Groomer is Doggone Good at Pampering Pets and People at Broken Arrow Landmark

By BOB LEWIS
Contributing Editor

Doggie D’Tails by Karen is a Broken Arrow landmark because of the skill of its employees and the commitment to outstanding customer service of its owners, David and Karen Green.
To meet customer demand, the operation has grown from one small pet grooming and boarding shop into an 11,600-square foot complex at 407 N. Aspen that has 5,000 square feet of dog and cat boarding space and 2,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor play yards devoted to its Doggie Daycare along with a 1,000-square-foot salon where five professional groomers expand upon the level of excellence that continues to earn them rave reviews and professional dog show awards.
David Green manages the boarding and daycare aspects of the business. Karen is responsible for the front desk and all grooming activities.
To call this a true family-owned operation would be an understatement. Over the years, the Greens’ five children and 18 grandchildren have all held various positions in the business. Carrying on this tradition, son, Chris, operates two grooming shops in Roanoke, Virginia. A son-in-law has his own construction company and has been responsible for the building and extensive remodeling required to make Doggie D’Tails what it is today.
In many ways, this is a classic American success story.  But the event that made it all possible is a story in itself.

A longtime resident of Broken Arrow, Karen learned to groom animals while working in her mother’s business. Going out on her own, she opened her first shop at 1417 E. Kenosha in September of 2007. The North Aspen location began accepting customers in November 2013.

Less than a year after that opening, a client accidently drove through the Kenosha store, damaging its retail and bathing areas. That incident coupled with the desire of a neighboring restaurant to expand convinced the Greens the time had come to consolidate their operations a few miles to the west.
In addition to first-class people and facilities, the owners say one of the biggest reasons for their success is the attention paid to all of their two-legged and four-legged clients.
“We focus on what is best for the safety and comfort of pets as well as what their owners are looking for in an ultimate pet care experience,” Karen says. The fact the shop has very little groomer turnover adds a level of consistency that is rare in this industry.
Over the years, Doggie D’Tails personnel have clipped and quaffed just about every size, shape, color and breed of canine imaginable. Holding the record for the shop’s largest client to date is a dog rescued by an employee of the Tulsa Zoo. Despite its “terrible physical condition when it first came in,” it weighed in at close to 200 pounds. The smallest was a Miniature Yorkie that tipped the scales at not quite three pounds.
As to the future, Karen says she and David have a dream of someday adding a professional veterinary clinic to their environment.
“It is a step toward the one-stop shopping advantage we would like to be able to offer our customers. God has blessed us in so many ways beyond our wildest dreams,” she said. “If it is meant to be, He will let it happen.”