They are widely known and recommended by many veterinarians throughout Maryland.

3. Parking Accessibility
You may park in front of the store on Conkling Street or along the side on Fleet Street. When parking is not available on the street, a large public metered lot is available one block away in the 3700 block of Fleet Street behind Carrollton Bank's parking lot, directly across the street from the Royal Farm Store. The short walk allows dogs to relieve themselves before grooming. Please exercise your animal before coming in. Warning: Customers who park illegally either on the street or at an expired parking meter for just a few minutes are often ticketed.

4. Our Special Techniques
Did you know that anyone can own and operate a pet grooming business? There are no state board exams to pass and no formal training is required, unlike other skilled professions.

Groomers vary greatly in blade choices, scissoring, and overall techniques. Some groomers are clumsy, awkward, and even dangerous when grooming pets.

When you take your animal into a grooming shop, you place your trust in that establishment. Do you really know if your pet is in the best hands? Will your pet be handled with finesse? Will he be sudsed over every area of his skin and rinsed thoroughly? Will the groomer use the right pressure when brushing or applying clippers to the skin? Will he or she be careful not to bruise the animal or not to cut the skin folds, moles, loose skin, bony areas, or other skin irregularities? Good grooming takes time. Will the groomer spend enough time scissoring and clipping your pet to provide the best finish? Will the staff be alert to your animal's needs or be preoccupied with frivolous matters? Will they take the extra time needed for young animals or older ones with arthritis or other ailments? Will grooming be a pleasant experience for your animal or it will leave an otherwise well-behaved animal with emotional trauma? With today's high cost of maintaining an animal, including the cost for veterinarians, why would anyone compromise on grooming and settle for less than they and their pets deserve? At Lucky 3 Pet Grooming, we accommodate customers who wish or need to stay with their pets. We offer advice on the basics of proper brushing and bathing. Beverly and I, because of our skill and experience, can offer the top-quality procedures described below.

A complete grooming for each small to medium sized animal takes approximately 2 hours. However, this may not include extensive drying time. When planned for, we can completely groom and bathe pets within a few hours of arrival. Be aware, however, we cannot groom all animals at the same time if they all arrive at once. We blow-dry soft coats by hand for extra beauty and comb and hand-scissor the fur many times for a smooth, even finish. We prefer not to take shortcuts and provide 2 to 4 times more labor per animal than many other shops.

We use a generous amount of shampoo in combination with a stimulating massage and, when needed, allow pets with parasites or skin disorders to soak in specialized shampoos for maximum benefits. We wash pets in a large, stainless steel tub designed for animal bathing, not in some makeshift device.

We vacuum clipped pet hair often to prevent parasite transmission to other pets. In addition, for parasite-infested animals, special procedures are enforced. We exterminate the area  thoroughly during and after grooming and quickly contain and dispose of all contaminated hair.

Because of our skill, experience, and use of unbroken clipper blades, we rarely nick an animal. We change clippers every 2 minutes to prevent clipper burns and have an ample stock of clipper blades to further ensure safety. We don't skimp on grooming equipment when your animal's welfare is concerned.

Handling nervous animals is one of our specialties. At Lucky 3 Pet Grooming, we are rarely bitten because of our many years of experience. Our customers feel confident that their pets are in the safest hands.

Although we request prior notice, we try to accommodate spontaneous requests for grooming. However, we appreciate customers who schedule grooming in advance. Regular customers may receive discounted prices.

At Lucky 3 we have groomed generations of family pets. There is a reason why customers travel many miles to us when other grooming shops are literally right around the corner from where they live.

The staff at Lucky 3 Pet Grooming are seasoned and well-experienced groomers. We believe that we provide customers with the best overall service, personal attention, quality, and safety possible for the best prices and value.

5. Have You Ever Seen a Dog in Drag?
Our wall mural with dog cartoons has become a famous landmark with an exciting history and is of great interest to the general public...especially pet owners. This current work is the third collection of original and unique cartoons located on the side of the Lucky 3 building. It was featured on the front page of the Baltimore Sun on October 31, 1995. Although it sounds easy and fun to create these murals, it was, in fact, very difficult. Research and planning with input from numerous friends and employees took over a year. Then a search was instigated to find an artist capable of making the vision a reality. Hundreds of sketches were submitted, and it took 5 years of interviewing countless artists to select the one with the ability to create this project. Every detail was scrutinized, even the colors. Only the finest artwork was selected and copyrighted to grace the side of the pet grooming shop.

Is that really Elvis, Marilyn, Dorothy from Kansas, or that famous piano player, or are they really dogs impersonating celebrities? Ingenious canine characters (such as the Miss America dog, the sleepy before-work-drop-off dog, the aerobics dog, and others) comprise the completed wall mural.

Previously, the second mural in the series was the inspiration for the John Waters' movie Hairspray. In this movie, Ricki Lake's character, along with her mother (who was played by Divine) and her father (portrayed by Jerry Stiller), lived in the knotty-pine-paneled apartment upstairs.

6. Pet Supplies and Fantastic Deals
Lucky 3 Pet Grooming offers you one of the largest selections of dog and cat supplies available with more than half of our products on sale. We buy fresh supplies from all over the United States and get many special deals and closeouts at great prices. The following items are generally available. However, we cannot guarantee the availability of all merchandise, especially closeout deals.
Lupine Lifetime Product Guarantee
* Lupine will replace any damaged leash, collar, or harness (even if chewed).

Half-Price Deals
* Dog Cages
* Stainless steel dishes
* Cat toys
* Large variety of pet balls
* Squeaky toys
* Pet beds
* Wild bird feeders
*Cat scratching post
 

Closeout Deals
* Dog house 50% off
* Dog self-feeder 60% off
* Shampoo-eeze grooming gloves usually $18, closeout $4.99
* Pet shampoos



Miscellaneous Sale-Priced Items
* Stain and Odor Removers
* Pooper Scoopers
* Brushes
* Breath Treats
* Scoop Away Cat Litter
* Pet Coats and Sweaters
* Dematting Products
* Pet Carriers
* Dog Chains
* Catnip
* Creme Rinses
* Cat Scratching Posts
* Products for Skin Itching
* Pet Hair Removers
* Pet Toothpaste and Brushes
* Sun and Moon Glo Collars and Leashes
* Lemon Disinfectant and Cleaner -- makes 256 gallons
* Dog Cookies: Peanut Butter, Carob, Vanilla, Duplex, etc.
* Flea and tick products
* Cologne


Specialty Items
* Nail Trimmers
* Dog Muzzles
* Pill Dispensers
* ID Tags
* Pet Picture Frames -- A Great Gift -- $10 Your Choice!
* Comic dog and cat door mats (example: "This is not a joke. If you ever want to see these people again, bring me 5 lbs. of fresh tuna in a plain brown bag." --The Cat) $16
.......And other items

7. Activities for "While-U-Wait" Grooming
As an extra incentive to keep our valued customers who travel more than two miles returning for service, whenever possible we offer immediate service upon arrival with prior notice.

The following points of interest are suggestions for customers who remain in the area while their pets are being groomed. Bring your shopping list. Within walking distance, you can probably get all of your household needs at great prices. A food market, Patterson Park, banks and a public library are all within walking distance of Lucky 3 Pet Grooming. Have your own hair cut and styled in Highlandtown, known as the "Hairdressing Capital," with many salons. In all, there are about 250 businesses in our surrounding area.

For dining, try Spartan's or Filippo's a block or two away. Both have specials. The Eastern House offers more expensive fare. A short drive east from Conkling and Fleet Streets brings you to Greek Town, featuring Ikaros and Acropolis Restaurants. In the other direction, you can reach the Sip 'N Bite Restaurant for great home-style meals. Have you been to Canton lately? It's the "place to be" with numerous retail and eating establishments.

One mile towards downtown is Fells Point, which offers a market, dining, stores, and a shopping plaza. About a mile farther brings you to the Inner Harbor, and a little farther are the Downtown and Lexington Market areas. About two miles east in the county is Eastpoint Mall, with approximately 100 stores, including Value City, Sears, and J. C. Penney.

Some customers can take the opportunity to visit relatives who live in Highlandtown or the surrounding areas.

8. Traveling Times
Depending upon traffic, you are only about 5-30 minutes away from our Highlandtown location if you are traveling from the following areas:

Baltimore City West
Blair/Edison
Brooklyn Park
Cherry Hill
Downtown Baltimore
Dundalk
Edmondson Village
Essex
Federal Hill
Guilford
Hampden
Mt. Washington
Parkville
Pikesville
Pimlico
Reisterstown Road Plaza
Roland Park
Sparrows Point
Towson


Call for easy directions.

We also have customers who travel from these and other areas:
Aberdeen
Arbutus
Chase
Cockeysville
Elkridge
Elkton
Ellicott City
Frederick
Gaithersburg
Glen Burnie
Hunt Valley
Maryland and DC suburbs
Owings Mills
Pasadena
Perry Hall
Randallstown
Reisterstown
Timonium
Woodlawn




9. Excerpts and Grooming Tips From Our Book
Dog Grooming & Pet Care: Doing It With Style was written by David Walter, the owner of the Lucky 3 Pet Grooming Shop. The following are excerpts from this book.

"Imagine a world in which people attend to their personal grooming only during the warm season, believing that in cold weather they may have a 'vacation' from trips to the barber or beauty shop and that they no longer need baths or shampoos! By Spring, this would no longer be a world of Beautiful People." - from "Cold Weather Grooming"

"Long nails interfere with the dog's natural stride and may cause unnecessary pressure on the delicate bones of the feet. These long nails may eventually cause foot spread, flattening of the foot, and/or crooked nail growth." - from "Nail Care"

"Parasite infestations can quickly reoccur unless treatment of both the animal and its quarters is undertaken SIMULTANEOUSLY. A thorough vacuuming or sweeping of the house and the pet's sleeping quarters is helpful to remove flea or tick eggs and larvae, as well as the lint, dust, and debris that the flea larvae feed upon." - from "Parasites: House & Yard Treatment"

"The style your dog receives from a grooming shop will depend on the creativity of the dog groomer and his experience with different styles and textures." - from "Creative Styling"
Copyright(c) 1982 by David Walter

Here are some issues that are addressed in the book:
* Do you know all the ways to get rid of fleas and ticks?
* What causes skin irritation from grooming?
* What are the benefits and disadvantages of different hairstyles?
* Understand what professional grooming is all about and how it affects your pet.
* Learn how to handle uncooperative pets with easy methods, and how to give medication, clean ears, and cut nails.
* Read original and overlooked answers to many problems that were previously "lived with" or not recognized.
Loads of information on many different topics, with over 100 pictures and cartoons, and 56 chapters for easy and enjoyable reading for everyone. Learn to prevent problems before they occur. This is valuable knowledge you'll retain through your lifetime. If you own a dog, you should own this book! It makes an excellent gift for yourself, for family members, or a friend. Buy your copy from us today.

We welcome new customers and their pets, as well as our regulars, to Lucky 3 Dog and Cat Grooming. When safety, experience, good service and quality grooming are your most important concerns, call 410-276-6666 for an appointment. We look forward to seeing you