Young Edinburgh woman set to open new dog grooming salon Unleash The Fur in Longstone

Toni McLaren, 21, will open Unleash The Fur tomorrow, Tuesday, April 1, in the empty former butcher’s shop at 1A Kingsknowe Road North in Longstone.

Having worked for two dog groomers, in Broxburn and Edinburgh, Toni feels ready to start her own dog grooming business, and jumped at the chance of taking on the empty unit “just round the corner” from where she lives in Longstone.

Toni McLaren, 21, will open her Unleash The Fur dog grooming salon in Longstone on Tuesday, April 1. | National World

She said: “It’s a little bit scary. However, I’m excited just to get on with this new chapter. We have been working hard, with all my family, for the past two weeks to get the place ready.

“It’s been quite hard work, with everyone in the family and friends helping out. Everyone has mucked in.

“I live just round the corner so when this shop came up I just thought ‘what’s stopping me?’ And I feel like it’s the right time to start my own business. I have gained enough dog grooming experience and I have my own ideas.

“The name is just a play on words. A lot of dog grooming businesses use the same words, like pups and paws, so it was about finding something a bit different and unique.

“I worked for two companies before, I trained with Star Dogs in Edinburgh then moved to Dogs Aloud in Broxburn. I feel ready to go out on my own now.”

Toni with a couple of her four-legged friends in the Unleash The Fur salon in Longstone. | National World

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So what can customers and their four-legged friends expect at Unleash The Fur?

“We are a one-to-one dog groomers that puts the dog’s needs first, it’s more about the dog than the owner, and not making the dogs do anything they don’t want to do,” said Toni.

“As long as the dogs leave here happy then they will be happy to come back. If the dog is happy then the customer is happy.

“When I was in Broxburn my Edinburgh customers followed me there, and I will have some Broxburn customers follow me here.

“While dogs are here, we can also point out any health issues that we might notice under the hair, so they can then go to the vet’s.”

Toni also spoke of her love for dogs and said she has had dogs in her family all of her life, “constant dogs”, with her mother also a professional dog walker.

Unleash The Fur offers full grooms for long hair and short hair dogs, as well as puppy grooms, bath and dry, a mini groom and nail clip and ear cleans. You can call 07928 941 716 or email [email protected] to book an appointment.