Elizabeth Wack never waited for life to hand her a perfect opportunity. Instead, she created it herself.
With a love for all animals and determination to become her own boss one day, Wack turned her dreams into reality at only 23 years old. Alongside her younger sister Rebecca she launched Puptown Girls, a dog grooming business stationed in their childhood home and created based on their shared empathy and care for dogs.
“She always loved and was interested in animals,” said Douglas Wack, her father. “As a kid, she wanted to go to every petting zoo, petting safari and pet store she could find. I’ve always had my own business too, which I think all influenced her.”
Growing up homeschooled by her parents, Wack learned early on how to be independent and to work for herself.
Realizing her dream for dog grooming wasn’t an overnight achievement.
She spent a couple of years right after earning her high school diploma, studying at the Merryfield School of Pet Grooming, which give her the knowledge needed to accomplish her visions. Wack spent an additional year in schooling to earn a certification in teeth scaling which is a rare and specialized skill.
“Teeth scaling helps prevent problems such as periodontal disease and can increase your pet’s life by 20%, yet it’s a service that many groomers don’t offer,” she said.
Puptown Girls launched in July, 2023. They transformed a bedroom in their Margate home into a grooming space. The Wack family worked hard as a team to clear it out, paint, install new flooring, decorate and set up the expensive but necessary equipment.
“I would suggest investing in high-quality products for your salon, and to tell yourself that no matter which business you are working in that any monetization goes right back into the business because especially with a smaller business you won’t make a profit for a couple years,” said Wack. “However, it will all pay off in the end.”
Every move Elizabeth Wack makes is for her business.
While she is highly focused for her company’s growth, she also works at Tijuana Taxi Co, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Coral Springs. To Wack, waitressing is simply short-term as every shift and paycheck helps fund her dream.
The job not only helped her save, but also helped find clients among the regulars.
“I was a very frequent patron at Tijuana Taxi, during this time I would speak to Lizzie as my server, she spoke to me about going to school for grooming with her sister, Becky,” said their first client, Robert Schaefer. “From there, they were finishing school, so I asked for a card and told them once they were settled, that I would more than happy to support their business.”
This connection between clients means a lot to Puptown Girls. Both sisters work hard to create a good experience for not just the animals but the owners who come to visit, as well.
Beyond the money and concentrative time both girls put in, Wack also puts in a lot of time catering to clients’ schedules. Her days start early, taking care of her own pets, and often end late, grooming dogs for clients.
“Working around each other’s schedules has for sure been the biggest challenge,” she said. “I must find availability that fits not just me, but my sister, and the clients as well, which can be very difficult.”
Wack’s customers appreciate the time, effort, affordable prices and personable style that she brings to the business.
“The only difference is at other places, they take my dog and shove him in a room while I am paying and checking in,” said longtime friend and new client, Josefina Aparicio. “I can’t be able to be with him, and will only hear him whining and barking. But with Puptown Girls, I can stand there with my dog and pet him while we are checking in, and this says a lot about who they are.”
Wack has big dreams for Puptown Girls. She plans on expanding her company’s reach with a mobile truck and even hiring new employees.
“Our biggest goal and the biggest reason we are saving so much money right now, is for our mobile vans so that we can serve different and more people inside of newer counties,” said Wack. “This can be convenient for everybody.”
