Director of Grooming for Best Friends Pet Care since 1993, has been a recognized leader in the industry from more than three decades.

She has judged grooming competitions at the national and international level and has been sought after as a speaker at industry events and contributor to industry journals. Honored with numerous industry awards over the years, Val was the first-ever recipient of Intergroom’s prestigious Mary Bucklew Memorial Award.

Val believes that grooming is an essential part of wellness for any pet. As Best Friends Pet Care’s national Director of Grooming, she sets the policies and standards for Best Friends professional groomers at its 42 locations nationwide.

She has lived and worked with pets her entire life, growing up on a farm in England, and working in an animal hospital and retail pet shop before opening her first pet salon. She moved to the U.S. in the 1970s, and opened a grooming salon in New York before joining Best Friends.

Val and her husband have a household full of pets, including a famous pug named Guzzi, and a cat called Moto.