Birch Bay groomer receives international cat care award

International Professional Groomers Inc. (IPG) recently awarded Canine Divine Spa’s Kari Conners for cat grooming skills at the Birch Bay groomers.

“I enjoy working with each individual personality and discovering the best way to handle each animal,” Conners said.

To earn certification, Conners completed a 100-question written test that covered handling and safety procedures, and filmed herself bathing a cat, doing its nails, blow drying it and brushing it out.

Conners said she studied for a month before taking the certification test, as well as leaned into her 20 years of experience working with animals. She’s worked at Canine Divine Spa for five years and previously owned a boarding kennel in Bend, Oregon, which she ran for 14 years.

“Kari is the most compassionate, caring individual I have ever met and that love and compassion naturally extends to each pet in her care,” Canine Divine Spa owner Tammy Wojcik said. “She is calm and comforting. Her skill as a groomer is above standards as she works hard to always improve. She listens to the needs of pet parents but also for what the pets’ needs are. She stands out because she is the complete package: Smart, caring, compassionate, skilled but also humble and teachable.”

As of September 20, Conners is also now certified in grooming sporting dog breeds – which include spaniels, pointers, retrievers and setters – and terrier breeds. The National Dog Groomers Association of America awarded Conners with the certification after she attended a workshop in Bonney Lake, Washington.

In February, IPG awarded Conners the International Certified Master Groomer award for dogs after she passed written exams and demonstrated her grooming ability.

Canine Divine Spa is located at 4855 Goldstar Drive in Birch Bay. For more information, call 360/392-8465.