The pet groomer with A-list clients

When film-maker Jack Neo needed a dog for his Chinese New Year movie I Want To Be Boss, he turned to pet groomer Justin Tan for help.

Mr Tan, who has been taking care of the 65-year-old director’s schnauzer since February 2024, recommended a maltipoo named Duffy for the role.

Nine-year-old Duffy has been going to Mr Tan’s grooming salon, Justin The Groomer, for its weekly showers since March 2024, so he knows how well-behaved and mild-mannered the pooch is.

The Singaporean’s clients are a who’s who of local show business and their fur kids.

They include A-list actress Zoe Tay and her three dogs – a West Highland terrier, Scottish terrier and schnauzer – celeb couple Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun and their munchkin cat, and freelance actress Chen Xiuhuan and her three poodles.

Celeb couple Hong Huifang and Zheng Geping’s actress-daughter Tay Ying and her chef-boyfriend Wu Sihan’s dachshund and French bulldog are also serviced by Mr Tan.

“People call us celebrity groomers, but we don’t think we are,” Mr Tan, 39, tells The Straits Times. He runs the six-year-old business with his 33-year-old China-born wife Wang Li Jia Zi. They have a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son.

The couple say they are honoured to have the artistes as customers, who have become close friends.

It all started with actress-host Vivian Lai, who took her fur kids to Justin The Groomer in 2019. The Taiwan-born artiste has six dogs – two lagotto romagnolo, two toy poodles, a bichon and a labradoodle – and all are groomed by Mr Tan.

Mr Tan says they are “very grateful” to Lai, as they had just opened a shop at The Promenade @ Pelikat. “Thanks to her, we started getting more stars coming to us,” he adds.

His pet grooming career started in 2013, when he was working as an assistant at a grooming salon. Along the way, he took up grooming courses and subsequently became a certified pet groomer. Armed with the qualification, he set up shop at home in 2018.

He explains that while pet groomers in Singapore do not require licences, he feels one must be properly trained. “You should be responsible for the animals and know how to treat them properly... you would want your children to be looked after by good doctors – it’s the same for pets.”

Justin The Groomer relocated to its current location of Lorong Ah Soo in 2023, which turned out to be a boon as “there are many pet owners in the area”, Ms Wang Li says.

Having famous faces as customers has a downside, though. “People assume our services are expensive because we cater to stars, but our prices are reasonable,” says Mr Tan, adding that the celebrities make up only a small percentage of their client base.

The couple provide basic and full grooming services, with prices starting at $50 a session. The cost varies according to the needs and size of the pet.

A basic service includes a shower, blow-dry, ear cleaning, nail trimming and grinding, and shaving of the under paw and genital area. A full grooming session includes fur cutting.

 

Though the majority of pets that go to Justin The Groomer are dogs, he also grooms cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Ahead of festive seasons such as Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, Mr Tan receives around 10 to 15 bookings a day.

Depending on the type of service and the animal’s size, a full grooming service can take as long as five hours. “Blow-drying a standard poodle, a Chow Chow or a husky can sometimes take over an hour,” he says.

Dealing with fussy human clients can be as challenging as furry customers. “Some owners insist on giving their pets a certain style, like a look that is trending on TikTok, but they don’t know that their pets’ anatomies do not allow for that,” says Mr Tan.

He adds that some pets also have a fear of being groomed. In such instances, he explains, more time and effort is needed to calm the animal down.

While he loves his job, the work does get tiring, says Mr Tan, who is the sole person in the shop who can cut fur, as Ms Wang Li is not a certified pet groomer.

 

The animal-loving family also has two dogs – a three-year-old poodle and a one-year-old maltipoo – and two Siamese cats, which the Tans found abandoned at the void deck of their HDB flat. The cats live in their shop.

The couple hope to expand their business one day, but are satisfied with what they have now.

“It is difficult to find the right staff,” says Mr Tan.

Ms Wang Li adds: “Many people think being a pet groomer is easy, where you just play with the animals. There’s a lot of work and care needed. You need to have the passion and patience.”