Marci Wanta, owner of recently rebranded Blossom Pet Salon, started grooming dogs in high school. She went on to open Wiggle Waggle in 2020, started competing in 2021, and rebranded her business as Blossom Pet Salon in 2024.
Marci Wanta placed in the open division, the most advanced level of competition for dog grooming, for the first time in August. She took home third place in AOPB.
Blossom Pet Salon groomer apprentice Sam competes in a competition.
Marci Wanta, owner of recently rebranded Blossom Pet Salon, started grooming dogs in high school. She went on to open Wiggle Waggle in 2020, started competing in 2021, and rebranded her business as Blossom Pet Salon in 2024.
Blossom Pet Salon has only operated from the Klassik apartment complex for about six months now, but owner Marci Wanta’s relationship with Verona’s four-legged community dates back to 2020.
At just 19 years old, Wanta, an Oregon native, opened her first dog grooming business, Wiggle Waggle, on North Franklin Street after graduating from high school. The name, location and size of Wanta’s business have since changed, but the mission remains the same.
In fact, the new name – Blossom Pet Salon – is intended to be even more reflective of the mission that began almost five years ago, Wanta told the Press.
“A big part of that is helping dogs become more confident – helping them bloom and blossom in a new environment,” she said.
Grooming is not a natural process for dogs, which means there is no “magic” behind getting animals comfortable in the bath or on the table.
The key, Wanta said, is lots of training, repetition and breaking down the process step-by-step to help build confidence. She described one of the salon’s clients as an example, where a bad past experience left the dog fearful of nail trims.
“We started off where we couldn’t touch the dog… With consistency and time, we’re able to trim their nails now, their anxiety has lessened when they come in and they’re feeling more confident,” Wanta said. “I think that’s really what it’s all about. When they’re doing well and they make that progress forward, we get really excited.”
Another part of Blossom Pet Salon’s mission is to have a collaborative partnership with pet parents.
“I think that’s a big thing that a lot of pet owners might lack from other grooming salons – they may not get an explanation of what’s going on or why their dog might be behaving that way,” Wanta said. “We really try to explain the ‘why’ to pet parents to make sure that they understand that they can be a part of their dog’s care too.”
Since moving to West Verona Avenue, Wanta’s staff has grown from just herself to five people and the physical space has doubled. Both of these things allow Blossom Pet Salon to accommodate more dogs than before.
In addition to helping dogs increase their confidence, Wanta is hoping to offer the same experience for staff.
Blossom Pet Salon groomer apprentice Sam competes in a competition.
“I really wanted to create a space where not only each member is valued and they know they are, but also a place where they can continue developing their skills and growing in their career,” she said.
Blossom Pet Salon currently offers hands-on training opportunities for employees, whether they are skill-based or dog behavior-based. They also attend trade shows and competitions in the grooming industry, with ribbons and awards on display at the new salon.
Wanta began competing herself in 2021, having since reached the highest level of competition.
Marci Wanta placed in the open division, the most advanced level of competition for dog grooming, for the first time in August. She took home third place in AOPB.
“It really helps push me to keep getting better and improve my skills,” she said. “And while it’s different from everyday grooming, the skills definitely transfer over.”
Wanta described grooming as her artistic outlet, and hairy dogs as her canvas.
“It’s crazy that a dog is willing to work with me and let me groom it,” Wanta told the Press. “There’s a really beautiful partnership that happens when you work with a dog who is willing to work with you too.”
Blossom Pet Salon is located in the Klassik apartment complex at 420 W. Verona Ave.
To make an appointment or learn more, visit blossompetsalon.com or email hello@blossompetsalon.com.
Contact reporter Maddie Bergstrom at mbergstrom@orourkemediagroup.com
Anna Knueve, of Verona, was named to the President’s List at Drake University for the fall 2024 semester.
Written By
Currently in Kiel
We’re always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what’s going on!
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don’t miss out on updates.
Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: