Moriches Dog Grooming takes a bow: A tale of two sisters

For Christine, co-owner with her sister, Debbie, of Moriches Dog Grooming, the hardest part of leaving will be saying goodbye to the people and their pets.

“We talk to so many people for a long time,” she said. Her son, Chase, who works with her, concurred. “We’ve had generations of families coming here. They came with their children. Then their children grew up and came with dogs of their own.”

Nevertheless, after 40 years in business, the time has come to move on to a new chapter.  Moriches Dog Grooming closed its doors on Dec. 31.

It’s a far cry from the way Christine once intended her work life to go.

“My mother and my sister had a dog grooming shop. It was a family business I grew up with,” she said recently. “I worked first in a restaurant, then in a private label cosmetics company. I had no intention of working as a dog groomer. But when my sister, Debbie, opened a shop, she asked for my help. She taught me.”

“We started out in a small space next to the VFW, where we stayed for seven to eight years, until we moved into a single store closer to the center of the village. Eventually, there was a problem with the building we were in. The town told us we had 30 days to move. Soon, that building was auctioned. This corner space was available and we’ve been here ever since.”

And, as one would expect, they’ve seen a lot of changes during their time here.

“There used to be more people moving around the village, shopping in different stores. There aren’t as many stores, or people, anymore. Many of the spaces are office or professional services businesses, things you don’t have to come to town for,” Chase said.

Christine agreed: “We tried to get the chamber to invite more shops to open that would attract pedestrian traffic to shop and eat. Sayville is a cute village where lots of people go to browse and spend time. It seems people drive through without stopping here.”

From a business standpoint, the reduced number of shoppers can change the character of a village, something Chase has observed firsthand since he started coming into the shop with his mother when he was just 2 and 1/2 years old. Over time, the two have grown together.

“I was in middle school when I started to work here formally—summers, weekends, helping out. Then, after college, I started working here full time.”

Although he majored in business administration, Chase conceded there was a big difference between what he was taught in school and what he has learned on the job. Hands-on experience, he says, taught him a lot.

“It’s different from what you learn in a school setting. The job requires learning to deal with people; not only customers but employees. It’s very hard sometimes. But it’s also very beneficial to have some sort of degree as well, that can give you flexibility. Lessons learned on the job help teach you about real-world problem-solving for things like finance. If you’re thinking of starting a business, take some sort of volunteer work, civil register, anything like that. Make sure to get practical experience as well as school. Both help.”

“You have to have the drive, too,” Christine said. “I was 16 when I started and I was ready to work. Even in a family business, when you have clients who come back year after year, it’s family on both sides of the counter.”

Asked what’s next, Christine made it clear she won’t be sitting in a rocking chair any time soon. “My one day off, I’m up at 4 a.m.,” she said. “I’ve even tried staying in bed longer. It doesn’t work. But my back, my hands and shoulders, all the repetitive motion, using those joints and muscles to work with the bigger dogs, takes a toll over time. I won’t miss that.”

Debbie, who prefers hot weather, is up for a change of scenery, contemplating a move to a different state where prices are lower.

Chase has no concrete plans beyond enjoying the holidays and closing the store on Dec. 31.

“My next chapter will be something different, a new challenge. Maybe something like technology. I do a lot of computer networking in my free time since I was young. It’s a very big industry.”