Our Story
The Barking Barbershop was started when two friends recognized a need for local grooming with all breeds (including small animals such as cats, bunnies, ferrets and guinea pigs!).
We have been in business for over 25 years and have over 35 years in experience! We absolutely love our profession! We go into the shop every day looking forward to beautifying your pet. Your furry family member is treated with the same care and compassion as we bestow on our own precious pets. We have 4 professional groomers, Kacy, Jennifer, Carin and myself (Judy) with a combined experience of over 75 years!! Our assistant, Katie is also an avid pet lover! All groomers are trained to the highest standard of safety and excellence. A love for animals, a kind heart, and a passion for grooming is a must when a new groomer joins our staff!
When you genuinely love animals like we do, it should show and that is why we formed The Barking Barbershop! We are all very much committed to making your pet feel as comfortable as possible and, of course, loved! Thank you for trusting us with your pet, it is a true honor! ☺
We are located at:
Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic
5912 2nd Ave Kearney, NE 68845
Judy Crouch
Hello! I am Judy Crouch and the owner of Barking Barbershop LLC. My quest for this profession started when I was given advice from my sister shortly after getting my Bachelors degree. She said, “find out what you LOVE and figure out how to make a living doing it” and so it began….
All I ever knew growing up, is animals! My parents were never without pets in our loving home! They went everywhere with us! They were truly a part of our daily ritual, day in and day out. Life never seemed right without them around! From the age of 8 and up I was always responsible for keeping my pet looking and smelling fresh!
I graduated with a bachelors degree in Public Relations at Kearney State College in 1988. In 1991 I married my husband Marv and had 3 girls. We live out in the country where we have lots of space for lots of pets! We have 2 dogs and 4 cats. Pet grooming was a passion that I decided I needed to pursue. 35 years into it, this is a decision that I have never regretted! I have loved my career since day 1! Who wouldn’t love a day filled with all kinds of pet therapy??
Today, I own and manage the top grooming salon in Kearney Nebraska! My shop has been voted “Best Grooming Salon” for many consecutive years now. My employees and myself take extreme pride in this and will strive to improve every day! As a group, we love to attend continuing education seminars so we can keep up with all the new styles, equipment and products we use on your pet!
Before making an appointment with your pet, I encourage you to come in and meet us and visit our shop! We understand leaving your pet with someone you don’t know can be stressful so come on in and get to know us! This is just a win/win when it comes to getting EXACTLY what you want! We get to know you and your pet, we love it!!!
I want to personally thank you for entrusting us with your furry family member. I promise to make it worth your time!
Carin Koetters
Hi, I’m Carin Koetters, aka the Cat Whisperer. I have always loved animals and my journey with pet grooming began 36 years ago, helping my dad home-groom our poodles. I always knew I wanted to pursue some sort of career with animals, but I didn’t realize pet grooming was my path, until I met Judy in 1991.
I grew up in Mexico, Missouri and my college career took me to both Texas and Nebraska. Although I received a Bachelor Degree in Communications/Broadcasting, working with animals has always been my true passion. Jason and I were married in 1996 and our family household currently consists of 1 son, 1 daughter, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 turtles, 3 fish and many snails.
Judy and I have been friends since the day we met, and our lives have been intertwined since. When our kids were little, she had a vision of building the Barking Barbershop into a pet grooming business which quickly took us from a home-based shop to the top grooming salon in Kearney.
I love the artistic freedom of creating and styling beautiful pets but my unique ability to connect with cats is what I bring to the shop. My quirky personality must be what helps most of the cats feel safe and calm and trust me to take care of them. Not only do I love to groom cats, I have also trained all of my cats to do tricks! No two days are ever the same at our shop, but each day is an adventure. We have a great team and we all agree that we are blessed to be able to go to a job every day that we love.
Kacy Pollak
My name is Kacy Pollak. I grew up in Seward Nebraska and my mom always said I would either work with dogs or children and after one summer of babysitting I decided DOGS, definitely DOGS! My Aunt , who lived here in Kearney, was also a pet groomer and I was greatly influenced by her. So when I was 21 I moved to Kearney and pursued my career in pet grooming. This career has always been my dream for as long as I can remember!
I started working at the Barking Barbershop 11 years ago and have loved every minute of it. I can honestly say there is nothing else I’d rather do! It’s not just a job, it’s a passion. I am extremely blessed and honored to working with the owners, coworkers and clients that I do.
Going to work every day and having the privilege of making your furry family members look fabulous is sheer joy.
Katie Kouba
My name is Katie Kouba, I am a Kearney native and I have lived here most of my life except for a short time that I spent in Hastings and North Platte going to college. I am the proud mom of three beautiful children, two girls and a boy, who sucker me into every pet imaginable. Our household includes two cats, a dog, a hamster and a hedgehog. I think pets are a great way to teach kids about responsibility and I love to watch the bond that happens when they are with our animals!
I started working at The Barking Barbershop in 2015. I answered an ad as a receptionist and even with no computer skills the girls took a chance on me. I was previously a client of the Barbershop and as an employee now, I am so glad that I had placed my pets in their care. I love my job and my coworkers. It is a happy, fun environment where we all enjoy pampering the animals that come in!
Jennifer Keller
Hi, my name is Jennifer Keller and I am originally from the Omaha area but moved to Kearney 4 years ago with my husband Brian, our son Finn, and of course our “Shop Dog” Brodie. I have been with The Barking Barbershop for 4 years and can easily say this is best job I have ever had! The ladies I work with are the most caring people I have ever met and it is an honor and privilege to work beside them all.
Growing up I always loved dogs and like a lot of people I didn’t know what I wanted to do once I graduated high school. So, I went to my dad with the question, “What should I do now?” His answer, “The dog needs a haircut. Why don’t you do that”! So that’s what I did! I attended and graduated Paragon Grooming School in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2001 and have been grooming dogs ever since. I love this job because every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to learn, that’s how you become “Awesome”. Making dogs look their best is something I take great pride in and I’m rewarded every day not only with smiles on my customer’s faces but with the smiles on their dog’s faces as well!
