Christopher Jackson, Founder
Chris has been working in the pet industry since he was 12 years old, when he began bathing dogs to earn extra money for his family. As he grew up, he gained experience training dogs and working as a veterinary technician in an animal shelter. In 2000, he began working for Petco as a groomer, where he was quickly promoted to salon manger- one of the youngest managers in the company at only 18 years old.
After a couple of years, he became an Area Training Coordinator and started teaching others how to groom. Later, he transitioned to PetSmart as an Academy Instructor and quickly rose to become one of the Top 3 Instructors and Salon Managers for the entire company. He has managed over 25 grooming salons to date, both large and small, in addition to owning his own salons in Hollywood and a mobile grooming business. He regularly participated in grooming competitions, showing both Standard Poodles, Springer Spaniels and Giant Schnauzers. He has won many awards, including placing in the Top 20 in the world at Superzoo in Las Vegas, NV.
He founded West Coast Grooming Academy in 2015, which now operates inside of a chain of stores (also owned by WCGA) called Fur Town, which has locations in Arcadia, La Verne and Hollywood, as well as Fur Town Mobile. In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and playing with their French Bulldog Crumble.
Nicole is not only the Co owner and Wife of our CEO but she is also our Cat grooming instructor and Small animal Specialists. Nicole Specializes in All things small and furry. Nicole has trained 80% of the cat groomers that have left WCGA and most don’t want to leave. If you have guts come join a cat class with Nicole Jackson Noelia is a graduate of WCGA as a Certified Dog and Cat Groomer and a Salon Manager. Her super power is helping shy and fearful pets feel safe and comfortable during their groom. She is kind and patient with even the most difficult dogs and cats. Yo hablo español Alyssa is a graduate of WCGA as a Certified Dog Groomer and is the District Manager for WCGA’s salon branch, Fur Town. She assists in placing and training graduates into intern and externships at partnering salon locations. Angie is head of admissions and is happy to answer any questions that you may have about our school. She can guide you through the enrollment process and help you find assistance programs too! Mario B. is a graduate of WCGA as a Certified Dog, Cat and Small Animal Groomer. He has been grooming since 2015, both in-shop and on mobile, specializing in large breed dogs. He is quiet and patient, with a gift for calming nervous or fearful pets. Yo hablo español Bio coming soon! Yo hablo español Bio coming soon! Yo hablo español Our award-winning groomers are compassionate and professional, so you’ll know your pet is in good hands. Our campus facilities are built with the groomers and pet’s safety, comfort and sanitation in mind. West Coast Grooming Academy is proud to announce our work with local animal rescue organizations and shelters. When you attend WCGA, you learn to groom and give back to the community by grooming adoptable pets, which helps them get adopted and into their forever homes. After graduation, we offer Job placement assistance with companies like PetSmart and Petco, as well as private salons. We even offer internships to deserving students after graduation to allow you to have even more hands-on experience in a safe, familiar environment.Faculty
Nicole Jackson
Cat Instructor
Noelia Ledesma
La Verne Instructor
Alyssa Solis
Internships
Annjeannette Montoya
admissions
Mario Baires
Playa Vista Instructor
Martin
Playa Vista Instructor
Andrew Rodriguez
Arcadia Instructor
WHY CHOOSE US?
State of the Art Facilities
Giving Back to Our Community
Job Placement Assistance