ASPCA, Riverdale Grooming offer free services to low-income dog owners

Keeping a furry friend looking clean and fresh isn’t just a cosmetic exercise. Embedded nails or matted hair can hide infections or even restrict mobility. But prices for grooming services can range from $75 to $150, according to Rover.com, with some severe cases costing up to $350. That’s just too steep for many local dog owners.

Riverdale Grooming, at 3251 Johnson Ave., in a first-time partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA has stepped in to help, offering services low-income dog owners just can’t afford.

Their one-day event, held Dec. 3 by appointment only, was reserved for pets in great need of medical grooming services. Working through a list of dogs pre-screened through a QR-code survey system, groomers aboard an ASPCA bus parked along Johnson Avenue and inside the pet salon to treat about 15 pups.

Among those helping lead the collaboration was 15-year-old Riverdale Grooming intern Avi Lichtenstein, who first started contacting shelters and rescuers over the summer, eventually landing on ASPCA.

“We wanted to donate our time and our skills just to give back to the dogs and the community,” he said. “So we were able to set up grooming for people who couldn’t afford it until now.”

Inside the massive pet mobile, ASPCA case manager Lisa Kisiel told The Press many dogs dropped off that day had not been serviced in at least a year, many arriving fearful.

“The before and after are amazing,” she said, describing dogs who “get shaved down” and then move as if a weight is lifted off of them.

A spokesperson for the Riverdale shop noted several pets seemed almost at a point of neglect, with mats that came off “like an entire coat.” They added that the change in the animals was immediately visible once the work was done.

“Some of them are very afraid when they come in at the beginning, but once they see that we’re not going to hurt them, they’re able to sort of relax,” they said. “By the end of the process, you could see that they’re happy.”

The partnership, the spokesperson added, allowed the small business to support families who otherwise could not afford care.

“It’s an impactful change,” they said, crediting Lichtenstein for bringing the idea forward. “Avi planted the seed and pushed the project until the ASPCA agreed.”

Lichtenstein, who also volunteers at local adoption events and runs a zoology club at school, said the day reinforced why he hopes to continue working in animal care.

Both Riverdale Grooming and the ASPCA said they hope to run the clinic monthly, expanding hours as needed. Appointments for the inaugural event filled up quickly, Kisiel said, a sign of how many pet owners are likely still in need of assistance.