Muddy Paws was founded by two brothers, Mikhail and William, and their Cocker Spaniel, Duke. Duke had a sensitive skin issue which meant that he needed to be bathed every two weeks with a medicated shampoo. After a few months of this routine, the brothers decided to create a setup that would make the process easier, less messy, and faster. They built a makeshift grooming table using some materials they had and a few clamps. This became their drying table.

Curiosity led them to order a few grooming DVDs and start learning how to tidy Duke up between his grooming sessions. They did this for about a year before realizing that there was a need for a groomer in their area and they were the ones who could fulfill it. A grooming course was booked and paid.

While they were training, their parents and builders got to work preparing the salon. By the time the grooming course was completed, the shop was almost ready for business. It took about two weeks before they had the courage to decide on the official opening date - August 12th, 2011. Duke was their first client, and a few local friends of their mum popped in to book their dogs. Claudette with her Yorkshire Terrier and two Tibetan Spaniels, and Jane with her two Lhaso Apsos, a Shih Tzu, and a Yorkshire Terrier were among their first clients.

Being consistent, always pushing for better equipment, and improving their service as they navigated day-to-day business, they slowly grew their client base. The past 14 years have not been without their bumps. There have been many challenges and hiccups over the years, from equipment breaking mid-way through a day.

The support from all their customers, past, present, and future, has made all of this possible. Without them, they would just have a beautiful salon, but not a grooming business. It is crazy to think that Duke's sensitive skin was the reason they got into dog grooming. Duke passed away in 2015, but the salon still going strong is a reminder of how big of an impact dogs have in our lives, with or without our knowing it.