North Loop Mobile Dog Grooming Business Gives Back
A day at the spa is a special treat for humans, but dogs? They often have mixed feelings. But there’s a North Loop mobile dog grooming business bringing canine spa days directly to dogs. Wagmore Co started in the North Loop in 2024, and now serves surrounding suburbs too.
The very handsome Monty.
Melissa Steffens says her 8ish-year-old dog, Monty, needs his spa day every two weeks to manage his allergies. “We don’t have the space in our condo to wash him every two weeks and dry him off. He’s a pretty big dog,” said Steffens. “He runs and jumps into the van, and it’s an hour for me to clean my house of Monty’s hair, and it’s an hour for him to get rubbed down and loved up on.”
Wagmore Co’s founders are North Loop resident Lisa Anderson, her longtime friend and college roommate DeeAnn Stinebaugh, and Stinebaugh’s brother, Todd May. “DeeAnn and I had been talking for several years about what a second act would look like for us,” explained Anderson. “And Todd was interested in joining us too. We all love our dogs and we knew there was a market.” Besides their shared love of dogs, each brings their own skill set to launching, running and growing a business: Anderson retired from a business development career, Stinebaugh works in finance (in the North Loop) and May has investment and research expertise.
As 2023 was drawing to a close, Anderson was ready to get serious about her second act. The three met in February of 2024 to plot strategy, by July they had purchased their first van and their first client booked in September.
Today, Wagmore Co has three vans, each equipped with everything a groomer and four-legged clients need for brushing, bathing, nail trimming and all-around pampering. Depending on the dog, appointments take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Wagmore Co co-founders Lisa Anderson and DeeAnn Stinebaugh
“Mobile grooming is such a more customized service, and the groomers become like family to our customers. It’s a very special relationship,” said Anderson. “Our groomers are dog-whisperers.”
“Since the pandemic, everyone’s getting everything delivered to them,” said Stinebaugh. “People are busy with their families at home. And we realized it’s so important for the dogs to have that service brought to them.”
Monty’s mom, Melissa, agrees. “As soon as the door swings open, he jumps right in. We love them, and I think they’ve really changed Monty’s life for the better.”
The inside of a Wagmore Co dog grooming van.
A Personal Connection to Giving Back
Wagmore Co’s clients include Fern, Inka and Jersey, the therapy dogs of M Health Fairview’s Masonic Children’s Hospital. “The dogs’ handlers tell us the dogs get excited when they see the van and start wagging their tails and they know it’s bath day,” said Stinebaugh.
Wagmore Co Groomer Courtney Raney poses with facility dogs Fern, Jersey and Inka.
Having therapy dogs as clients is intentional, given the personal connection all three founders have to childhood cancer.
Growing up, Stinebaugh and her brother spent time with their friend, Katie Hageboeck, as she was being treated for leukemia at the U and visiting Ronald McDonald House. “We kind of grew up with the U of M’s cancer treatment area, and it just meant a lot for us to be giving back to them.” Katie died in 1979 at age 13. Her parents, Diane and Norm, amplified the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. “There is now a Katie Hageboeck Ward at the hospital, so we are directly helping children in her name.” Stinebaugh said.
“It’s a real full-circle moment that just gives us chills,” Anderson added. She used to be the public affairs director at Ronald McDonald House. “I would interact with these children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and I just remembered how anything beyond their norm would make their day.”
Giving back to the community is a priority for Anderson, Stinebaugh and May. Fifty percent of their net proceeds give back to non-profit dog causes.
North Loop Dogs
Anderson has lived in the North Loop for 23 years. Stinebaugh has worked in the North Loop since 1995. They know this is a great neighborhood for dogs. “It’s such a dog-centric area. North Loop residents are just so friendly,” said Stinebaugh. “They want you to pet their dog, they want to introduce you to their dog. They are such a part of the North Loop family.”
For more information about Wagmore Co, you can visit their website.
By Mary Binkley, NLNA Volunteer