Meet Professional Pet Stylist Shelby Huneycutt at Salty Dawg Salon

Salons often chase expected quotas, but Wilmington’s Salty Dawg Pet Salon + Bakery is doing things a little differently. Salty Dawg Pet Salon + Bakery, which celebrated its grand opening in September, is built around an amazing team of groomers, WILMA magazine reported.

At the center of that team is groomer Shelby Huneycutt. Growing up in the foothills of North Carolina, Huneycutt arrived in Wilmington following the 2020 shutdown. Though she had spent her life around animals, she did not step into professional grooming until 2021.

After spending years working as a bather, Huneycutt earned her professional pet stylist credentials in 2024. Today, she holds certifications as both an AKC Safe Certified and Fear Free Certified groomer.

Building Relationships Beyond the Grooming Table

For Huneycutt, the appeal of the job goes far beyond a simple haircut. Dogs remain the primary draw.

My favorite thing about dog grooming is….Dogs! I have always felt a strong connection with animals, and I love getting to build relationships with the babies. Learning their individual personalities and needs is the highlight of my life.

That personal connection extends right into her own household. Huneycutt shares her home with two Belgian Malinois mixes, a rotating foster Great Pyrenees mix, five cats, a corn snake, and a leopard gecko.

When asked what drew her to Salty Dawg, the answer came down to philosophy over profit. The top-of-the-line, dog-centric facility allows her to focus entirely on the animal in front of her rather than answering to a corporate head-count quota.

From Skeleton Poodles to the Emotional Weight of the Job

Creative styling often brings out the most memorable moments in a grooming salon. For Huneycutt, the most unusual request came from an owner asking to dye their poodle into a skeleton for Halloween, calling the experience the best day of her life.

Yet, the job carries a heavy unseen side. Working with the same clients over a span of years means walking alongside pet owners through good times, sickness, stress, moving, and eventually, loss.

Working on a dog after they have lost a sibling or an owner is always difficult, but the hardest part remains learning that a familiar face will not be returning through the door.

When she is not working on funky transformations like dye jobs, mullets, mohawks, and bell bottoms, Huneycutt can usually be found exploring the coastal area. Her favorite local stops include Carolina Beach State Park, Brunswick Nature Preserve, Flying Machine Brewing Company, and Brunches, taking advantage of Wilmington’s extensive network of dog-friendly spaces.