Andis Scholarship Winner 2019

Andis Awards Animal Behavior College Dog Groomer Scholarship

Amy Ganos knew what she wanted – a career grooming dogs and owning a business. But financial hurdles got in the way of her enrolling in a dog-groomer program.  When Andis Company sponsored a social media contest last year and awarded the Tucson, Arizona resident a full scholarship to Animal Behavior College’s Grooming Instruction Program, she was thrilled and ready to get started.

“Winning this scholarship was beyond belief,” she recalled. “There’s so much to learn about grooming, and I’m ready. To have the opportunity to pursue my dream career and start my own business, it’s all unbelievable.”

Amy began her grooming career more than seven years ago as a volunteer for Pima Animal Care Center. Twice a week, she visits the center to walk dogs, play with them, and clean kennels.  She also bathes and grooms them. It was while grooming that Amy realized how important grooming is to every dog’s overall health and wellbeing.

“Dog groomers do much more than bathe, clip hair, and ensure pets smell good. They spot skin problems, infections, and abnormalities.  This is one of many reasons I’m excited to become a certified groomer. I want to learn as much as possible about keeping pets healthy and safe,” Amy said.

After completing the course, Amy will be an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Groomer (ABCPG).  The program teaches everything from how to identify common canine and feline skin problems and medical disorders to proper bathing, brushing, and clipping techniques. Although the curriculum doesn’t teach students how to diagnose medical conditions, it encourages them to be mindful of specific health problems so they can immediately bring them to pet owners’ attention.

In addition to the social media scholarship contest, Andis supplies professional grooming tools and educational products and support from seasoned educators to ABC’s grooming students. The company plans to continue the contest and will announce the application process later this spring.

To date, ABC has graduated more than 3,000 students from its dog grooming program.