The number of Canadian households with pets has continued to grow over the last several years, and Amherst is no exception to this trend.
In 2022, we presented a new business certificate Jiinx Grooming; a little over three years later, we’re back – but this time it’s to celebrate their move into a new, larger location for the booming business.
Mayor Rob Small and members of Town Council dropped into 8 Havelock Street recently to check things out, congratulate owner Kimberly James-Cartmill on the move, and ask her how it all came about.
“It was lot of hard work. A lot of hard work,” responded James-Cartmill, when asked about the process of changing locations. “Right from the beginning we said probably at the two-year mark – we had a two-year lease – we’d be looking at moving into something a little bigger, a little more retail friendly. And it was definitely a want to buy instead of leasing. So, when the opportunity came up, we started looking and, you know, landed on this place – which is great. I love it.”
Mayor Rob Small, along with Deputy Mayor Davidson and Councillors Ripley and McManaman, recently presented Kimberly James-Cartmill - owner of Jiinx Grooming & Pet Services - with a certificate to celebrate the business's move to a new, larger downtown Amherst location.
Since opening the first shop, Kimberly has seen an expansion of her clientele, as well as a growth in the range of services offered.
This is due to a combination of more people owning pets, but also increased awareness in pets’ various requirements.
“In general, people and society have really become more knowledgeable about what pets need,” shared James-Cartmill. “Whereas before, we didn’t really know a lot. There was the odd person that would get their dogs groomed and things like that, but they didn’t really put a lot of time and attention into it. And we’ve evolved to know that, just as much as we need to take care of our hygiene, our pets do too.”
It’s not just about the pets, either – it’s about how the pets affect the home environment, too.
“Now, more pets are in peoples’ beds and on couches and things like that, so you don’t want your pet to have health problems and skin problems and dirt and everything else that accumulates. So, a general hygiene perspective for the whole household.”
More consistent grooming leads to these welcome improvements at home, but it can also be valuable in prevention.
“It’s like a whole health plan. We’re able to identify things that might pop up before seeing your vet, and then refer you to the vet to get help.”
With the increase in retail space, Jiinx Grooming is able to offer more Canadian and even Nova Scotia made products. “We have a lot larger variety and we’re going to continue expanding on that. That’s really our goal for 2025: expanding on those Canadian products in the store. Anything from treats, harnesses, health related stuff for skin issues, tooth brushing, clothing – pet sweaters and jackets. We try to offer a large variety of things like that to help at home.”
New service offerings include medicated baths, Reiki and spa services, including French clay mask treatments. Yes, we’re still talking about services for your beloved pets.
“Another thing I love about our new location is I can easily send people to other small business in the area, because we’re among such a cluster of other small businesses,” shared James-Cartmill. “Even for us, we can pop down and go get a coffee or something, which is nice. It’s so nice to support local – especially in a place like Amherst.”
Jiinx Grooming & Pet Services is open at 8 Havelock Street: Monday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; then it’s 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday). Call them at 902-694-7387, or visit their new website: jiinxgrooming.ca.
