Megan Swaney: Military life grooms her for business career

There were a few family dogs through the years, but none that Megan Swaney could call her own.

“I had been wanting my own dog since I was 6,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was 23 that I finally got one.”

Now, Swayze the Australian Shepherd is her constant companion.

Megan Swaney, with her trusted sidekick, Swayze.

Megan, 27, doesn’t have to wait for Take Your Dog to Work Day for them to be together. They are joined at the hip, sometimes up to 14 hours a day.

They put in those long hours on the Dirty Paws mobile dog grooming bus. And they have plenty of company, as 10-20 dogs a day come aboard to have their shaggy appearances transformed into best-of-show looks.

Megan has come a long way from a childhood of helping an aunt with her horses and dreaming of being a vet, to running her own business.

After graduating from La Porte High School in 2008, Megan knew college wasn’t for her. But she wasn’t quite sure which direction to follow. So she opted for adventure and joined the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I always wanted to travel, and I sure got that opportunity with the Coast Guard,” she said.

For four years, Megan enjoyed the sights in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. She also spent time in Florida, helping with cleanup efforts for the BP oil spill disaster.

Along the way, she gained several attributes that have helped her become a successful small business owner. Tops among them are a willingness to work hard and attention to detail.

“When you’re in the military, you can’t wake up and say, ‘Oh, I don’t feel like doing this today.’ You have a list of things to do every day and you are expected to complete them,” she said.

When she left the Coast Guard, a suggestion from a friend led Megan to begin learning the grooming trade at a shop in Spring. It didn’t hurt that she loved dogs.

While gaining additional experience with a groomer in Richmond, she began to retrofit an old church bus and made plans to launch a mobile grooming service.

“It’s been big in Houston for a while, but there really wasn’t much out this way,” said Megan, who lives in Beach City. “Still, it was scary at first, wondering if it would catch on, if I would do a good job, if people would like my work.”

There are no such worries today. About four years into the business, Megan has several employees, and they all keep busy.

Swayze's image is on a new grooming vehicle.

She drives to customers’ homes in Baytown and the surrounding area. Her helpers wash and blow-dry the dogs, and Megan takes care of the clipping and styling.

Some owners have multiple dogs. “One time I did about 10 dogs at a person’s house. It took about five hours,” said Megan, who also provides pet sitting and dog walking services.

You name a dog breed, and she has probably groomed it. Standard poodles and goldendoodles (golden retriever-poodle mix) are among the most challenging because of the detailed work involved.

“Dogs are like members of your family, so people are pretty particular about how they want them to look,” Megan said.

To keep pace with her business growth, she is putting the finishing touches on a second grooming bus.

“My ultimate dream is to build kennels so I can board dogs,” Megan said. “That’s why I’m working so hard now, so I can achieve that one day.”