The Professional Pet Groomer’s Association, India (PPGAI) organized an impressively successful certified workshop on advanced scissoring techniques for Pet grooming enthusiasts in Bangalore and Mumbai on May 4th and 14th 2022, respectively. This workshop was presented by award-winning groomer and instructor, Ashita Mathew, with support from industry pioneers like ABK Grooming, Creature Companion Magazine, Plush Puppy (India), Capt. Zack, and PetSpot. The participants included enthusiastic groomers, breeders, trainers, and pet parents who travelled from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Rajasthan etc. to take advantage of the intense learning offered at the seminar.
The Beauty of Angles was a hands-on workshop organized to help grooming enthusiasts simplify their grooming process while working on longhaired dogs. Each participant was supplied with a free grooming apron, scissors, study material, stationery, and mannequin dogs to help them implement their learning on the spot. The intense daylong learning program was well appreciated by all involved. All participants were given individual attention and were guided by the presenter and PPGAI team members during the whole process. The event concluded with an award ceremony, where each participant was presented with a certificate of attendance. Food and refreshments were also offered to make sure that every participant was comfortable during the event.
Scissoring technique is an art that many groomers struggle with. Keeping this in mind, PPGAI was proud to present a workshop that was previously creating a bottleneck for many talented groomers. Learning skills like advanced scissoring can be an extremely time consuming and costly process. The level of education offered during this workshop is hard to come by in the current grooming scenario in India. Very few groomers, who have time and financial means, are able to travel to upgrade their skills. This is one of the reasons why PPGAI has taken this initiative to offer seminars and workshops that can benefit the pet grooming industry and raise the bar for groomers from all kinds of backgrounds while saving on international travel expenses
Even though the event hosted a mix of skill levels and backgrounds, every participant left with a sense of fulfillment, knowledge, and confidence to perform better. Some comments from participants included:
“I was not even aware that I required this!”
“Today has helped me overcome a bottleneck that I was struggling with for months!”
“I have been grooming for years but today’s learning has been an eye-opener!”
These and many such comments from the participants have encouraged PPGAI to continue the journey of education and support.
PPGAI would be offering similar events, workshops, and seminars in the coming months. Some of the topics that would be covered are – Safe Cat Handling and Grooming Techniques, Creative Grooming, First-Aid and CPR for Pets with an International Professional, Groomer Health and Safety, and Business Advice etc. PPGAI also plans to organize grooming contests for groomers of all levels to help them realize their true potential and get to know their peers in a positive learning environment. The goal of PPGAI is to provide groomers with all the tools and opportunities they require to help them shine and be their best.
PPGAI’s core team includes, Andrea Cyrill Khurana ICMG (Founder and President), Joyce Alvares (International Certified Groomer) from Mumbai, Mehnaaz Khan (Cat Grooming Expert) from Bangalore, and Calvin Salins (Certified Groomer) from Mangalore.
Andrea Cyrill Khurana is an International Certified Master Groomer, multiple international grooming contests award winner, international certified show groomer, and international certified grooming instructor and proprietor at Petsburgh Pet Care and Education, Mumbai. She has been part of the pet grooming industry for almost 15 years. Andrea was one of the first entrepreneurs who successfully launched and operated one of India’s first ever Mobile Pet Grooming Van back in 2008. Her vision is to grow the Indian pet grooming industry at par with international safety and skill standards through education, community, and support.
Andrea is grateful to be supported by a talented team of groomers who share their vision and are happy to help other groomers achieve their dreams. The selfless enthusiasm and effort from the team has been instrumental in making this event a raging success. The team would like to extend a special thanks to Ms. Ashita Mathew for sharing her valuable time and knowledge with the participants. PPGAI intends to continue the journey of education and support for groomers from all corners of the country. All grooming enthusiasts who wish to join the community and take advantage of future events and learning opportunities are welcome to do so by signing up at WWW.PPGAI.COM
