Animal Artistry/Kennels One-Stop-Shop to Groom and Board
By Tiffany Watkins

Laura Miller owner of Animal Artistry/Kennels pictured with a litter of her boxer pups.

The pets have a place to go this summer for haircuts and a place to stay when their owners want to take a summer get-away without the worry of leaving their pets home alone. The pets can take a trip of their own to Animal Artistry/ Kennels.

"The animals need to be in a healthy atmosphere," Laura Miller, owner of Animal Artistry/Kennels said.

"It needs to be homey."

Animal Artistry/Kennels offer their pet guests a low- stress atmosphere with classical music in one of the rooms and Disney videos in the deluxe runs with air conditioning. Miller designed the kennels so that she can take care of animals with health-related problems such as elderly dogs and diabetic cats.

"It's a hotel versus a kennel like in the sense, animal control," Miller said.

One of Miller's previous jobs was an animal control officer and she said the animals there were placed on cement floors, which were hosed down twice a day.

Animal Artistry/Kennels offer pet guests indoor kennels with an outside corresponding run. They are taken outside during the day and when it gets too hot, they are brought back inside to the air-conditioned kennels where they have blankets and teddy bears waiting for them.

"Kennels are inspected twice a year," Miller said.

"The restaurants you eat at are only inspected once a year."

The animal control officer has given her the highest rating with the cleanliness of the kennel. She also added that the pet boarding sets her and the staff apart from other shops. Animal Artistry/Kennels has the pet boarding set up in a unique way including a room specifically for their cat guests.

"There is a lot of art involved in being a good groomer," Miller said.

She added that pet grooming should be a form of art, where haircutting for people is done with measuring.

For pet grooming, the art is based on the shape of the animal and you mold the hair into the shape you want for the dog or cat. The art of grooming has to be done on an individual basis. If a pet has a defect, Miller can make it look like the animal does not even have a defect.

In addition to Miller having the grooming and boarding services, she also is a breeder for boxer dogs. She raises and shows boxers and presents her vision to the judges who judge on the standard for the breed. Miller said that your perception of the standard is if you win or lose. She shows boxers in the young classes and trains them to be show dogs at the American Boxer Club.

One of the top professional handlers in the country, Kimberly Steele, also shows Miller's dogs. She received an award for the kennel producing the most champions in the US in 2006.

To learn more about Animal Artistry/Kennels and the boxer breeder aspect of the business located at 202 Sixth St., call Miller at (760) 789-7436 or check the Website at www.ArtistryBoxers.com.