Team Spotlight Series: Episode 2 - Meet Kerri Staines, Our Assistant Academy Manager

Welcome back to our Teacher Spotlight Series!

At Groomarts, we’re fortunate to have a team packed with talent, experience, and passion. This series gives you a peek behind the curtain, so you can get to know the amazing individuals who help shape our community—not just as professionals, but as people.

This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Kerri Staines – our Assistant Academy Manager, Teacher and Assessor.

Kerri is the epitome of patience and skill, with a wealth of grooming experience that stems from her training right here at Groomarts and her real-world experience. Known affectionately as our "dog whisperer," she’s the first person we turn to when faced with challenging pups. Her calm demeanour and expertise make her an invaluable member of our team.

Ready to learn more about what makes Kerri so incredible? Let’s jump into the Q&A and uncover their story!

Q: What do you love most about Groomarts? 

A: What I love the most about Groomarts is meeting new people and seeing their development skills grow throughout the course.  

Q: What inspired you to join Groomarts? 

A: I loved working in my shed at home but I was lonely so when a teacher position came up I applied as I loved the ‘family’ vibes here.

Q: Tell us about a professional success story that you’re proud of? 

A: I am proud of my grooming success but something I tell everyone when they come here, is how proud I am when I trained a guide dog when I was 18 years old, he was a golden retriever and his name was Google. 

Q: Tell us something about professional development journey? 

A: I studied at Groomarts 4 years ago and now I am a teacher :) 

Q: What’s one of the strangest things that’s happened whilst working here?

A: Nothing strange as such but I have had some strange stories from ex-students about their past jobs.

Q: What do you think is the most importantly skill that a professional groomer needs? 

A: Patience is key when working with dogs, you get all sorts come through the salon you get ones that just stand there, to the wriggly ones and the ones that want to bite (they are my fave).

Q: What are the important lessons you’ve learnt in your career? 

A: I’ve learnt that people just want their dogs to be loved and cared for and to look clean and pretty and not always perfection, that’s what we’re looking for. 

Q: What would you constitute a perfect day? 

A: Having down days where I am with my family, fiancé and my dogs.

Q: What is your passion? 

A: Anything to do with dogs, I love a naughty dog and figuring out what their triggers are and to make the grooming process as positive as possible.

Q: What did you want to be growing up? 

A: I wanted to become a vet at first, I have always been into animals mostly dogs from such a young age and it was a no brainier that I would be doing something with them.

 Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

A: Family time, it is really important to me as I have A LOT of nieces and nephews to share my love around.

Q: What’s something surprising that not many people know about you? 

A: I love to sing but I am shy at singing in front of people, so I sing in my shower aha.

Q: Tell us something that you’ve always wanted to try or learn? 

A: I have always wanted to go skiing or snowboarding but I have been always too frightened to do it.

Q: Do you have any funny stories to share both in and outside of work? 

A: When I first met my fiancé, I had too much to drink and was in his mum and dads house sitting on the floor scratching their dogs bums….they had 7 at the time.

Stay tuned for the next episode of our Team Spotlight Series – you won’t want to miss who’s taking the hot seat next!