Academy Of Animal Arts And Sciences

What Academy Of Animal Arts And Sciences does

Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned vocational school incorporated in Florida in January 1999 and headquartered at 1258 West Bay Drive, Suite E, Largo, FL. It licenses pet grooming career training to individuals, delivering five programs (Basic Pet Groomer, Professional Pet Groomer, Advanced Groomer, Master Groomer, and Kennel Technician) spanning 176 to 352 clock hours at tuition-plus-equipment totals ranging from $6,867.50 to $9,909.75 per student. The school also runs a limited number of Saturday "Bring Your Own Dog" workshops ($75-$150) for pet owners, accepts Florida Vocational Rehabilitation and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (GI Bill) funding, supports international students via multi-lingual instructors, and prepares students for National Dog Groomers Association of America certification.

The underlying operating model is a single-site, hands-on training facility of approximately 2,500 square feet featuring 24 electric grooming and blow drying stations, a separate 7-tub bathing area, a kennel, stone dogs, a kitchen, a classroom with five big-screen WiFi televisions, and student lockers. Instruction is led by Chief Instructor and founder Teri L. Bialek (45+ years of grooming industry experience, AKC Institute and AKC Judges Educational credentials) along with two prep instructors, a grooming instructor, and a DVM veterinary lecturer; administration and admissions are handled by a small internal team. The Academy also operates an on-site grooming salon that serves the public while providing practical training to enrolled students.

The business generates revenue through (1) one-time tuition and mandatory equipment-kit sales per enrolled student, (2) Saturday workshop fees for pet owners, (3) grooming salon service revenue from walk-in appointments, and (4) ancillary book/tool sales during workshops. Student recruitment runs through direct-to-consumer channels — the Academy's website, phone, email ([email protected]), Facebook, and on-site facility tours — supplemented by referrals from state vocational rehabilitation and VA programs, dog show presence, and a PayPal checkout option. The Academy is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education (License #2118) and is a member of the American Kennel Club, the National Dog Groomers Association of America, and the Florida Association of Post-Secondary Education.

Name

Academy Of Animal Arts And Sciences

Legal name

Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences, LLC

Website

https://academyofanimalarts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences, LLC is a privately held Florida vocational school (founded 1999) that trains individuals in professional pet grooming through five classroom-plus-clinic programs (176-352 clock hours), supplements tuition with Saturday pet-owner workshops and an on-site grooming salon, and accepts VA and Vocational Rehabilitation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Pet Grooming Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Services (Grooming, Training, Daycare) (CRALAIAJ)

Keywords

• Pet grooming vocational school
• Professional pet groomer training
• Dog grooming education programs
• Show grooming certification
• Kennel technician training

Headquarters

HQ city

Largo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vocational Training Programs: Tuition-based vocational training for pet grooming careers. Programs range from 176-352 clock hours with tuition fees from $5,600 to $7,400 plus registration fees and equipment costs. Students pay upfront and may qualify for financial assistance through VA benefits or vocational rehabilitation.
2. Grooming Equipment Sales: Sale of mandatory equipment kits to enrolled students. Equipment kits range from $1,117.50 (Kennel Technician) to $2,359.75 (Basic/Professional Pet Groomer). Tools and books also sold during Saturday workshops.
3. Saturday Workshops: One-time workshop fees for pet owners learning grooming skills. Pricing varies by breed size: Small Breed $75, Medium Breed $90, Large Breed $125, Show Grooming $150. Equipment available for purchase at workshops.
4. Grooming Salon Services: The school operates a grooming salon offering professional pet grooming services to the public, generating additional revenue while providing practical training opportunities for students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences operates a private vocational school offering five pet grooming training programs ranging from 176 to 352 clock hours, plus Saturday workshops for pet owners and an on-site grooming salon. Students gain hands-on training on breed-specific styling, creative grooming, salon operations, and preparation for National Dog Groomers Association of America certification. Programs are tuition-based and supported by an on-site facility with 24 grooming stations, 7 bath tubs, and veterinary-led lectures.

Product overview

Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences is a private vocational school offering a portfolio of five distinct pet grooming training programs: Basic Pet Groomer, Professional Pet Groomer, Advanced Groomer, Master Groomer, and Kennel Technician. These programs range from 176 to 352 clock hours and are designed to take students from no prior experience to professional certification and National Dog Groomers Association of America mastery. The school also offers Saturday Workshops for pet owners and operates a grooming salon on-site. The programs form a progressive educational pathway, from foundational skills to advanced show grooming and creative techniques, supplemented by veterinary topic lectures and dog show attendance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic Pet Groomer Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates report successful careers including managing grooming salons at major chains and earning $52K+ annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Division of Vocational RehabilitationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership for vocational rehabilitation services. The Academy is a certified vendor accepting Vocational Rehabilitation clients. Provides pathway for individuals with disabilities to receive career training in pet grooming.
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVA education benefits (GI Bill) accepted at the Academy. Veterans can use education benefits to fund pet grooming career training. School proudly trains veterans.
• National Dog Groomers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association membership. Master Groomer program prepares students for NDGA certification. School uses NDGA training materials including NDGA book.
• American Kennel Club (AKC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAKC recognition and educational programs. Founder Teri Bialek attended AKC Institute and AKC Judges Educational Breed Workshops. School features AKC Groomer Web Banner. Students attend AKC dog shows.
• Florida Association of Post-Secondary EducationminorOthersProfessional association for post-secondary schools in Florida. Supports regulatory compliance and industry standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• The Grooming Project: The Grooming Project is a Kansas City-based nonprofit pet grooming training program that combines vocational education with a social mission serving at-risk populations. It is an emerging peer because it operates in the same pet grooming vocational training category but with a different funding and mission model, representing an alternative approach the Academy could benchmark or partner with.

Direct peers

• Nash Academy: Nash Academy is a Wisconsin-based pet grooming vocational school offering breed-specific and show grooming training programs. It is the closest direct peer to the Academy of Animal Arts & Sciences because it operates the same core business model: licensed vocational pet grooming education with hands-on training, breed study, and certification preparation.
• Stratford Career Institute: Stratford Career Institute is a distance-learning career school offering pet grooming and animal care programs among its catalog of vocational courses. It is a direct peer in curriculum category, competing for self-paced learners seeking pet grooming certification outside the traditional on-site format.
• Paragon School of Pet Grooming: Paragon School of Pet Grooming is a Wisconsin-based pet grooming vocational school offering tiered programs from basic to advanced and master groomer certification. It is a direct peer because it competes for the same student profile, curriculum structure (breed study, show grooming, certification prep), and tuition-driven business model.
• Animal Behavior College: Animal Behavior College is a California-based vocational training provider offering certified pet grooming, dog training, and veterinary assistant programs. It is a direct peer because it targets the same career-seeker segment, offers comparable tiered grooming programs, and competes for funded students via military and vocational rehab channels.
• Academy of Pet Careers: Academy of Pet Careers is an Oregon-based pet care vocational school offering groomer, dog trainer, and veterinary assistant programs. It is a direct peer because it operates the same licensed-vocational-school format with hands-on curricula aimed at career-changers entering the pet services industry.
• Penn Foster: Penn Foster is a Pennsylvania-headquartered accredited online career school that offers pet grooming, veterinary technician, and animal care programs. It is a direct peer because it competes for the same career-seeker student, particularly for those seeking flexible or remote learning, and accepts VA benefits.

Broad incumbents

• Petco: Petco is a major U.S. pet retailer and operator of grooming salons across its store base, and the employer counterpart to vocational grooming schools. It is a broad incumbent peer because it is a large-scale buyer of trained grooming labor and also runs in-house training programs that overlap with the Academy's curriculum goals.
• PetSmart: PetSmart is the largest U.S. specialty pet retailer, operating thousands of in-store grooming salons and recruiting/hiring trained groomers. It is a broad incumbent peer because it sits on the demand side of the Academy's placement funnel, hires graduates like the cited $52K/yr manager, and offers internal training that competes for the same entry-level grooming labor pool.

Others

• Dogtopia: Dogtopia is a North American dog daycare, boarding, and spa franchise offering grooming-adjacent services and training programs for its staff. It is an adjacent peer because it competes for the same broader pool of pet-care vocational talent and overlaps with the Academy's Kennel Technician curriculum targeting boarding and daycare employers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/academyofanimalartsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-animal-arts-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Academy Of Animal Arts And Sciences