Hello! My name is Kaori Phippen. I was born in Japan, and grew up with an Akita and two golden retrievers. My parents say that our Akita took care of me from the time I was a newborn, and our golden retrievers were like my sisters. We spent all of my teenaged years together. Being with dogs is a natural thing in my life.

I attended Obrin University in Tokyo, where I studied cultural anthropology and museum studies. After graduation I worked at a school for adult education.

The first time I considered being a professional dog groomer was after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

After the earthquake, my family evacuated my hometown and came to stay with my husband and me in Tokyo. They also brought our golden retriever. She was quite old and under a lot of stress, and our apartment building did not allow pets. Fortunately, there was a small family-owned pet hotel and spa nearby.