New VetSkill approved centre: Best Friends!
VetSkill is overjoyed to welcome another approved centre to our community: Best Friends. This newly opened dog grooming and training specialist operates as a remote classroom under VetSkill approved grooming school, Career Hounds.
Based in Gatley, Cheadle, Cheshire, Best Friends is led by highly qualified groomer and educator Pam Rowley, who has interwoven dog grooming into her life for over 30 years. Pam is a remarkable role model, having served as an assessor, verifier and exam writer for grooming qualifications, alongside managing the salon and training school. She is joined by groomers Lee and Caitlin at Best Friends, who contribute to the centre’s welcoming and professional learning environment.
Aspiring dog groomers can now begin their career journeys with Best Friends, receiving hands-on training and assessments to achieve any of the following VetSkill regulated qualifications:
Training at Best Friends is designed to build a true reflection of a professional groomer’s day-to-day work, covering a range of breeds in the working salon. The school specialises in one-to-one tuition, with no more than two students at a time, ensuring an exceptional, personalised learning experience.
Terri Hardwick, Centre Manager at Career Hounds, comments on the exciting development and Pam’s involvement:
“I’m incredibly proud to have our new remote classroom at Best Friends in Cheadle approved by VetSkill. This marks such an exciting step forward for us. The VetSkill qualifications align perfectly with our vision to empower learners who are taking their first leap into the grooming industry by giving them the chance to train in a real working salon while still having the support, guidance, and confidence‑building environment they need to thrive.
“Working with Pam Rowley is a huge privilege, not just for the learners but for me as well. She brings an extraordinary level of expertise, authenticity, and heart to Career Hounds. With her decades of grooming experience, behavioural knowledge, and respected industry leadership, learners gain a depth of insight that simply isn’t possible in a traditional college setting.
“Best Friends offers the perfect blend of real‑world immersion and structured qualification; a truly supportive, inspiring pathway for anyone beginning their grooming career, and one that aligns beautifully with the high standards we uphold at our main centre.”
VetSkill is thrilled to support Career Hounds’ expansion and looks forward to receiving the first qualification claims from Best Friends.
Learn more about VetSkill’s qualifications here. For further information on becoming an approved VetSkill centre, please visit: Become a Centre — VetSkill. Kiera from the VetSkill Quality Assurance Team will be in contact to arrange an initial meeting to discuss the process and provide support and guidance throughout.