Meet Sarah Hamdan of Jacksonville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hamdan

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My pet grooming journey started 8 years ago at a PetSmart in Tennessee as I was shopping for cat food. I was checking out at the register and saw in those glass windows around the grooming salon, that a husky was getting groomed and, as huskies do, it was singing the song of its people. That was essentially my “that’s what I want to do” moment. I got a job there and went through their dog grooming academy, where I was trained and certified. From that moment, I continued to groom, going from corporate to a boarding facility to home grooming where I would simply travel to clients’ homes with a portable table, dryer, and bag of tools in my trunk, washing dogs in sinks or tubs. I had found my passion, but it took a few years before I found what I felt the strongest about: senior dogs! As my career progressed I just continued to fall more in love with them, eventually rescuing my own little Cairn Terrier. Have you noticed our logo? That’s my boy. He had a lot of special needs that came with him, but he taught me so much more patience and care for older dogs. He’s not with me anymore, but I miss that little man all the time. A few years ago I moved to Florida, where up until that point I was still doing home grooming, and I just adored it. Being new to the area, I started working for a smaller salon here instead of trying to continue home grooming. While I loved this new job, I just couldn’t deny that having a dog go through the grooming process in the comfort of their home keeps them so much more at ease. Grooming can be quite scary and stressful for our animals in many ways. The sounds of tools and dryers, the vibrations of clippers and Dremels, the presence of other dogs, a strange environment. This is especially true for seniors who. might have lost their sight or hearing or even both, and may have trouble remembering things they’re used to. Many seniors are also turned away due to their age for liability reasons, and while I understand that, they still need grooming too. (This is where “comfort grooming” is very important! Doing only what the dog is willing to do.) Ultimately, no matter where I worked, I started to feel as if I was on a factory line sometimes. I had to meet quotas and finish dogs in a certain amount of time, groom a certain number of dogs a day, and make a certain amount of money. It’s not fair to them. I missed the stress-free energy of a home groom, for myself and the dogs. This is when Bark Bus Jax was born! A van would be much more convenient than what I had been doing previously, but still provide the same comfort, so with my husband’s help, we were able to achieve my dream! We have an overwhelming and wonderful outpour of support locally, and we are so grateful. I’m so happy to be able to provide one-on-one service for pets, in an environment that they recognize being right outside their homes, with no time limit or rush, and fewer distractions, to create a grooming experience that they’ll enjoy and want to do again. It’s been so fulfilling, truly, especially in a city as special as Jax.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but we’re so thankful for everything, regardless. I’d say our biggest struggles were just with the start-up and the van itself. We got this van from a previous groomer who had quit and moved here from up north, where the weather just took a massive toll on the car. It was very rusted and dirty, had some mechanical issues, and just needed some serious TLC. We took it on as a project and had multiple people working on it, inside and out, to get it to where it is now. In that process, we’ve also met some amazing local people, though, and we wouldn’t be here without them. With its age and previous issues, we still have quite a bit of upkeep we need to do to take care of it, so it might never fully be smooth sailing, but that’s okay. We also had issues with setting up business pages, but we’ve also had a wonderful team helping us with that as well.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Bark Bus Jax, we provide full-service, luxury mobile grooming for pets. For dogs, we offer baths, de-shedding services, de-matting services, nail clipping and filing, ear cleaning and ear hair removal, anal gland expressions, teeth brushing, and hair cuts ranging from breed standards to pet clips. For cats, we offer baths, brushing, and nail clipping. Of course, we also always finish with cologne and a bow tie, bandana, bows, etc.

We specialize in senior dogs, as we know that with time, standing for the entire groom can become more difficult, bones and joints become achy, sight starts to blur, hearing starts to fade, thus the grooming process becomes a lot scarier and confusing. A lot of other groomers will often turn away pets that have reached a certain age, and while we understand that, many dogs still need grooming. We always, always value a pet’s safety and comfort over vanity, therefore “comfort grooming” is a popular solution for seniors. A comfort groom is essentially what it sounds like, we only do what is necessary for the pet’s comfort and what they can tolerate. We refuse to push a senior into stress just to achieve a cute look and strictly do what is necessary to prevent matting, hair in the eyes or mouth, unsanitary areas, overgrown nails, etc. Sometimes that means taking extra time, sometimes it means grooming a dog while it lays down. Whatever it takes, seniors need extra care, love, patience, and time, and we are always ready to offer all of that. We have a huge soft spot for our older furry friends.

I’d say what we are most known for is our bright orange “bus”. The color we picked to paint our van plays a huge part in our brand, and we love that people see us driving down the road and immediately know, that’s Bark Bus Jax. We get clients all the time who tell us they saw us the other day or will come up to us and say “I saw the color and knew it was you”. We also make visits to Brewhound Dog Park + Bar to offer mini services such as nail trims and sanitary clips, and a lot of people know us from that as well.

Hands down, what I’m most proud of is our brand. Having people recognize us and our van, knowing our names, building relationships, and getting to work with other local businesses, has just been so amazing. Knowing that people love and trust us with their pets, seeing their faces after they see their pet’s final look, hearing that they recommend us to their loved ones, and look forward to seeing us, has been the most rewarding part of this journey.

I think what sets us apart from other businesses is how much we care. We put so much love into everything we do regarding Bark Bus Jax, and I know people can see that. We care for our pets so greatly and have developed such wonderful relationships with our regulars, that many of them feel like family at this point. When I pull up to a home and the dog is super excited to see me, or they recognize my name, it’s unbelievably gratifying. I get to know these dogs and what makes them tick, what they don’t like, what treats they prefer. I even make up little songs for them while we work and do a mini photoshoot when we finish. It’s the little things. The ties, the themed bandanas, the scents we use, and the specialized shampoos for each pet’s skin type. We put our hearts and souls into this business.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Helping dogs. When I can make a difference in a dog’s life, that’s what keeps me doing what I do. From simply making them look cute to removing a pelted coat, a puppy’s first groom or a senior’s last groom, introducing a rescue to the experience or helping comfort a dog that had a bad experience. To some, I might merely be a dog barber, but to others, I’m an artist, a trainer, a rehab center, a brand new start. I have more than once been so lucky to experience a dog who meets me while terrified of grooming and over time becomes more comfortable and trusting, eventually even getting excited to see me and becomes so content and full of love throughout the groom. That’s what makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barkbusjax.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barkbusjax/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bark-bus-jax-jacksonville