BYU-Idaho Radio · The Story Behind A Cut Above, The Falls
A Cut Above, The Falls is an Idaho Falls pet grooming salon owned by Kirsten Butcher. Butcher has been grooming dogs for more than 16 years. She began pet grooming school fewer than 30 days after graduating high school. Her formal grooming education started at an academy in Sandy, Utah. in 2005.
“Within 90 days, I had completed the grooming school and was working at Pet Smart in Logan, and I have been grooming ever since then,”?Butcher said.
Butcher’s pet grooming became a side job as she worked?in different places across the United States. She continued to educate herself on various grooming techniques from around the world. Fewer than two years ago, she bought A Cut Above in Eastern Idaho.??
“Within six months of being here, I knew I had made the right choice,” she said. “It did not take this community very long to notice how much I care and how much I love doing what I do, and how much I love their dogs. I treat them like family members, and in a community that matters, where family is that big of a deal, it was months into opening that I was like, ‘Wow, I really made the right choice.’”?
Earlier this fall, Butcher became sick with pneumonia. During the time she was unable to work, her business partner decided to leave the business and move back to Seattle, Washington, to be with family. Butcher said when that happened, she was overwhelmed with loyal customers offering to help her during that difficult time. She said she still receives calls from clients asking how they can help.
“That blew me out of the water, to have multitudes of clients say, ‘How can I help keep you afloat?” Butcher said.
Butcher is planning on staying in Eastern Idaho for the foreseeable future. She said she is planning to expand her clientele and business to other areas of Eastern Idaho. She currently has one location in Idaho Falls, and she said her range of customers reaches Pocatello to Island Park. ?She’s looking to expand to a second location in Idaho Falls, getting a larger location in Idaho Falls and then open a location in Rexburg within the next six months, which she’ll call A Cut Above, The Clouds.
“I’ve already got two groomers who are going to are going to open, run and operate that facility for me,”?Butcher said.
A Cut Above, The Falls?is located at 1775 E 17th St. Suite C in Idaho Falls. Hours and more information about the pet salon are available on their Facebook page or online at acutabovepetgrooming.business.site.