How one muddy English Bulldog named Rooney inspired an unexpected career and brought Bloomingtails to Montclair.
Meet Rooney - The inspiration behind Bloomingtails
Sometimes the best business ideas begin with a carefully crafted plan. Other times, they begin with a very dirty dog.
For Miros Lopez-Ferrer, owner of Bloomingtails, it was the latter.
It all started in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, where her English Bulldog, Rooney, had enjoyed a wonderful afternoon getting absolutely filthy. Miros, exhausted and not especially eager to tackle bath time, did what any resourceful New Yorker would do. She Googled "bath for dogs."
What she discovered would change the direction of her life.
Until that afternoon, professional dog grooming wasn't even on her radar. But after walking into a nearby grooming salon, she was fascinated. She stayed for two hours while Rooney enjoyed his first professional bath, striking up a conversation with the salon owner that eventually led her to a grooming school in Manhattan.
Within two weeks, she was enrolled.
Fresh cuts. Fluffy tails. A few members of the Bloomingtails fan club.
From Dog Lover to Business Owner
Six months of training and several years of hands-on experience followed. Working in salons across New York City's five boroughs, she developed more than grooming skills. She discovered the importance of patience, trust, and treating every dog as someone's beloved family member.
When she and her husband decided to move to New Jersey to raise their family, her career took another unexpected turn.
During morning walks with her young daughter in Morris Plains, she regularly passed a grooming salon called Wash & Wiggle. One day, she walked through the door and asked for a job. That simple decision would eventually lead to ownership.
From 2017 to 2021, she worked at Wash & Wiggle, becoming a manager responsible for two locations and learning the business from the inside out. In January 2022, she became the proud owner of one of those locations, giving it a new name: Bloomingtails.
A graduate of the American Academy of Pet Grooming, Miros has continued her education with training in pet first aid and CPR, along with certifications in advanced skin and coat care and geriatric grooming. She also personally trains the groomers she hires, passing along both her technical skills and her belief that every pet deserves an individual approach. Whether welcoming a nervous first visitor or caring for an older dog, she adapts to each pet’s personality, temperament and comfort.
A New Chapter in Montclair
What began with one muddy Bulldog has grown into a business with two locations. Bloomingtails recently opened its newest salon in Montclair, marking another milestone in a journey built on a genuine love of dogs, years of experience, and a little entrepreneurial instinct.
And there's are a few particularly sweet details to this latest chapter: the Montclair salon opened on July 22, her daughter's 11th birthday.
Miros designed the Bloomingtails logo with the love of her dogs in mind. If you look closely at it, there are three dogs. Each dog is wearing a little bow tie, and each bow tie has a letter on it. Those letters represent the names of her very own pups who have inspired Miros on this entire journey.
From Rooney’s first bath in Queens to a new salon in Montclair, sometimes all it takes is a walk in the park. And a dog who really, really needs a bath.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Miros and Bloomingtails. We’re glad you’ve landed here. Consider this a round of a paws.
Ready for your pet’s close up? Visit Bloomingtails to explore grooming services and find booking information.