Wüf Pet Spa
Jessie and Jonny Casey are the founding owners of Wüf Pet Spa, a boutique pet grooming business that started on Race Street in 2019, just as renovations on the street were taking off. Shortly thereafter, Spruce Nail Shop, High Five Salon, and Pho Lang Thang would all open their doors, making for a bustling, walkable strip of unique businesses all on one block.
However, starting a business in the Findlay Market District wasn’t on Jessie and Jonny’s bingo card for 2019. They were visiting the Market for the very first time, happened to peek in an empty storefront next door to Deeper Roots Coffee, and immediately started dreaming up what they could turn the space into.
They took a leap of faith when they started Wüf Pet Spa six years ago. They had a toddler and a baby on the way when they celebrated their grand opening. “Our son, Roman, was born six days after we opened, so it was a really hectic time to start a business,” Jessie says. “But when we came down here and saw that this space was available, we knew it would be dumb to not take it. It was the perfect location. I’m not sure it would’ve flourished into what it is today if it wasn’t for the Market and all the foot traffic.”
By starting their own business, the Caseys have complete control over the environment in their shop, opting for a kennel-less, one-on-one experience for the dogs. This decision is clearly made in favor of the dogs’ wellbeing, as many large groomers put profits before pups, accepting dozens of dogs each day and kenneling them for hours at a time with subpar care. The grooming staff at Wüf is a testament to the positive impact the business model has had on them as well as the dogs they service.
“Our groomers will have come from another shop to work at Wüf and they’re doing half of the appointments that they’re used to doing and they’re able to actually focus on the craft and not be rushing every dog on their table,” Jessie says.
Wüf Pet Spa operates with a small but mighty team of 10 (grown from a team of just 2 in 2019!) between their Findlay Market and Fort Thomas locations, and they offer a variety of specialized grooming services including breed standard grooming, custom color, and hand-stripping, which has become something of a lost art. Everyone on their staff falls into a niche where they excel, including Jessie and Jonny.
Jessie enjoys grooming smaller dogs, like the Bichon Frise, to their breed standard. She has shown her two Bichons in American Kennel Club competitions before, and truly enjoys working with the breed. If it were up to her, her books would be filled with Bichons. Jonny enjoys adding unique elements to maintenance cuts, and is the only groomer at Wüf Pet Spa that specializes in cording, a breed standard style for long-haired dogs like Komondors, Pulis, and Bergamasco Sheepdogs.
Both Jessie and Jonny find their work incredibly rewarding, even when it’s challenging. Here and there they get dogs on their grooming tables who have very complex matting, and the staff at Wüf is very careful to walk through all the options for their clients. “I think our business stands out because we try to take the time to talk to our clients about what they want done, and whether or not we can meet their needs. We don’t just shave your dog, send you off, and say ‘Sorry! Better luck next time,’” Jessie says.
It’s not uncommon for the groomers at Wüf Pet Spa to work with clients throughout their lives. “A lot of our dogs we’ve been seeing for seven, eight years. We see them through their passing, and their parents still message us, ‘We miss you guys. We loved going there.’” Jonny shares.
Since opening, Wüf Pet Spa has truly become an integral part of the Findlay Market community. Because of their no-kennel policy, most of their clients' owners wait next door at Deeper Roots or BanaSun Smoothie Bar, or grab groceries from the Market while their dog is being groomed. “People that maybe have never been to Findlay Market came down to see us and they were like, ‘Oh! This place is really cool. Now I want to come every Sunday and get groceries here.’ We’ve enjoyed helping the community grow.”
Published: February 2025