New England Pet Grooming Professionals

Frank Sabella - Best in Show Judge

Frank Sabella’s involvement with dogs spans over five decades. He has been successfully involved in practically every aspect of pure-bred dogs… breeding, exhibiting, professional handling, and judging. During Mr. Sabella’s career as a professional handler, he won over 600 Bests in Show, showing Poodles, Afghans, Pekingese and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. He has had the top dog of the year all breeds, four times. He has won the Non-Sporting group at Westminster three times, as well as the Toy and Herding Groups and, in 1974, he won Best in Show with the Standard Poodle Ch. Acadia Command Performance.

Today, Mr. Sabella is an internationally respected judge. He has judged in England, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia and many times in Japan, which is his favorite place to judge. He has judged at every large show in America, including Westminster, where he has judged several groups as well as “Best in Show.”

Mr. Sabella is a lecturer for the AKC Judges Institute. He is the author of two books and he received two Fido Awards, one for “Dog Man of the Year” and the other for “Dog Writer of the Year.” He is presently working on a new book that will be published in 2008.

Anita Bax - Judge

Anita Bax (Talladaga kennels), of Chertsey, Surrey, England, breeds, shows and judges Standard and Toy Poodles, Pugs and Siamese cats. Owner of Paws for Perfection grooming salon, Anita is one of the grooming world’s superstars. She has twice won the titles “UK Groomer of the Year” and “Intergroom International Groomer of the Year.” She won the “World Champion Poodle Groomer” title at Intergroom and was the first winner of the “Oster International Tournament of Champions.” She has judged grooming competitions throughout the world. Anita has made three successful videos about grooming pet and show Poodles. Along with Peter Young, Anita is the co-organizer of the prestigious “Eurogroom,” England’s largest grooming event.

Christine DeFilippo - Judge

With over twenty-five years experience in the pet styling industry, Christine is one of the founding members of the New England Pet Grooming Professionals. She owns Twickenton in Dedham, MA, one of the largest professional pet styling salons in the New England area. Her staff has increased to include award winning stylists. Christine is the producer of Intergroom, the largest international grooming and pet styling conference of its kind in the world. Christine is an accomplished pet stylist, lecturer, judge and industry leader.

Shirlee Kalstone - Scissoring Awards

Shirlee Kalstone founded Intergroom in 1981. Under her guidance, Intergroom became the most prestigious international grooming competition and educational conference in the world. She is the author of 15 books and countless articles about the grooming and health care of dogs and cats. One book, “Poodle Clipping and Grooming: The International Reference” is probably the most popular grooming book in the world.

Through the years, she and her husband, Larry, have shown Poodles, Whippets and English Setters. Recipient of 7 Cardinal Crystal Achievement awards, Shirlee is a popular and well-respected competition judge both in the United States and Europe. She serves as International Liaison for GroomTeam USA. Her latest book “Allergic to Pets: The Breakthrough Guide to Living with the Pets You Love,” was published by Bantam/Random House. As Judges Education Director for the IJA, she is presently working on breed study programs and guidelines for judging grooming contests

Julie Ostoski - Judge

Julie Ostoski was a member of GroomTeam every year from 1996 to 2003. Taking her first Best in Show handling an English Toy Poodle for her parents at eighteen, Julie has gone on to finish over (150) Champions in 9 different breeds upholding the “Ardynas Kennels” tradition.

In the grooming world, Julie has won multiple “Best in Show” and “Best all around Groomer” awards. In addition she earned the “American Groomer of the Year” at Intergroom 2000 & 2001. Julie scored the highest number of GroomTeam USA points in the fewest amount of shows (in 2000) with 124 points from only seven shows. At the World GroomTeam Competitions in Calgary, Canada, Julie took the Gold in her division with a Wheaton Terrier contributing to the GroomTeam Gold victory. In that same weekend in Canada, she took “Best International Groomer” and “Best in Show” at the Canadian Challenge with a Bichon. In 2002 Julie achieved her goal of going “Best International Groomer” at Intergroom 2002 going back to her roots with a Standard Poodle in Continental trim. She also finished out the year with the same dog at NEPGA with “Best in Show” and “Best all around Groomer”. This last year Julie became the Oster World Invitational Grand Champion at Super Zoo 2006 in Las Vegas.

Julie is now Mobile Grooming in her area. Her passion is expressing herself in competition, judging, breeding, and handling.

Sue Pratt - Contest Coordinator, “Pit Boss” “Ring Master” “Ring Leader”

With over 40 years in the grooming business, Sue is manager of Twickenton Dog and Cat Grooming in Dedham, MA, a very large grooming salon.

As past President of New England Pet Grooming Professionals(NEPGP), Contest Coordinator for 10 years, Sue went back into the contest ring herself. She won many awards in scissoring as well as numerous class placements at Intergroom and Best in Show at NEPGP with a Standard Poodle.

Currently the Contest Coordinator at Intergroom, Sue is affectionately known as the “Pit Boss”, fast becoming known as the “Ring Master” or “Ring Leader” at the New England show.

Critters include a Jack Russell, champion Schnauzer, 2 Brussells Griffons, a cat and in her spare time, she rides her 21 year old Arabian gelding on the trails.

Jay Scruggs - Judge

Jay and his wife Michelle own Here Comes the Groom, a highly successful mobile grooming salon in Germantown,Tennessee.Their company is in such demand that his clients pay a membership fee to get an appointment with him. Jay has won multiple best in show and best all around groomer awards in grooming competitions around the United States. Jay was named American Groomer of the Year in 2001. He was also the first groomer to receive the Groomer of the Year Award at Westminster Dog Show in 2002. In the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain 2003 Jay won an International Gold and Bronze medal in two different poodle classes that helped Groomteam USA win the silver medal. In 2004 Jay was voted by the industry Grooming Judge of the Year. Jay is the National spokesperson for The Coat Handler shampoo Co. He is also a Wahl Clipper Corp. representative. He has a line of Grooming Shears.

Peter Young - Judge

Peter Young (Lotsmor kennels) of London, England, is a Poodle breeder, handler and judge. Peter judges the Utility and Hound groups. Peter also is one of the grooming world’s celebrities. Owner of “Peter’s Posh Pets”, he holds many grooming contest titles, among them “UK Groomer of the Year” and “Intergroom International Groomer of the Year.” He has judged competitions in England, France, Holland, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Australia and Japan, and conducted grooming seminars in those countries, as well as the pet trade show in Beijing, China. Peter has won three Cardinal Crystal Achievement Awards: two for “International Groomer of the Year” and one for “Grooming Contest of the Year.” Peter co-organizes “Eurogroom” along with Anita Bax.