Kibbles N’ Klips Grooming Celebrates 20 Years in Business

 

By MELISSA LYNN

Enquirer~Democrat Reporter

 

Twenty years ago, the lot where Kibbles N’ Klips Grooming now stands, was once nothing but a tree stump along one of Carlinville’s busiest roads.

 

Today, stands a thriving grooming and boarding business for dogs and cats, filled with wagging tails, excited barks, meows, and familiar faces. What began with owner Patty McDaniel grooming dogs after her day job has grown into a business built on trust, hard work, and a lifelong love for animals.

 

This summer, Kibbles N’ Klips is celebrating 20 years at its Carlinville location.

 

“It’s very surreal to think that it’s been 20 years.”

 

“I’ve seen every stud, every nail, everything,” McDaniel said about constructing the building. “We did all the flooring. We did the drywall, and we did most of the work.”

 

The location was chosen for one simple reason, which was visibility.

 

“We had the sign out there that said ‘Coming Soon,’ and the phone just started ringing,” she recalled. “We were getting calls and calls and calls.”

 

Although grooming has become a much more recognized profession over the years, it wasn’t a career McDaniel originally imagined for herself.

 

While she was in high school, her parents found her a job working for a local groomer.

 

“I kind of laughed,” she said. “I was like, a groomer? Groomers just weren’t very well known when I was 17.”

 

After graduating, she worked full time at a bank while taking college classes. She previously considered becoming an accountant before thinking about graphic design, but neither felt like the right fit.

 

“I wanted to do something where I stayed busy,” she said.

 

Everything changed when she and her then-husband, JR LeVora, brought home a black-and-white Shih Tzu named Charlie.

 

Read the full story and view more pictures in the July 16, 2026 issue of the Macoupin County Enquirer~Democrat.