Doc Halligan Blogs: Season 2 Finale

June 27, 2009

Okay, it's my final entry for season two! Both Huber and Lisa deserved to be in the finale because, in addition to being excellent groomers; they are true competitors. Huber has a tremendous amount of passion and had to clearly struggle to reach his life goals while Lisa is very determined and confident.

Huber had a major advantage in getting to pick which dogs to groom and that most likely helped determine the outcome. The finale was a lot of fun to shoot with a live audience and having Artist there was a real joy too! It was also fun to have the blind judging because it allowed us to focus on the grooming itself.

Charles the Cesky Terrier was, in my opinion, the best groomed dog of the night and because of Huber’s passion, commitment to excellence and integrity plus his grooming of both Glenda and Tyler, I ultimately chose him for Groomer of the Year.

Lisa is an amazing groomer, but I had a hard time with the fact that she didn’t try harder to trim Clancy’s nails even if she had to use a muzzle. If Clancy had reacted negatively to the muzzle, then that may have swayed my opinion because nail trimming is an absolute necessity when grooming a dog. That said it really was a hard decision because both groomers have what it takes to be Groomer of the Year but that particular night, Huber out-performed Lisa.

I may be biased but my favorite episode was still the shelter episode and hopefully we will be back to the spcaLA to groom another group of shelter dogs. It really does help those dogs get adopted and at the same time brings awareness to the thousands of dogs and cats in shelters that need loving homes.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you all and remember “Rescue a pet, save a life!”

Doc Halligan
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 11 -- Cut!

June 20, 2009

I loved this week’s quick sniff challenge and am thrilled that Danielle’s winning video is on Animal Planet's website for all to see (Click here to watch!). I've done a lot of emergency work as a vet and we routinely get in a dog or cat who has torn a nail because they are too long or because the nail has overgrown and is embedded in the pet's skin, which is really painful. I also see this in private practice at the clinic I work at on Sundays too! These vet visits can all be avoided with regular nail trims. Pet owners need to take the time to either learn how to trim their pets nails themselves or have a professional do it for them on a regular basis.

Now for the grooming challenge. I was disappointed that Daniele didn't get a leg-up for beating out Lisa and Huber but what can you do? Anyway, all three dogs looked great so it just came down to splitting hairs and personal preference with regard to AKC standard. I got emotional because after filming the shelter episode, I realized that all the groomers had a huge heart and really gave everything they had to groom those dogs, especially Huber, Lisa and Danielle. Therefore, it was really hard for me to have to send someone home because I think they are all WONDERFUL people and groomers.

We get a lot of matted, unkempt dogs at the shelter and while I can give them a bath and trim them down I cannot make them look as fabulous as a groomer can and my hat goes off to all groomers because you guys can make the difference between a pet getting a second chance at life or not! Bravo Groomers!

With that said, you will probably see the kooky side of Doc next week because we really have a lot of fun shooting this show! Watch next Saturday night beginning at 8PM e/p for a recap featuring highlights and never-before-seen footage from the season. Then, the final competition begins at 9PM e/p! Who will be Groomer of the Year? Tune-in to find out!

Doc Halligan
Rescue a pet, save a life!
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 10 - Green on the Go

June 13, 2009

My hat goes off to Huber who clearly pulled his weight in this week’s quick sniff challenge, which led to a big advantage for Lisa and Huber in the mobile grooming challenge! 

We were judging the groomers on time management, customer service and teamwork. Lisa was in her element with the mobile grooming and it showed how she really took charge and it was wise of Huber to take a back seat and not be competitive with her. Likewise, Danielle took charge of Ozzie the cat and did a great job considering that she had never groomed a cat before.

Last season, grooming cats really separated the pros from the pack and this season all four groomers took it in stride. I personally feel that the Groomer of the Year should be able to groom cats as well especially since there are 90 million cats in the United States compared with 88 million dogs!  I love both cats and dogs and I am an expert on Animal Planet's hit series Cats 101 and Dogs 101. The big myth that you can’t bathe a cat is completely false. I know because I have to groom or bathe cats all the time at the shelter so I’m glad the groomers had to bathe at least one cat this season!

Both teams had a lot of tension navigating the streets of Los Angeles and both were late, but Elizabeth seemed to be a very difficult client to please with Valentino. I was really impressed with Danielle’s ability to remember Valentino’s entire name. Unfortunately, Bill let Elizabeth’s constant worrying get to him when he should have just focused on the grooming. Because of that, he left significant undercoat in Valentino and was ultimately sent home.

I can promise you that next week’s episode gets very emotional and I was quite sad to have to send one of the top three home. Tune in to see all the drama and be sure to have a Kleenex! Talk to you next week!

P.S. Visit me at Virtual Vet!

Doc Halligan
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 9 - Look-alikes

June 06, 2009

Okay, it’s down to the fab five and I just loved this quick sniff challenge because it really shows you who has more of an eye for detail. Plus, it showed you how many purebred Basset Hounds are out there so kudos to Daphneyland for rescuing these beautiful creatures! Be sure to check out your local shelter (or Petfinder) even if you are looking for a purebred dog because about 25% of the dogs in the shelters are purebreds! Congratulations to Lisa for winning, and Huber for coming in second. I felt bad for Cassandra and learned that she never did find her dog and had to get some help locating him.

I also liked the grooming challenge to make the dog look like the owner. It’s funny because sometimes owners do start to look like their pets and visa versa. I remember, a few years back, wanting to dye my hair Auburn to match my beloved chocolate lab Duke’s color but the hair stylist talked me out of it. It's crazy how much you can love an animal!

Overall, I thought the groomers did a good job but Bill really stood out because, in addition to having fun, he used his grooming skills combined with his creativity to really knock us over with his sexy poodle Riva who looked like owner Vanessa from head to tail including the tummy and derriere! 

Again, I felt bad for Cassandra because she didn’t have a good rapport with Mike and didn’t seem to enjoy this challenge at all. And then, when Lisa swapped out Danielle for Huber it really stacked against her. Both Joey and I did feel bad sending her home because she has a lot of potential and I know she will go on to be a fantastic groomer!

I also want to take a moment to give a big THANK YOU to all of you folks who undeniably support rescuing from a shelter and showed so much interest in the shelter dogs from the last episode. We have had an outpouring of support and interest in general so it’s nice to see that people love to help the underdog!

Talk with you all next week and be sure to visit me at the Virtual Vet on Animal Planet -- and send me an e-mail or join my free email newsletter at www.dochalligan.com to stay in touch!

Doc Halligan
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 8 - Rescue Me

May 30, 2009

I may be biased but this was my favorite episode so far! It was also nice for a change not to have to send anyone home. I was really touched by all of the groomers, because although it was edited out, they all got very emotional visiting the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (spcaLA). Shelter animals can do that to you!

I have been a shelter vet for ten years now and I’m extremely proud to be part of such an amazing organization, which was started in 1877, whose mission statement is to be a voice for the animals. Every year, roughly 4 million animals are euthanized in our county because there are not enough homes, so please check out your local shelters because I can guarantee you there are some wonderful four-legged creatures just waiting for someone to take them home and become your friend for life.

I also want to take the opportunity to clear up a huge misconception with regards to donations. I think it can best be clarified if I quote my boss Madeline Bernstein, who is the president of spcaLA and said in a statement from this past April regarding an aggressively targeted Los Angeles marketing campaign from the ASPCA in New York. “There are many who mistakenly believe that aspca is an umbrella organization that channels funds to spcas across the country. This has never been the case and spcas all over the United States have to work constantly to make this clear. This is a matter of survival. Without funds, spcaLA and other spcas would not be able to serve the communities which they represent. The recent series of television commercials focusing on shelter animals is particularly successful in diverting funds from your spcaLA and other spcas in the surrounding area. Such national advertising can be misleading to the donors who often generously give under the impression that the funds will return to their home state or community, as is the case for many national charity models. But again, there is no national spca that distributes donations. Sadly, local animals are simply deprived of these funds.”

So if you really want to help animals in your community seek out your local spca. Please help spread the word to other pet lovers because in these hard economic times, non-profit agencies like the spcaLA are funded solely by donations and all of them have been hit hard due to the economy. Plus, there has been a 30% increase in animals being turned into the shelters across the country.

These shelter animals deserve a second chance at life and by volunteering or donating you can really make a big difference. If you want to follow the spcaLA you can do so on Twitter or Myspace and be sure to visit our website at www.spcaLA.com!

And kudos to all the two- and four-legged rescue workers who have made such a difference and have such a demanding job both physically and emotionally! It was truly an honor to work with Michael and hear his amazing story. Okay, I am getting emotional again so I will end with that but will talk with you all next week!

Thanks so much!

Doc Halligan
Director of Veterinary Services
spcaLA

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 7 - Piggies

May 23, 2009

Okay, I have a fondness for pot-bellied pigs so I thoroughly enjoyed watching them get cleaned up! Congratulations to Lisa and Marco as it did seem their pig was a handful and yet Kelly, who was judging them, said she felt like she could eat off that pig.

I didn’t like the cross-eyed comment made by Lisa as it seemed kind of mean-spirited to Xavier. Bottom line is whether you like us or not, we are all highly qualified to judge on this show and we always take it very seriously as far as who we are going to send home. What you see on TV is edited a certain way and yet a lot is often left out, because of time, that would show you more insight as to our thought process as far as judging goes.

I was really glad that the topic of obesity in pets was addressed. Over 40% of all cats and dogs these days are overweight so it has kind of become an epidemic mirroring what is happening with children and adults in our society. Obesity leads to a host of medical problems for pets while shortening their life span and increasing their vet bills. It was so sad to watch those poor dogs have to carry that extra load and to think what all that extra fat is doing to their hearts and limbs. Obesity is 100% preventable in pets, that is unless your pet can open the fridge and sneak late night sandwiches!

I liked the concept of anatomy grooming and was really impressed with both Lisa and Bill. Lisa made her dog, Jennifer, look slimmer and Bill definitely took a few pounds off his dog, Joey. I felt bad for Cassandra because I have never called her dumb, nor would I, so I was not sure where her insecurity was coming from. I actually think she is a talented groomer and was sorry to see her in the bottom two AGAIN. I think she let the fact that Marco picked her to lose 15 minutes of grooming time to get back at her affected her ability to groom Shadow properly.

Marco focused too much on payback and not enough attention to what we were judging them on, which was their ability to use their grooming tools to make the pet look leaner and give them a flattering look. I like the fact that Huber, who Lisa feels is her biggest threat, took losing the 15 minutes of grooming in stride. He has a winning attitude and it shows!

Next week’s episode will be my favorite because it was filmed at the shelter that I work at! YEAH!! Becoming a shelter vet has literally changed my life and given me a good project to focus on and that is to help reduce the number of animals that get euthanized in shelters from 4 million to zero. With that said, get ready to have Kleenex because I am sure it will be a tear jerker.

Doc Halligan
Director of Veterinary Services
SPCALA
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 6 - Old Dog, New Tricks

May 16, 2009

Lots of feelings got hurt with Cassandra and Vanessa both throwing Marco under the bus last week! I think I would be mad too, so let’s see if Marco steps up his game. I have to mention Nemo’s argyle sweater with hearts, sad to say but I think he has a better wardrobe than me. (Click here to rate Nemo's wardrobe!)

I loved the quick sniff challenge with the groomers teaching children how to groom on yarn dogs and old pro, Joey Villani, was quick to stress safety first. I wish we could have seen more of Joey interacting with the students and groomers. Bill won this challenge and what a win, because it gave him full immunity during the judging, which proved to be crucial for him this go around.

I have a special place in my heart for senior dogs because my chocolate Labrador, Duke, had a pacemaker put in when he was 12 years old. He lived another 15 months and I cherished every minute. If you’re lucky enough to take care of a senior dog, it can turn out to be some of the most cherished times with your pet.

I also loved the fact that all these dogs were rescue dogs in addition to being "sophisticated" as Joey called it! We were judging the groomers on their ability to make the dogs look younger and their ability to relate to senior dogs. The problem with Vanessa was that both Joey and I had no problem handling Skyler so we were somewhat perplexed that Vanessa had such a hard time grooming him. Vanessa chalked it up to her spirit guides not being available that day, but no matter what the situation, she was definitely ineffective with the challenge.

Kudos to both Danielle, for winning runner-up, and Huber for Best in Show of the night. I think both of these groomers demonstrate over and over their love of animals and I think the dogs pick up on it and that makes for a winning combination with their amazing grooming skills.

Janice Dickinson was wonderful to work with even though she has somewhat of a tough reputation. Her love of dogs and people was clearly evident. I even got emotional when she asked to give Cassandra a hug, I thought that was very compassionate!  Animals bring out the best in you if you let them.

Next week will be very entertaining with the pigs and the ensuing feud between Cassandra and Marco. I am sure he feels "one down and one to go!"

Submit your vet questions to me at Virtual Vet and I'll talk to you next week.

Doc Halligan
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 5 - Tying the Knot

May 09, 2009

First, I want to say that It was really great to have Artist on as a guest judge as he is truly an inspiration and a good guy! Be sure to tune in to watch his new show Beverly Hills Groomer, which premieres May 16th at 10pm on Animal Planet!

I thought the first ever Groomer Has It wedding was just adorable and Jai did a fantastic job officiating! For the quick sniff challenge, Danielle and Vanessa picked teams and Danielle’s team won the challenge, which gave her the leg up to not only pick which bridal party she wanted to groom but also to swap out team members and that created a lot of drama in the dog house!

Danielle is in it to win it and wisely decided to stack the odds in her favor by putting together what she felt was the power groomers on her team. But swapping out Cassandra for Huber caused Cassandra to take the swap personally, which could have had an impact on her grooming, but Cassandra rose to the occasion and did a great job with her dog Aston!

Lisa, also in it to win it, really took charge because of her confidence in grooming Scotties and her team members smartly listened to her. On the other hand, Vanessa, Jessica, Cassandra and Marco did not work well as a team in grooming the Westies and it showed in the grooming.

As judges we were judging them on the groom, style and the cut as well as how the dogs looked in their bridal outfits. Even though Danielle didn’t do her best groom overall, her team prevailed and won the challenge partly because of the difficulty in grooming the Scotties versus the Westies, so that risk paid off. Both Cassandra and Vanessa wanted to send Marco home but we felt that Jessica had the easiest dog to groom and took control by switching to a one blade which then affected the uniformity of the groom so we ultimately sent her home.

The tension is really building now between Marco and Cassandra and Vanessa, who wanted to send him home. Plus, Cassandra is still upset about Danielle trading her for Huber, so next week should prove to be very dramatic. In addition our guest judge is Janice Dickenson so you can expect the fur will fly!

In other news, check out Animal Planet's new Virtual Vet where I answer questions about your pet's health. Send in your questions!

Talk to you next week!

Doc Halligan
Rescue a pet, save a life!
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 4 - The Cutting Edge

May 02, 2009

Again, I have to say that Nemo stole the show with his space suit, space boots and sunglasses! Too cute for words!

The quick sniff challenge showed how important it is to really listen because Jai clearly stated that they were to invent a product that would help solve a common grooming problem for consumers and Marco, Cassandra and Jessica developed “run-a-buddy” that had nothing to do with grooming a Maltese at home, for example. Lisa, Bill and Danielle on the other hand did a great job and that gave them a significant leg up on the difficult grooming challenge for this episode.

In the elimination challenge using a vac-system, Lisa let her nerves take over with Hank and therefore didn’t groom to the best of her ability. Jessica needed to have more style for Redford because we were judging on balance and symmetry of the cut that was appropriate for the build of the dog.

Huber had never used the vac-system even though he is one of the most experienced groomers there and it showed on Choxie. Marco too had never used this system and had problems with Izzy’s face because of it. Cassandra admitted that her dog was not finished because she ran out of time and the results showed on Lizzie.

The biggest transformation was Thistle and Danielle who had never used a vacuum system before yet she had confidence and wasn’t intimidated to use a new grooming tool. The results were spectacular! Vanessa’s dog Cheri Bear looked good overall but lacked symmetry. What can I say about Bill? His dog looked awful and he let his lack of confidence get the best of him. He spent most of the time dematting his dog because Terri, the master groomer, said that you should comb out the dog first so he just got hung up on that and didn’t manage his time appropriately.

And as for Krista, she clearly stated that she had more experience with the vac-system than all the other groomers yet delivered a poorly groomed Sam and she ended up nicking the dog more than once, which ultimately cost her the competition.

Next week’s show will be sure to bring some chuckles as viewers get to see a doggie wedding with the bride wearing Vera Wag!!

Talk to you next week!

Doc Halligan
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”
www.dochalligan.com

Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 3 - Deep Breaths

April 26, 2009

I want to start out by saying that I absolutely adore Joey and have nothing but the utmost respect for him not only as a groomer but as a person too! Sometimes the editing in the show makes it seem as though we don’t get along, but I assure you we always have each other’s backs and really strive to encourage vets and groomers to work as a team to serve the better interests of their pets. Joey is by far one of the best groomers I have come across in my twenty years of practicing and it’s quite a privilege to be on a judging panel with him!

Again, one of the reasons I enjoy being part of this show is that it educates pet owners on all different aspects of their pet's well-being. For example, I routinely massage both my cats and find that it can offer all the benefits to pets that massage does for people like increasing your feeling of well-being, improving your immune system and helping prevent muscle strains or injuries. Good job Huber and Marco!

For the elimination challenge, the groomer’s job was to give the owners exactly what they wanted, "no more, no less ... just perfection", according to Jai. So this elimination was pretty straight forward because, although I liked the idea of putting a little bit of color on Flippy and do think it would attract women, the cardinal rule in grooming is never use color unless you ask first.

I had a lot of respect for Sherri, who owned up to the fact that she made the decision to tip Flippy’s tail green. Having the owners watch the grooming via the secret "Salon Vision" camera was an added surprise and had many of the groomers very nervous, which brings up another point that you really shouldn’t talk smack about your clients no matter how neurotic they are.

Kudos to Krista for really committing to this challenge and singing to Roswell the entire time, even though it drove many of the other groomers crazy. Veterinary Medicine involves a tremendous amount of customer satisfaction too just like grooming a dog and can ultimately be the reason why an owner changes vets or groomers.

This show is going to designate someone, “Groomer of the Year” and therefore we as judges always have that in the back of our minds.  Keep watching because the competition really heats up and there are definitely some twists and turns just around the corner!

If you need some vet advice please check out my website www.dochalligan.com and feel free to ask me any question!

Best,

Doc Halligan
“Rescue a pet, save a life!”