Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Donna Nash, the owner of Tails A’ Waggin” dog grooming business, and her family may be new to Pocahontas County, but they are quickly tucking into the community and making it their home.
They lived in North Carolina for 24 years before making the big move to Pocahontas County.
Nash grew up on a small farm in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.
Her family had horses and a rescued Collie dog named Whiskey.
She was a member of the local 4-H Horse and Pony Club and competed in Western and English riding until she was 18.
She played saxophone in school, so when Nash joined the Air Force in 1980, she auditioned for the Air Force band in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“I played in the Air Force band for almost four years, two in Biloxi and two at Ramstein Air Base in Germany,” Nash said. “The Air Force Band of Europe was one of the highlights of my life.
“When my former husband was diagnosed with cancer, we moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to be with his family. When he recovered, I made the decision to become a dog groomer,” she concluded.
Nash had been a professional dog groomer for 35 years, when they decided to make the move to West Virginia.
Why did they decide to move to West Virginia?
They wanted to be closer to her parents, who live in the Lititz/East Petersburg area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are also close with their young godchildren who live in North Carolina.
To make it easier for visiting both, they wanted to find someplace central between North Carolina and Pennsylvania. And here’s West Virginia, practically equidistant between the two locations.
“We were looking for a place big enough for our family,” she said. “Something with a garage and a few acres.
“Yes, I thought I was retiring back then,” she said, chuckling.
“I was considering retiring so I could pursue charitable work through our ministry and volunteer with local community charitable organizations.
But God works in mysterious ways.
“We put an offer on a house in Hillsboro, and it was accepted.
“But wouldn’t you know it, the day before closing, the owners cancelled the deal,” Nash recalled.
“We were broken-hearted because by that time – it was March 2023 – we’d completely fallen in love with Pocahontas County.
“It already felt like this was meant to be our home,” she insisted.
Let me say it again. God works in mysterious ways.
In getting to know their banker, Bill Jordon at Citizens Bank, Nash’s dog grooming background came up.
Bill told them there wasn’t a professional dog grooming business in the county and that maybe that would be a good business idea for Nash – and he wasn’t the only one.
“In several conversations with various local residents, I kept hearing that Pocahontas County desperately needed a groomer,” Nash said.
They told their realtor to expand his search for a property where they could have a grooming business a home.
“When our realtor called us about another house, we made a spur of the moment trip to Marlinton and came to look at this place, here on Brown’s Creek Road. And we knew we were home.”
It was just right, except it did need a lot of work.
“We set right to work on fixing things up,” she said. “It took three and a half months to make the house livable and get the other building ready for the dog grooming business.
“We worked every day from sunup to sundown. Our neighbors, Dave and Pam Sharpes, who know a little something about hard work themselves, said they never saw anybody work so hard!”
Nash’s typical day starts early.
“I get up around 4:40 in the morning, and first have my morning devotions and Bible study.
“Then I take care of my family and our two dogs.”
Where did the grooming start?
After graduating from a four-month training program at a grooming school called Nash Academy (no relation) of Animal Arts in Lexington, Kentucky, Nash started grooming for a veterinarian.
“From there, I had a high-top van customized as a small grooming shop on wheels and traveled to people’s homes,” Nash said.
“When the van went to van heaven, I opened my own shop in Lexington near the grooming school.”
It wasn’t long before Nash was winning awards at grooming competitions in Lexington, Dallas and Chicago. She took second place in an international competition in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Good professional grooming takes experience and patience.
“The first couple of times I groom a dog, I like to take time to get to know him or her,” Nash said. “It’s not a good idea to rush the process.
“We work so much better together when the dog knows it can trust me.
“A small dog may take an hour to an hour and a half. A medium-size may take up to two hours. Larger breeds, depending on the amount of coat may take two or three hours,” Donna explained.
Nash’s full-service groom includes ear plucking and cleaning, nail trimming, a sanitary trim (the belly and under the tail), anal glands expressed (if needed and requested by the owner), a bath, blow dry, and a full haircut.
“I don’t offer teeth cleaning, but if I smell exceptionally bad breath, I look at their teeth and gums and report what I see to the owner,” Nash explained.
“On shedding dogs, we do what’s called a “De-shed, bath and brush.”
Non-shedding dogs get a basic style and a utility cut.
The style of the trim is also a factor.
“The priciest type of cuts are the pattern cuts that are done on Poodles,” Nash said.
“We can do a ‘scissor trim’ on cross breeds like Golden-Doodles and Labra-Doodles.
“Hand-scissoring really sets a grooming style apart, though it can get a bit pricey,” she added.
Nash suggests starting a puppy’s grooming education at about 12 weeks of age.
“I encourage early and frequent visits so puppies can be handled properly and exposed to everything about the grooming experience,” she said.
“I charge very little for puppy trims, and I don’t charge anything for visits.”
That also goes for a dog experiencing anxiety about grooming.
“It’s well worth it to be patient with a dog so it can enjoy stress-free grooming,” Nash insisted.
Beyond the obvious, there are many benefits to professional grooming.
Owners see their pets every day and may overlook subtle physical changes.
But good dog groomers are trained to look for and feel for abnormalities in a dog’s coat, skin, ears and mouths.
“I will do nail trims only and have run specials on that – typical pricing for nail trimming is $7 to $15.
“I’ve also cut toenails on rabbits, birds and Guinea pigs. And I’d consider grooming other pets, within reason, but I don’t groom cats because I’m allergic.
“When they leave our care, I want the dogs to be happy so when they return, they’ll want to come running in.
“I make it a point to make friends with the dogs and with their humans, too,” she concluded.
Nash’s dog grooming business doesn’t just help take care of her family, it also helps fund God’s work.
She’s a Christian who feels strongly about practicing her faith through generosity to those in need.
“A portion of the proceeds generated by the grooming business is given back to the community as various needs are brought to our attention,” she said.
After what she describes as a life-changing trip to Uganda, Donna founded a Christian outreach ministry in 2005.
Since then, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called Open Door Missions International has been supporting widows and orphans in Uganda as well as those in need in the Nash’s local communities.
“We aren’t currently affiliated with other churches or organizations,” she continued. “We get in touch with the local organizations who can tell us who needs help.
“When we moved to Pocahontas County, the Family Resource Network was looking for assistance in their upcoming events. I called and got connected with them so that we could help.
“We love what they are doing for the community and have donated to them.
“We were privileged to participate in the Veterans luncheon last year,” Nash said, smiling.
“What a great event.
“It gave us the opportunity to see the wonderful work of the Pocahontas County Veterans Honor Corps, the Marlinton Woman’s Club and other community organizations. We also got to meet so many Pocahontas County veterans.
“When we get a bit more settled here at home, we’re looking forward to being more active in the community,” Nash said.
The Nashes are glad they made the move to Pocahontas County.
“There are so many wonderful people here,” Nash said.
“They’ve made us feel right at home!”
Tails A’ Waggin’ has been steadily busy since they opened their doors just a few months ago. Right now, they’re booked up about two weeks in advance.
Appointments are required and grooming hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, unless special arrangements are made.
Donna donates Tails A’ Waggin’ gift certificates for raffles and silent auctions for fundraising events.
Tails A’ Waggin’ is located at 3099 Brown’s Creek Road (Route 28). Call the shop number, 304-799-7277, for an appointment.