Emily Mullholland
By Amy Brown
Meet our member and English ambassador Emily
Mulholland! She has been creatively grooming in her salon
for the past 3 years but has only recently had the opportunity
to enter the ring for a creative competition. Before delving
into her creative beginnings, perhaps it would be best to
begin where all creative groomers start their careers.
Learning to Groom
Emily knew at a young age that she wanted to work with
animals, particularly dogs, but veterinary medicine was not
an appealing option to her. At the age of 16, she began
her grooming career by enrolling in a grooming course at a
local college. She spent three years in school, learning the
art and theory of dog grooming.
After one year dedicated to bathing and drying and a
second year learning to trim and style, Emily passed the
City and Guilds 7750 written exam, which is part of a
national certifying program for groomers. She spent her
third and final year in school working to pass the three
practical exams, earning her complete City and Guilds
7750 certificate in dog grooming.
After achieving her certificate in dog grooming, Em found
work with another groomer before a client recommendation
found her working for Just Paws Grooming in Shoreham,
England. Three years ago, she accepted a position as a
groomer at Just Paws, where she is now also the manager.
Entering the Ring
Outside of work, Emily competes in breed profile
competitions. Encouraged by friends who competed
regularly, she groomed a miniature schnauzer as her first
entry in 2007, winning best preparation. Another miniature
schnauzer, Princess, saw her win her first placement, 3rd,
the next year. Since then, she has placed in several different
competitions, including 1st for young groomer of the year
in her age group. “I was pipped to the post for the [overall]
title but I was happy for the girl who got it.” For those of us
not familiar with English slang, that means she came awfully
close to winning.
While Em has experience in the competition ring, it
wasn’t until this past June 13th at the English Groomers’
Competition that she competed in her first creative
challenge. For her very first creative competition, Em
groomed and styled one of her best clients, Dudley, as
Winnie the Pooh. Like so many creative groomers, Emily