Keeping Turlock's pets clean and stylishly groomed is more than a job for Lisa Pervere, it's a passion. Pervere started grooming pets inside First Street Vet 19 years ago. Today, there are three Lisa's Pet Styles shops, two in Turlock and one in Waterford.

Along with the expansion has come a commitment to excellence service, which has earned Lisa's Pets the 2012 Turlock Journal Readers' Choice award for best groomer.

"I love it and I can't imagine doing anything else," Pervere said.

Lisa's Pets employs seven groomers, including Pervere, and her Turlock locations see about 40 to 50 pets every business day. From large Golden Retrievers to miniature poodles, Lisa's Pets grooms them all; including the occasional cat, rabbit and even guinea pig.

"Safety is the most important thing," Pervere said. "Then cleanliness, a good hair cut and gentle handling."

Pervere recommends owners bring in pets to be groomed as early as possible.

"Start as young as you can," she said. "Especially if the dog will need to have haircuts the rest of their lives. It's important to keep their skin and hair healthy."

Before adopting a new pet, Pervere recommends researching how much maintenance is required for the breed.

"A dog's hair grows all the time, just like yours," she said.

Lisa's Pet Styles offers full-service grooming — bathing, hair clipping, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, flea treatments, nail clipping, and even a little flair with hair dyes and nail polish for the doggy divas.

Inside Lisa's East Olive location is a pet boutique. The shop includes stylish pet accessories and items made by local vendors and a few specialty companies.

Over the years, Pervere and her fellow groomers have seen different breeds grow and fall in popularity. Currently, designer breeds are all the rage, like Goldendoodles — a mix between a Golden Retriever and Poodle.

Whatever the breed, regular hair brushing at home is a must for healthy maintenance; it also helps lessen shedding and matting. Regular bathing can alleviate pet allergens for the humans in the household, too. These are tips the groomers at Lisa's Pet Styles were happy to share.

"Thank you to everyone for voting and to our regular clients for keeping us busy," said groomer Darlene Whitehead. "If it wasn't for dirty dogs, we wouldn't have jobs."

Lisa's Pet Styles is located at 424 E. Olive Ave. and 1100 East Ave., in Turlock; and 239 E St., in Waterford. For more information, call 664-1424 (E. Olive), 634-0699 (East Avenue) or 874-5958 (Waterford) or visit www.lisaspetstylegrooming.com.