Meet Brittany Givens: Where Every Dog Gets the Care They Need

How a lifelong love of animals and 13 years of grooming experience inspired a Memphis pet spa centered on personalized care, safety, and trust.

For many dog owners, grooming involves far more than maintaining a pet’s appearance. Entrusting a beloved dog to someone else requires confidence that its individual temperament, comfort, and needs will be understood.

As the owner and operator of Muttropawlis Pet Spa in Memphis, Tennessee, Brittany Givens has built her one-on-one grooming approach around that responsibility. With 13 years of professional experience behind her, she has created a setting where each dog receives her full attention throughout the appointment.

 

Where Every Paw Gets Personalized Care

Through her years of working with dogs, Brittany has learned how differently each one can respond to the grooming experience. Some are uncomfortable around other animals, others need time to overcome their fear of water, and senior dogs may require a slower pace and closer attention throughout the appointment.

At Muttropawlis Pet Spa, those differences guide the way Brittany works. By focusing on one dog at a time, she can adjust her approach to the animal in front of her while giving owners the reassurance that their pet is receiving her full attention. Patience and individual attention remain at the heart of her approach, ensuring that every paw gets personalized care.

The name Muttropawlis carries a similarly personal meaning. Born and raised in Memphis, Brittany describes her hometown as a melting pot of people and cultures, and she sees that same diversity reflected in its pets. Muttropawlis grew from that connection, combining a playful reference to dogs with the character of the city and community she calls home.

 

A Love of Animals That Started Early

Brittany’s love of animals has been part of her life since childhood. She spent a great deal of time with her grandmother, who had a natural affection for animals and would never ignore one that needed care. Brittany still recognizes that same compassion in herself and sees her grandmother’s influence in the work she does today.

That connection eventually found its way into her professional life. After gaining experience as a groomer, Brittany began working independently from her apartment following the birth of her first son. She continued until 2020, when the pandemic and another pregnancy prompted her to step away from grooming and spend several years at home raising her children.

The time away only reinforced how much the work meant to her. When she eventually returned to grooming, she knew she wanted to do it on her own terms and create the kind of experience she believed dogs deserved.

 

When Safety Has to Come Before Business

One experience from Brittany’s earlier career had a lasting influence on the way she approaches grooming. While working at a large corporate location, an elderly dog was brought in despite appearing frail and barely able to walk. Later that day, Brittany found him lying in a kennel and realized something was wrong. He was rushed to a veterinarian next door, where he ultimately passed away.

The experience reinforced the importance of recognizing when grooming may not be in a dog’s best interest. Being responsible for an animal also means knowing when to turn away a service rather than put its health at risk.

That principle remains central to Muttropawlis Pet Spa. Regardless of the appointment or the income it may bring, a successful grooming experience is about more than appearance. The dog’s safety and well-being always come first.

 

Understanding the Dog Behind the Behavior

Years of working with dogs of different temperaments have given Brittany experience with animals that are frightened, difficult to handle, or occasionally aggressive. She has been bitten and even required medical attention, yet those encounters have strengthened rather than diminished her understanding of how fear, stress, and discomfort can influence a dog’s behavior.

Instead of viewing a difficult reaction as simply a problem to manage, she pays attention to what the dog may be communicating and adjusts her approach accordingly. That patience becomes particularly important with animals that need more time to feel comfortable or develop trust.

This understanding also distinguishes her approach from the high-volume environments she encountered earlier in her career. Rather than measuring success by the number of appointments completed, Brittany places greater value on building trust with each dog and giving its owner the reassurance that their pet is in caring hands.

 

Learning to Love Again

Brittany’s bond with animals extends well beyond her professional life. In 2009, she welcomed Honey, a pit bull who became an important part of her family. Nine years later, Honey developed cancer. Although treatment initially helped, the cancer eventually returned, and when her condition worsened, Brittany made the difficult decision to let her go rather than allow her to suffer.

The loss was painful enough to convince Brittany that she did not want another dog. When her husband later began talking about getting one, she eventually agreed, believing that a Boston Terrier they found would be his companion rather than hers.

Marcus quickly changed those plans. Constantly following Brittany around and staying close to her whenever he could, he gradually became the dog she had been determined not to become attached to. Today, he is her best friend and a reminder that the connection she has always felt with animals is simply part of who she is.

 

Building Trust One Dog at a Time

Although Muttropawlis Pet Spa has only recently opened, some of the relationships Brittany built earlier in her career are already carrying into the new business. One of her first customers waited nearly three months after Brittany left her previous workplace rather than take her dog to another groomer.

By the time the appointment finally arrived, the dog’s coat had grown enough for Brittany to jokingly compare him to Chewbacca. More meaningful than the long-awaited grooming, however, was the reason behind it. His owner had chosen to wait because she trusted Brittany with a dog she considered part of her family.

 

Growing Without Losing the Personal Touch

As Muttropawlis Pet Spa grows, Brittany wants to preserve the personal approach that defines the business today. Her goal is for groomers to develop lasting relationships with the dogs in their care, creating familiarity for the animal and consistency for its owner.

Ideally, the same groomer could care for a dog from its earliest appointments throughout its life, learning its personality and becoming familiar with its needs along the way. Brittany hopes that kind of lasting relationship will always remain part of the experience at Muttropawlis Pet Spa.

 

Sending Every Dog Home Safely

Being chosen to care for someone’s dog is something Brittany considers a privilege, and she does not take that responsibility lightly. Whatever happens during an appointment, her priority remains the same, making sure each dog returns home safely to the people who love it.

That responsibility reflects the connection with animals that has been part of Brittany’s life since childhood. Behind every appointment is more than a customer. There is a much-loved member of someone’s family who has been placed in her care.

Website: muttropawlispetspa.com

Phone: 901-738-4072

Email: hello@muttropawlispetspa.com

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