Style to Rescue is a charity dog grooming competition. It is an innovative way of supporting rescue organisations.

We started in 2018, and at our first competition, we raised over £4500; in 2019, over £7500; in 2022, it was over £13k; and in 2023, we donated almost £12900.

Over the years, we supported the following dog rescues:

• Many Tears Animal Rescue
• Spaniel Aid
• Wheels to Paws UK
• ​Doodle Aid
• Hessa’s Homeless Hounds
• Petwelfare Stafford
• ​Scottish Terrier Emergency Rescue (STECs)
• U- Hearts
• Underdog International
• Poodles from Portugal
  
  

About the Competition: May 12th, 2024

We are so excited to see you all on the 12th of May 2024 at our 5th Style to Rescue charity dog grooming competition.

The dogs will be beautifully groomed by experienced, professional groomers and spoiled to bits with care and loving-kindness. The most important to us is that the dogs being groomed always feel safe and loved before, during, and after the groom!

The rescue centers receive financial support whether their dogs win or not!

Style to Rescue is run on a not-for-profit basis by volunteers.

Model dog – NEW CLASS!!

I’m so grateful for the S2R community and their amazing ideas & support!

I’m especially grateful to Catherine Read for her great idea of organising the Model Dog competition at Style to Rescue 2024. To embrace the amazing creativity of fellow dog groomers and raise even more money for the rescues!

Model dog competition rules

Competitors are requested to bring a model dog that has already been completed.

There are two categories in the class:

Breed style & Asian style

Creativity without limits

These will be on display all day for everyone to admire.

The Model Dogs will be judged by Style to Rescue attendees and visitors.

The dog with the most votes in each class will be awarded.

The winners of the Model Dog competition are not eligible for the Best in Show award.

Are you excited? Don’t hesitate and book now!

The Categories

There will be just one category to be judged, which will run over two sessions, morning and afternoon. There will be a maximum of 70 entrants in total.

The Prizes

In total, ten groomers & their dogs will be chosen by our judges over the two sessions (5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon). 

Of these ten places, all will receive a financial reward. 

Prizes will also be awarded for People’s Choice and Best Transformation.

All winning groomers will receive a unique and stylish trophy and a rosette. 

• Best in Show: £600 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £400 for the groomer
• Res Best in Show: £500 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £300 for the groomer
• 3rd prize: £400 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £100 for the groomer
• 4th prize: £200 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £100 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• 5th prize: £100 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £100 worth of retail value product for the groomer
• 6th prize: £100 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £80 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• 7th prize: £70 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £50 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• 8th prize: £70 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £40 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• 9th prize: £50 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £30 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• 10th prize: £50 for the rescue centre where the dog is from & £20 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• Peoples Choice: £50 for the rescue centre & £50 worth of retail value products for the groomer
• Best Transformation: £50 for the rescue centre & £50 worth of retail value products for the groomer

Every canine entrant also receives £10 as a donation to its rescue organisation.

The Competition Schedule

Competition Schedule

8:00 – Doors open for competitors

8:30 – Doors open for the general public. Entrance fee by donation but min. £5

recommended per person.

          –  Pre-judging

9:00 – 12:00 – Morning Class

12 – 12:30 – Judging of Morning Class & Announcing the 5 Finalists

12:30 – 13:00 – Lunch Break

12:45 – Pre-judging  

13:00 – 16:00 – Afternoon class

16:00 – 16:30 – Judging of Afternoon Class & Announcing the 5 Finalists 

17:00 – Awards 

There will be a break halfway through each class, am and pm, to allow the dogs to stretch their paws and have a pee – and the groomers, too 🙂

The Judges

Verity Hardcastle

Verity is a Master groomer and is a multi-national and international award-winning groomer at the Championship level. She shows Miniature and Toys Poodles and recently won the bitch ticket at Crufts with her Champion Toy Poodle Gigi. Verity has been working with dogs and around working dogs all her adult life, and her two favourite breeds are the Poodles and Dobermanns.

Verity has been a Podcaster- Pod on the Dog, worked as the judge on the UK’s BBC1 production of Pooch Perfect and as a featured presenter on a Channel 4 live show and other media work.

She is now a published author after writing her first book, Happy Dog, Happy You with Hodder & Stoughton.

Verity is still a working groomer and trainer and hosts regular online webinars to pass on her skill set and be an EGA judge of the Poodle.

She has a pack of Poodles at home, and when she isn’t working with dogs, she’s talking about dogs, looking at dogs, or snuggling a dog!

Zoe Duffy

Zoe has been a professional groomer for over 33 years and has been teaching for 31 years.  She has been a part of one of the country’s leading dog grooming training schools, Look North Grooming and Training Centre, for most of that time, and in 2014 became co-director of the Approved City & Guilds Centre, Summit Groomer Training Group.

Zoe prides herself on promoting quality training and education and is a huge advocate for the industry learning qualifications offered through City & Guilds.

Zoe has won many competitions both in the UK and abroad with many breeds, and she is probably best known for trimming the Bichon and Lakeland Terrier.  Major wins include British Groomer Of The Year 1994 & 2005, runner-up three times, and gold medal Intergroom USA; her highest achievement was becoming European Grand Champion at the Oster Invitational Championships 2008 in Prague.

Zoe is keen to pass on her grooming knowledge by hosting educational seminars and demonstrations.  She also judges at grooming competitions at all experience levels – from total novice to champions and Best In Show.

For this dedication to the industry, Zoe received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 industry awards, which she was highly honoured to receive.

Zoe has been an active member of the British Groom Team, is a founder member of Groom Team England, and is vice chair of the current committee.

Zoe co-authors the Dog Grooming book ‘What Every Professional Groomer Should Know.’

Trade Stands

• The Pawdinary
• Dogglyness
• Sue Oliver Dog Grooming Studio
• The Coat
• Green Pet
• Summit GTG
• Nigel Waterworth Scissorsmith
• Caroline Chilvers – Dog behaviorist