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Amber is an adventurous "Glamour Girl" who operates and manufactures her own line of Mobile Grooming salons. A highly successful businesswoman, she adores wearing pink and admits to being very judgmental! Amber started showing dogs at the age of 16 and owned her first shop at 21. She also has her own line of grooming clothing and wears grooming goggles adorned with jewels. Amber is married and has a young son, whom she misses very much.
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Jorge is opinionated, trendy and tattooed all over. He hails from Argentina, where he was the youngest judge in their National Dog Show and has won many dog show competitions. He considers himself much more than a dog groomer: Jorge is a dog stylist. While he has no formal training, he believes he has a superior eye for enhancing a dog's beauty. Currently living in New York City, where he grooms dogs to the stars, Jorge describes himself as "fabulous!"
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With over 35 years of experience, Kathleen has handled or groomed virtually every breed of dog. She brings class, dignity and bravado to all her endeavors. Kathleen takes pride in assessing her rivals' strengths and weaknesses and seeks to intimidate anyone who stands in her way. She admits many people don't like her, but she doesn't care. Her strategy is to show up, win and then go home. Kathleen specializes in Japanese Chin and has won major awards at Eukanuba, the Westminster Kennel Club and many others. She lives in Escondido, Calif., and also runs a successful doggy design and apparel company.
26
Jessica is a certified dog groomer and self-proclaimed "spoiled princess." She has worked for her mother's mobile grooming business in Montrose, Calif., for the past three years and loves the perks of being the boss's daughter. She considers herself a "high-maintenance tomboy," who can be a brat at times and isn't afraid to get in someone's face if bothered! What Jessica lacks in experience she makes up for with her loving and natural way with animals. Jessica is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Pet Grooming.
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Will is a graduate of the prestigious Nash Academy of Animal Arts and has been working with dogs since the age of 15. Outrageous and outspoken, Will believes his personality is "too colorful" for some people to handle! Will thrives on pressure and describes himself as "ridiculously competitive." He participates in many dog shows and competitions and consistently places in the top three.
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A cancer survivor, Lisa started grooming later in life as a way to combat boredom during her chemotherapy treatments. She attended grooming school five years ago and fell in love with the job; she now owns her own mobile grooming company in Phoenix. As the oldest in the house, Lisa sees herself as the "mother hen" to the younger contestants. She finds irritating those groomers who lack style, class and hygiene ར and wishes more people in the industry would follow her example and remember that this is a "Beauty Business!"
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Overflowing with energy, passion and purpose, Artist is a soulful and funny young man who truly lives up to his name. Having come from the tough streets of South Central Los Angeles, Artist credits dog grooming with saving his life. He started in the profession almost three years ago when walking by a pet store soon after finding out his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. Grooming gave Artist an outlet for his energy and anger as well as a sense of direction. If he wins this competition, he plans on opening a dog-grooming academy in inner-city Los Angeles to give back to his community. Artist believes that "competition is the fuel that drives humanity," and no one will ever hold him down!
20
Jon started his career at age 13 scooping VIP doggy droppings at one of the country's most renowned kennels. Trained by champion dog handlers, he is a passionate entrepreneur who already owns a successful pet boutique and spa and is in the process of opening his second shop. Jon cannot stand rude or judgmental people and has a tendency of keeping his emotions bottled up, but he can "explode" if someone or something aggravates him. He lives in Pennsylvania with his best friend, an English bulldog named Sgt. Pepper, who he confesses to spending more time with than his own girlfriend.
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Defying the stereotypes of a dog groomer, this Boston native is a 6-foot 3-inch macho man who has been running his own booming "dawg" salon for over seven years. Jasper's shop is also a certified teaching salon, and many of his students have gone on to win important grooming competitions. After a long career in the automotive industry, Jasper decided he wanted a less stressful environment and attended the New York School of Dog Grooming because of his love for animals. Jasper is 100 percent drama-free, loves sports and is a family man ར who wants to win this competition for them.
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Brimming with self-confidence, Jonathan is one of New York City's top celebrity dog groomers. While he admits he can be a sneaky competitor, Jonathan believes his "flawless" grooming will win him the title "Groomer of the Year." A graduate of the Nash Academy of Animal Arts, he is an expert at hand stripping and scissoring and has a special flair for grooming the very challenging poodle breed. He has placed first at many competitions and believes his impeccable style sets him apart from all the others. Jonathan has been grooming for over 15 years for some of the most prestigious grooming shops in New York. He now works for himself in the homes and apartments of the city's elite, though he would love to open his own boutique in Manhattan.
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Sarah lives in a small apartment in Manchester, N.H., with her three dogs and jokingly calls herself the "crazy dog lady." Flirty, feisty and sassy, she has been grooming for seven years and competing for almost as long. She has a showcase of ribbons and trophies to prove that she's the best. Her strategy is never to let her insecurities show, and Sarah is confident she is going to win this competition!
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A third-generation groomer from Southern California, Malissa derives inspiration from her sister, mother and grandmother; they taught her everything she knows. Malissa believes she is blessed with a special ability to communicate with animals, which gives her a leg up over her competition. Her bubbly personality and blonde hair have sometimes made it difficult for her to be taken seriously, but Malissa believes she will win people over with her artistic grooming skills. She loves painted nails, dye jobs, mohawks and bows, and believes it is her destiny to make dogs as cute as humanly possible.
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A native of Long Island, Jai Rodriguez started his career in entertainment at a young age. Jai was a double threat with acting and natural musical ability. At the age of 11, he began performing with gospel choirs. Jai spent most of his childhood dedicated to improving his talents. His early childhood experiences prepared him greatly for the phenomenal success he would achieve later in life.Jai studied musical theatre at the BOCES Cultural Arts Center in Long Island. At age 17, he joined the hit Broadway musical RENT as the character, Angel. His next major role was in the off-Broadway musical hit "Zanna, Don't!" In this whimsical tale, Jai played the lead role Zanna. Jai also starred in the hit Broadway musical, "The Producers." From RENT to Zanna, his success grew at a tremendous rate. Other acting credits included "All My Children", "One Life to Live," "Number One Single," and "The New Guy." Most recently, Jai was a guest star on FX's hit show NIP/TUCK as Chaz, an LA fashionista with a dirty little secret.Jai's television and film success inspired him to create his own cabaret at the XL Lounge in New York City titled, "Monday Night Twisted Cabaret." One night, producers from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" caught the show and discovered a perfect fit for their new project. Thus, Jai Rodriguez, better known as the "Culture Vulture", was born.Bravo's hit show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" reached critical acclaim, garnering Jai an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program in 2004 and 2005. As the expert of popular culture on the program, Jai used his skills and social charisma to coach men on everything from working the room in a social setting to feeling comfortable on the dance floor. Jai also received credit as an author for the New York Times bestseller Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Guide.When "Queer Eye" concluded in 2007, Jai joined Daisy Fuentes as co-host of the Style Network's "Ultimate Style." He and Daisy round up the week's top style stories to keep viewers abreast of what's all the rage on the runway, the red carpet and around town.As a fixture in pop culture Jai has contributed to several magazines. He acted as a contributing editor for People En Espa𮪠�in 2005 and 2006 and for Latina magazine in 2006.Jai currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his two Yorkshire terriers, Nemo, (our messenger dog), and Dory. He is currently in the studio finishing up his debut album and has released the first single "Broken" on iTunes. In his spare time, Jai enjoys hiking, going to the gym, cooking, crafts and he's a good bowler.About Nemo the Messenger DogNemo came into Jai's life right at the beginning of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He was a tiny thing weighing in at just two and a half pounds. Despite a few diva doggie moments, Nemo and Jai quickly became close friends and he never leaves Jai's side.Nemo will be five this year and is still as energetic as a puppy. Groomer Has It isn't Nemo's first foray into showbiz. He has made several appearances on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and on Animal Planet. Nemo is a trendsetter, attending some of the best fashion shows in NYC.
