Marie’s K-9 Clips celebrates first anniversary with… a brush and bath

Marie Orizino and Nick Amodio opened Marie’s K-9 Clips September 15, 2004. A year later, the new entrepreneurs’ business is right where they want it.

Orizino and Amodio, both of whom hail from New York and moved to Arizona in 1993, groom 8-10 dogs a day. “It’s exactly what we wanted,” Orizino said of their work load. “We want to stay small.”

Amodio echoed those sentiments saying, “We are more concerned with quality than quantity. We have a good clientele.”

Their customers – people and dogs alike – are a big reason why Orizino enjoys going to work every day. “The clientele we have is the clientele we like,” she says. “They are really nice people.”

Nick Amodio and Marie Orizino get to know a new customer, Indy, prior to his first bath.

All shapes, sizes, colors and breeds are groomed at Marie’s K-9 Clips.

Amodio and Orizino have lived in Hidden Valley since 2000 and have proof their business is not just a way to make a living, but a lifestyle. They reside on 18 acres that is also home to 10 dogs of their own.

Being self employed has been a rewarding experience for both owners. “It takes a lot of guts to jump in with both feet when you’ve worked for someone else your whole life,” according to Amodio. “It’s scary.”

The rewards have more than made up for the risk, however. Orizino says “Running someone else’s shop is a lot of responsibility for no money. You get half the pay and the worst dogs when you work for other groomers.”

Amodio has no complaints about being his own boss. “It’s different than being employed by someone else,” he says. “It’s better. You have more control over your day-to-day stuff. You know your limitations, what you can and cannot do, and have the flexibility of running your business accordingly. It’s a lot more enjoyable.”

Marie’s K-9 Clips is located next to the Post Office at 44870 W. Hathaway Ave and open Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, call (520) 568-5232 or (520) 431-0441.