Reviews

These testimonials are just some of the unsolicited "Thank  you" notes that we've received.

Original testimonials can be viewed here

From Gia

“I am so grateful that I was able to study under Teri at the Academy of Animal Arts. She is a master at grooming, and so amazingly good with animals of all temperaments and sizes. Her standards are high, the school is kept immaculately clean, and even today, years later, I hear her words in my head while working on a dog... the little details that take a groom from good to excellent. Learning show grooming, anatomy and general best practices will always be beneficial. I went on to teach prep work for a while at the school, and enjoyed that, as well.” ~Gia Coppi

From Dania

Dear Teri,
Thank you very for the guidance and training, I appreciate everything you have done for me. I'm glad I got trained by the best& hope to be as good as you in the future When I get my German Shepard you'll be the first to know. I wish you the best in everything you do and good luck in your business. Thank you again.   PS: I will never forget you, especially when I use my thinning shears.  ~Dania

From Danielle

I really must thank you for everything you have done for me. You gave me so much confidence in myself that I can do this and do it well. I am so looking forward to working with you when I get my new Dane puppy. You were so wonderful to me and I really think it has been so wonderful being here and I will miss it a lot. ~Danielle

From Fusae

I would like to thank you for everything you did. I didn't know anything about grooming before I came here, but I enjoyed it a lot, a learned a lot and I love dogs more and more. The way you groom is fantastic!!! This is my first step and I had a great experience. I want to keep going. Thanks again.  ~Fusae

From Hallin

Thanks so much for all your confidence in me! I'm so greatful and have enjoyed my time here at school. This is the best school and you are the best teacher. I hope I can be just a little bit of the groomer and business woman you are. ~Hallin

From Kathy

Thank you al for making my experience such an enjoyable one. ~Kathy

From Ruth

Dear Terri,
You are a great teacher. I could not have learned from a better and more talented "Pet care specialist!" I just wanted to say thanks for everything that you have given me, confidence, hope, and encouragement. I feel good about going out there and grooming.   Keep up being the wonderful person you are and this school will go far. ~Ruth

From Sharlene

Thanks for sharing your expertise and giving me the tools I need to make a new career. ~Sharlene

From Stacy

I don't know that I can thank you enough for all that you have taught me. This has been an absolutely wonderful experience and I only wish I could stay another 8 weeks. If you are ever in the Sarasota area, I would love for you to come and visit me at my salon. I'm sure I'll keep in touch. ~Stacy

From Sue

Wanted you to know how much I appreciated going to the dog show with you. It was such a nice opportunity to learn from you and get to know you. Thanks so much - You're the best. ~Sue

From Teresa

Thank you for everything! I will never forget the impact you have made in my life. PS: Don't worry. I will remember to "close the scissors." ~Teresa

Others

Teri, Who would've ever thought that someone could make me smile as much as you have? Thank you for all that you have done and all thay you are. ~Name withheld

Dear Sweet Teri,
What a rare and special moment this has been in my life. I enjoyed every minute of it.
It was wonderful to get to know you better. You are a dear kind heart.
I admire your patience, your perserverance & the way you handle difficult situations. I appreciate all you have done for my girls and myself. You have given us a life changing occupation, the ability to work independently &the ability to control what we earn. So many bright possibilities lie ahead of us thanks to you. ~ Name withheld

Thank you for helping me to make a dream come true. ~Name withheld

My daughter came to live in Largo, Florida, with my husband and me for about 9 months. Up until that time she had been a waitress with no real goals or plans for her future. That was ok, until she became pregnant and needed to think about not only her own future but the future of the child she would soon bring into this world. With only a small window of opportunity afforded her, we started to brainstorm about a skill she could acquire in a short amount of time. It just so happened that the Academy of Animal Arts was close by and caught our attention as a viable option. My daughter soon found out that she could attend the academy and graduate before the baby was due. She took out an education loan and was soon enrolled in the class. That was 7 years ago. Today she is living back in the Midwest, still a single mom - but she owns her own home and works 5 minutes away as manager of the grooming salon at a large chain petshop. Not only is she head groomer and manager she is also top grooming trainer for that particular chain in the state in which she works. Last year she grossed 52K. Because of the excellent instruction she received at the Academy of Animal Arts, my daughter is enjoying a lucrative career that has enabled her to raise her precious son independently allowing him a secure and comfortable lifestyle. I am very proud of my daughter's accomplishments and I view the Academy of Animal Arts her personal miracle that opened doors for her in many ways. And an extra bonus: she really enjoys her job! ~Linda Harris

My experiences at the Academy of Animal Arts have been nothing short of excellent. The teachers are very friendly and accommodating, and they always strive to make sure that their students are understanding and performing all of the skills and lessons taught to the best of their ability. I highly recommend this 16 week course if you are considering a doggie-grooming career. If you love to care and groom for dogs, then this is definitely the place for you. The facility is well-maintained, and the equipment is all working. Again, I highly recommend participating in this course if you're wanting to learn how to groom pooches. ~JB

I am trying to decide where to attend dog grooming school in the Tampa Bay area. I have read some reviews and thought I would go look for myself. I have recently visited both the school in Tampa and also the school in Largo. At the Tampa school, although the people seemed ok, after reviewing their curriculum, I thought it was very basic and mediocre. Didn't seem like their was anything additional offered that I didn't already know, since I have been grooming my own dog at home for a while. A couple days later I went to Largo and visited the Academy of Animal Arts. Wow!! What a difference... I thought I was going to walk into another "drab" grooming environment, however, I was pleasantly surprised when greeted at the door by one of the attending students who happened to be on her lunch break. The school itself was bright and cheery looking and I just sensed a happy environment. The student then asked me how she could assist me and I told her I was there to consider going to school. She then began to tell me how great she thought things were at the school and that this school was the best. She said that the school's director Teri was back instructing again after a sebatical and she along with her assistant John were both incredible with their teaching skills and made it fun as well. I was then introduced to Teri and she was extremely knowledgeable and upbeat and made me feel very comfortable about all questions I had for her... I was given a tour of the entire facility and was very impressed by what I saw. I was also introduced to Rick, the admissions director, and Teri was getting ready to do a demonstration for the students on a show dog. I stayed to watch and thought she did an awesome job... the dog was so calm and seemed at ease by the way she handled it. I also chatted with some of the students, some their from other countries, and they all had great things to say about both the instruction and environment at this school and all seemed to be very passionate about dogs. I wound up spending almost three hours there watching what was going on and was fascinated by what I was seeing... didn't really want to leave! After returning home and reviewing my visits, I am so convinced that the Academy of Animal Arts is where I will be attending. I found out that Teri has had 35 years of experience as a dog groomer and 20 years as an instructor, and decided she is who I want to be taught by so I can gain the necessary knowledge for my future career. ~Brittany Johnston

I am writing this review as a graduate of the Academy of Animal Arts and presently employed as a groomer in the Tampa Bay area. I did my research and visited with both schools in the Tampa Bay Area and decided on the Academy of Animal Arts.

My experience attending AAA was nothing but positive. I loved it. Teri, the owner/grooming instructor, along with the rest of the staff (Rick and John), delivered on what was promised to me when I visited the school. What was promised to me was that I would receive quality instruction, by an excellent instructor, on a variety of breeds. Not just how to's on shaving down a dog but grooming to breed standards. Also, the school environment was family-like, I would get job placement assistance once I graduated and a promise that once I left the school I would still have it's support.
,br /> Teri was an excellent instructor and very talented. She has been a show groomer/professional handler for many years. Teri was the grooming instructor while I was there and there were about 7 of us all in the same room. Everyone was at different levels of the program. This was good because Teri could spend a little more time with newer students and those at the end of the program only needed Teri minimally. She always had time to instruct every student and help out whenever anyone needed her. You could think you were done grooming your dog for the day and Teri could take a couple of cuts with the scissors or thinning shears and you'd be amazed what a difference it would make. To me, that can only come from experience. Again, I can't express enough how talented Teri is. I would just sit and watch her work on her own dog when class was over and she encouraged students to pay attention while she was instructing others.

It was like one big family during my time at AAA. For a couple of weeks I went through a phase where I was going through some personal issues and Teri was there for me and she really did not have to be. She was someone that I could talk to outside of classroom which I appreciate.

Once I was done with the school, AAA helped me get my first job and during my first days at my job Teri was available by phone/text to help me get through the overwhelming first few days of actual employment. She literally was texting me off and on all day. AAA, also found me a second job which I love and am currently at.

I wanted to leave this review after seeing some negative reviews because my experience there was excellent. I feel it was money well spent. Just visit the two schools in the area and see for yourself. I highly recommend attending this academy if you are looking to go to grooming school in the Tampa Bay Area. I am not an employee of the school nor has anyone asked me to write this. I am just a graduate from the school that feels this was the least I could do for having such a great experience and coming out of the school being able to land a job and impress employers with the skills I acquired from AAA. If you have any questions about the school and my experience I would be more than happy to answer them just email me notxtony@gmail.com ~ Tony

I am writing this review after graduating the 16 week program from Academy Of Animal Arts. I just want to start off saying that I moved down to florida from new york about a year ago and its been rough, but going to grooming school was one of the best decisions I've made being down here. Terri the instructor/groomer is amazing! She truly wants everyone to succeed and be passionate about grooming as much as she is. She has been grooming for years and knows what she's talking about. I loved Terri's teaching method because for me I learn visual and by hands on; so by her always going over the same kind of stuff with you one on one and showing you different ways of doing things something always clicks. If you need more practice on areas you lack, she has no problem helping you become comfortable with it. In the beginning I was always scared to do a lot of stuff like nails and the face but towards the end thats when I gained more confidence (Terri had a lot to do with that) I got over my fears and was able to do these things without difficulty. As soon as I graduated I got hired at a nice salon and when I have a problem I think back to when I was in school and think what advice Terri would of given me. I would recommend Academy Of Animal Arts for sure! I am so thankful I had Terri as a teacher! ~Kristin N.

Original reviews can be viewed here.