A Cut Above

Setting The Record Straight From A Client w/ Special Needs

by Buddhagirl425 at Citysearch

This is a real story with a very real little shih tzu named Molly who was plagued with countless health problems since the day I took her home. In retrospect, and now having been a very experienced dog owner, I suspect that Molly probably came from a puppy mill. With all her health problems she never complained, and I vowed never to give up on her and to give her the best life possible while she was in my care here on Earth.

When I first brought Molly in to ACA, Ming immediately became genuinely concerned about the condition of Molly's skin, ears, and inflamed paws. She asked where I had gone and who had I seen. The regular vet and the "specialist" had done very little to help Molly's condition which continued to escalate. Ming referred me to Dr. Heather Peikes, a TRUE specialist and someone who would change both my and Molly's life in the best way possible. Ming helped save Molly's life and I will always be grateful and loyal to her for that reason. From that day on, Ming and Jose ( her loving groomer) would become actively involved in Molly's well being and care. Along with Dr. Peikes, all of us would communicate as to what treatments were working and which were not. Molly had to be handled incredibly gently and needed special shampooing and conditioning that had more than the usual stages. Her ears needed more protection and attention while bathing. Special solution had to be put in her ears following the bath to help with the ear infections. It was a very involved process that Ming, Jose and the entire staff at ACA would do for many years to come. They never saw Molly as a burden or charged me more for all the extra attention Molly needed. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Everyone loved Molly and were always happy to see her. They cared for her as if she were their own. They would call and check in with me after important appointments and surgeries through the years- always wanting updates on Molly and her health.

Molly went from hating groomers from her previous experiences to prancing right in to ACA for her day of beauty. Jose was always so patient with me and Molly in getting her pony tails exactly right and for Molly to stay still. Yes dogs move around and fidget and unfortunately get nicked some times while being groomed. No one at ACA would EVER mishandle an animal there intentionally. If for any reason something small like that did happen the staff would always be upfront about it when returning the animal to the parent. They have nothing to hide which is why the salon is behind a glass partition for all to see what great work they do. If there is something you don't like...no problem- they fix it until they get it right and everyone is happy. Free brushings in between grooming appointments for the health of the animal- who does that?? Ming does, because that is what is best for the pet. Ming and her staff TRULY care about the animals and that is all a loving parent could ask for when leaving their loved one in another person's care. Go there and see for yourself.

My dear little Molly passed away this past spring after post -op complications. When the difficult decision had to be made, Molly and I said our goodbye's to those closest to her and she went one last time to get her hair done. I bathed her at home and held her as Jose groomed her before she went to Heaven. That day there was much emotion, support, I'm sorry's, and tearful goodbye's at ACA and Dr. Peikes' office. Molly's life would have been a very different story if it wasn't for them. It is no surprise that other than my family, the people that checked in with me the most after Molly passed were Dr. Peikes and Jose. So..now you know the kind of person Ming and Jose and the people at ACA are like and how the business is run. It is a rare and beautiful slice of NYC life that Molly and I were so happy to be a part of for so many years.

Rest in Peace My Dear Little Molly. We all miss you.

Do not bring your pet here no matter what!

by RachelsClub22 at Citysearch

I just read the reviews on this page and I'm not sure how I hadn't heard about this place before. I really wish someone had told me. The local vet offices should warn new dog owners not to bring their pets here. I love my dog so much and I feel like such a horrible person for having put her through torture. I'm not sure which groomer ended up taking care of my dog, but she came home with nicks and cuts and she's been under the dining room table shaking for days. Literally, I have to crawl under there to get her and take her outside so she can relieve herself. This is NOT the dog I knew before we walked into that place. I called the place to try to find out what happened and they treated me horribly. It was the most unprofessional, most INHUMAN conversation I've ever experienced. They interrupted me, got defensive, told me I was lying and then hung up on me. I am floored. FYI, during the phone call I told them that I was going to post bad reviews about them if they didn't start treating me with some decency and they said they would sue me. I see that they regularly monitor this site and defend themselves every time someone posts yet another horror story. These stories can't ALL be lies. There are so many of them. Most have to be true. How can people keep bringing their dogs there? I told my friend's dog walker about them and she already knew. I wish I had spoken to this dog walker before I ever walked in there. I dont know if this place is a scam/rip-off or if they genuinely get off on hurting animals but they ned to be shut down. Thank you for reading this. I knew it would be wrong of me not to share this with others.

If you love your dog, read reviews carefully please

by joycek1776 at Citysearch

I posted this same review on yelp, but feel it is important to post this review.

first, i'm wary of some of the highly rated comments for this business - make sure you feel confident they are not written by the business owners themselves. here's my story:

I don't know what happened to my dog while he was there, but when he came home, he was super anxious and would pee whenever i came near him. he would hide whenever he thought i would pick him up. and whenever i said "no", he would begin shaking like crazy.

my dog has always been strong and vibrant and so to see him acting like this - vulnerable and broken made me so sad. i don't know what happened to him while he was there but it's clear that someone seriously scared him.

the head groomer was nice, but the receptionist was really obnoxious. she seemed annoyed i had specific instructions for my dog's cut. at $90 a cut, i don't mind being specific.

i won't take my dog back. if you see your once confident and happy dog cowering away from you in fear ... something went wrong. it's been two days since he's been there - hopefully he'll heal and go back to normal.

Bush league--at best.

by Z N at Citysearch

Bush league--at best. Sloppy, inconsistent work and revolving-door employee changes. The end for me was seeing my tiny dog tethered to a grooming table and being tormented by the very large, free-running dog of one of the employees (it was "bring your dog to work day"). Yikes!

The Most Stylish Canine Cuts In The CIty

by Dianne GARVILLE at Citysearch

My Broadway Joey, a 31/2 year old Yorkshire Terrier has been taken care of by Ming and her loving staff since he was a puppy. People stop me on the street all the time asking where JoeJoe got his amazingly stylish haircut!

Ming knows every dog that comes to A Cut Above and they have just opened a new salon on 69th Street that looks like a spa. This is a very classy place with very competitive prices. A Cut Above should be your first choice!