David Ulery-Hart had been grooming dogs as a side job for almost 20 years, but it wasn't until the pandemic hit that he decided to turn it into a permanent career.

"I was a server and I lost my job and I needed something to do," he told the Mount Vernon News. "And that's when I decided to do (dog grooming) full-time as my own business."

Far from being a whim, Ulery-Hart's business proposition was based on extensive training — first with the PetSmart chain, where he started out washing dogs and completed a three-month training program. Beyond that, he worked for 15 years as an apprentice with a show-dog groomer.

Now, as the owner of a home-based business, Professional Pet Grooming, Ulery-Hart says the creative aspect of dog grooming holds his interest.

"(I like) being able to take something — like a dog, for example — that is in need of a cosmetic makeover and make it what you can visualize in your head," he said. "So there's always a spark there to try something new."

To assist with scaling up his former side job into a primary career, Ulery-Hart decided to move the business out of his home and into commercial space. That's when he spotted a 'For Sale' sign outside a building he had been passing by for many years.

"I've always been in love with it," he said. "And one day it went up for sale. So I spoke with the gentleman who owns it and we came to an agreement for a lease-purchase."

Located at 330 Wooster Road in Mount Vernon, the building is spacious enough to house six self-serve dog washing stations plus grooming facilities. To make his dream a reality, however, will require $35,000 to $40,000 of interior renovations. Hence, he launched a GoFundMe campaign to obtain funds.

Asking for crowdfunding during a pandemic is counterintuitive, but Ulery-Hart is confident the unique business model will lure donations.

"I decided to reach out to the community to see if they would be willing to help," he explained. "Mount Vernon does not have its own self-serve dog wash. So I started the GoFundMe just to see if people would be willing to help."

To view the GoFundMe page, visit https://gf.me/u/zazd7s. Donors wishing to contribute by checks should address them to Professional Pet Grooming, 620 Fairgrounds Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050.