Celebrating 100th Graduate

Pawsperity’s 100th Graduate is Set to Fulfill Her Dreams

Pawsperity graduate Natalie Meredith celebrates with her instructors. From left to right: Christina Johnson, Amy Hall, Natalie, and Amber Mori.

Natalie Meredith is the 100th graduate of Pawsperity Grooming School, which opened in 2015. The survivor of domestic violence and mother of a 13-year-old says the program has completely changed the direction of her life in less than a year.

“I’ve always loved animals, but I never considered working in the pet industry,” she said. “I didn’t have the skills to work with them. Now I have learned how to work with dogs, and I want to make them a permanent part of my future.”

Natalie was referred to Pawsperity while living at a shelter for domestic violence victims. In 2020, she worked for a dogrelated business and eventually began a relationship with the owner.

“We moved in together and the relationship started going poorly,” she says. “It became financially, emotionally, and physically abusive.”

She had enough of the abuse and decided to leave.

“He withdrew all the funds for the business and sold the house,” she said. “I had no money and nowhere to live.” A friend let her and her daughter live with them for just a month. “I’ve been at the shelter for six months, and that’s where I found out about Pawsperity,” she says.

Besides gaining valuable training in dog grooming, Natalie said she has learned how to be a better parent to her daughter.

“I absolutely had no idea the impact the abusive relationship had on my daughter,” she says. “I didn’t realize I was lacking parenting skills until I went through the soft skills training offered by Pawsperity.”

Natalie said the most valuable soft skills training she has received besides parenting is mindfulness and emotional regulation.

“I’ve been able to teach my daughter mindfulness, resiliency, and emotional regulation,” she said. Pawsperity gave her the skills to realize her dream. “My dream is to open a dog care business that includes grooming,” she says.

Her advice for anyone considering joining the program is to, “Keep an open mind. Everyone has an opportunity for personal growth.”