Heather and Valerie, co-owners and founders of the StylaPet Day Spa, welcome you to visit and meet them in person, but for now, you can meet them here. Heather and Valerie both attended the same advanced grooming school and discovered that they both had a similar drive to combine a focus on styling excellence with a passion for pet clients and their owner friends. When the opportunity arose to acquire The Gucci Pooch Pet Spa & Salon from another alum, they reconnected to jump on the opportunity! The two ladies combined their resources and took the plunge, buying the business. Their commitment is to deliver high levels of service with comfort and caring and insist that all stylists at the StylaPet Day Spa & Salon are professionally certified with advanced training in breed-specific grooming and a passion for continuous learning.
Heather Hudson - Owner / Stylist
Growing up traveling between Naperville, IL and a small lake home in southern Wisconsin, Heather was raised surrounded by animals and nature. After permanently moving to WI as a young teen, she helped start a small organization that worked to protect wild animals being threatened in her small lake community. Returning to Naperville to attend North Central College, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian and continuing her love of helping animals. As she studied for her Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, Heather worked at a local animal hospital. After two years observing and working with veterinarians she realized that she did not have the tough skin that is required to become a DVM. Heather following her love of art and animals went on to attend grooming school. After graduation, she went on to work as a certified pet groomer both at the animal hospital where she had been working, and at a well-established grooming salon in Naperville, IL. Heather, having always had the dream to open her own pet spa, paired with a good friend and fellow certified groomer, Valerie, to open StylaPet Day Spa. She is a strong believer in the importance of creating a safe and comfortable environment for both pet and owner and the effect this has on the overall experience for the animal. By providing a home-like atmosphere, she works daily to bring excitement and joy to the whole grooming process. Heather shares her home with many four-legged children of her own. Her oldest, Layla, is a 2-year-old Boston Terrier whose love for running and games has her making friends at the local dog park on a regular basis. Found as strays when kittens, Jericho and Mackayla are both Siamese mixes who now enjoy lying around and sleeping in front of the fireplace in their new forever home (when they aren’t hiding from their sister). Declan, the newest member of the family, is a Portuguese Water Dog sporting a lion cut that makes him look quite dashing.
Valerie Polychronopoulos - Owner / Stylist
Being a single mother of two daughters, Giorgia and Alexandria, Valerie found that working in the corporate world left her little time to spent with her girls. Following a love for animals, she became a pet nurse at a local feline hospital. After working with felines for several years, her desire to work with a broader spectrum of animals caused her move to a small animal clinic. Soon after the decline in the economy, Valerie became disillusioned with the many cases of animals being abandoned. Realizing the emotional toll this had on herself and her family, yet still wanting to work with animals, Valerie went back to school to pursue her certification in pet grooming. Continuing her special love for felines, she also went on to join the National Cat Groomers Association of America. After graduation, she started her own salon out of her home and worked part-time as a grooming instructor at the school she attended. Quickly, outgrowing her in-home salon, she decided to pursue her dream of owning her own storefront pet spa. Along with Heather, a good friend and fellow certified groomer, they worked to make their shared dream a reality. Valerie wishes to extend the special care and attention her home clients receive to a broader audience. She works to accomplish this by creating a secure environment where every pet feels happy and comfortable. Now that her daughters are both married and living out of state, Valerie shares her home with four cats and two birds. Each animal was rescued during her years as a pet nurse at the animal hospital. The two oldest, Marshmallow and Angel, are 9-year-old siblings from a litter of barn cats. Two years ago, Felicia was found as a young kitten with a fractured face. After being nursed back to health, she assumed her role as HRH Princess Felicia. Geneviere, a 4 yr old, white, blue-eyed Persian, was signed over to Valerie when the owners could not afford to pay for her medical care and had decided to euthanize her. Following 10 months of surgery and round the clock care, Geneviere is now fully recovered. Buttercup and Frankie, her birds, were given up when their owner could no longer care for them. They now provide much amusement for the many felines sharing their home. Newest member, Dallas, is a Portuguese Water Dog who has made herself right at home.
