-gallon water tank for baths, which lasts for about seven baths, depending on dog breed.

Everything the groomers need for baths, nail trims, haircuts, blow drying and de-shedding is within quick reach of the air-conditioned van. The grooming table raises, lowers and extends to the bathtub so dogs can walk — requiring sometimes a bit of encouragement — to the tub themselves.

Despite jumping into an unfamiliar industry knowing they're tasked with keeping the lights on and providing for their children, Eric said the transition is proving to be great for everyone.

“I love the flexibility of it, and being able to work with family, that's huge,” Eric said. “From a professional standpoint, I love being able to talk to the clients. I was worried I was gonna miss that … but what I found is I'm able to have more meaningful conversations and get to know who these people are way better.”

While based in Mauldin, Woofie’s serves pets throughout Greenville, Spartanburg and Pickens counties.

Find out more at facebook.com/WoofiesSEGreenville or by calling (864) 999-WOOF.

Follow Caitlin on Twitter @CatHerrington

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