For anyone in the Boothbay, Wiscasset and Damariscotta areas, to Litchfield, looking for a dog or cat groomer, look no further.

Mary Jo Foley of MJ’s Pet Grooming will come right to your home, from her home in Litchfield.

Foley knows her stuff. She’s been grooming cats and dogs for over 20 years, and has worked in veterinary hospitals and at grooming businesses from Bangor to Yarmouth.

When she worked at a Yarmouth clinic, two customers asked her if she’d go to their homes to groom their dogs. She started doing that while continuing to work at the office. She later took grooming classes in Portland and became an apprentice for a groomer who worked out of her home.

Foley said that later, when she went to work as a groomer at a Bangor clinic, half her clients were cats. “Now I have very few cats, and I love cats.”

She recently gave my dog Elliot a great haircut. When she was done, he looked adorable, and the best part was the grooming took place at my house.

It was convenient. I didn’t have to drive anywhere. Foley showed up around noon and by 1:30 p.m., Elliot had gone from being a scruffy little mutt sorely in need of a bath and a haircut to a shiny, fluffy, happy pup with an even happier mom.

One of the best things about having a groomer come to your home is the reduced stress factor for your pet. Most dogs aren’t overly eager to enter a groomer’s place of business, regardless of how kind and gentle the groomer is. When Foley showed up at the door, Elliot greeted her with one of his favorite toys, and sniffed around her while we chatted. By the time she picked him up and put him on her folding table, he was perfectly calm.

When she started using her electric clippers, he got a little nervous and whiny, and looked at me beseechingly. But there was no nervous shaking like I’ve seen at groomers’ businesses.

I went for a walk, figuring he’d be less of a spoiled brat without me there. After about 20 minutes, I went back and peeked in to ask how it was going. “Well, he’s been really good while you were gone,” Foley said kindly. He started whining again, so I took another walk.

When I got back, Elliot was groomed and looked clean and adorable.

Foley said pet owners treat her especially well when she goes to their homes. She attributes that, in part, to the fact that they’re happier, because they don’t have to drive somewhere, and their pets are happier, and less stressed. It’s a win-win situation.

Visit MJ’s Pet Grooming on Facebook, or call 207-582-4075 or 207-402-0696.