Vicky Waltz
Groomer
Project Description

A journalist for 10 years, Vicky Waltz traded pencils and notebooks for scissors and clippers when she embarked on a new career path in dog grooming. Animals have always played an important role in her life. An only child, Vicky’s “siblings” were her pets: a border collie, cats, guinea pigs, and a very special sheltie named Abby who watched Vicky grow from an awkward 7-year-old to a slightly less awkward 23-year-old.

Vicky’s penchant for pigtails and sweet corn can likely be traced to her hometown of Wooster, Ohio, where Amish buggies are as common as pickup trucks. While earning her bachelor’s degree, Vicky worked as a cashier at a grocery store. The experience was so loathsome that she begged for a job in a friend’s grooming salon. Thus, Vicky spent the subsequent three years happily bathing dogs.

After graduating from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Vicky spent two years working at a small newspaper in rural Virginia before moving to Boston. She was a reporter for Boston University’s daily news Web site for nearly six years before resigning to attend grooming school. She graduated from the Massachusetts Academy of Canine Cosmetology in Newburyport and completed an apprenticeship under the tutelage of Kristi Baum, NDGAA-certified master groomer and owner of Designer Dog in Wooster.

Vicky has two dogs — a golden retriever named Bailey and yellow lab named Connor — as well as a cat named Nina. Bailey and Connor enjoy hiking and swimming. Nina likes to cuddle.

An avid hiker, Vicky has climbed 29 (and counting) of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-foot peaks. Since 2005, she has taken part in Wilderness Heals, a three-day pledge hike that benefits the Elizabeth Stone House, a domestic violence shelter in Boston. Other hobbies include reading, creative writing, biking, camping, and painting. Her dream is to one day move to Maine and write novels.

Favorite Fictional Dog: Falkor