Meet Kate Crawford Of Fulton Street's Kate's Cat & Dog Salon

Meet Kate Crawford Of Fulton Street's Kate's Cat & Dog SalonKate Crawford (Photos: Stephen Jackson/Hoodline)
Stephen Jackson
Published on June 30, 2015

It's 6pm on a Monday, and Kate Crawford of Kate's Cat and Dog Salon is wrapping things up at her cozy shop on Fulton Street. However, there's one thing left to do, and that's give Gurly—short for Helen Gurlybrown—a proper brushing. Gurly is one of Crawford's own dogs, and she's getting the royal treatment: she's literally on a pedestal.


Crawford found Gurly in West Oakland's Dogtown neighborhood 13 years ago. She tried to find a home for her on three separate occasions, each time to no avail, and ended up keeping her as her own. "I'm always finding dogs that other people don't want," she told us. "My interest and passion is in everything dog."

Originally from Chicago, Crawford moved to San Francisco in 1988 to be with her sweetheart at the time, who happened to be following the Grateful Dead. "I wanted to come out here because it's the City of St. Francis, and I've been an animal lover my whole life. Also, because of the forward-thinking and enlightened community. I'm originally from Chicago and it's very conservative, so I wanted to get away."

Crawford, who started her career as a dog groomer back in Chicago, immediately landed a job at Dog Deluxe at Gough and Page. "Most of the dog groomers were all gay, and most of them are now dead. It was the height of the AIDS epidemic," she said. 

Next, she worked at a kennel called Pet Express, located under the I-280 freeway. When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck in 1989, the building remained intact, but Caltrans said it would need to be retrofitted, so the business was shut down.

Kate decided to go out on her own. In 1994, she opened Kate's Cat and Dog Salon, drawing many of her former clients from Pet Express. "I named it Kate's because I had some clientele from the kennel, so I figured I could drum up some business. People follow their groomers like they follow their hairdressers," Crawford said.

Clark, another one of Crawford's furry friends.

She inherited the seed money for the shop, a mere $5,000, when her grandmother passed away. "My family didn't want me to spend that money for this business, especially not in this neighborhood, which was the ghetto back then. But I saw so much potential. I still can't believe I thought I could start a business with $5,000, but at the time, you could rent in this neighborhood for less than $1 per square foot," she said.

With her sights set on the potential of the area, Kate renovated the space, which was formerly a Domino's Pizza, and opened up shop. 

Since then, she's maintained a loyal set of clients, some of whom have been bringing their dogs in since the early '90s. She told us how she's seen people throughout every stage of their lives, from single life, to marriage, to children, all through the lens of being the person that cares for their dogs. 

"It all went so fast, but you know what they say: time flies when you're having fun," said Crawford. 


Then there are the stories: The lady who brought in a "stray bird" from her garage that turned out to be a bat. The guy whose mistress picked up the family dog, to the surprise of his wife, who called to see if the pooch was ready.

One of the best is the tale of a homeless man named Eddie and his dog Cowboy. He was beloved by everyone in the neighborhood, and all the store owners would take care of the two of them. San Francisco Pet Hospital, two doors down, would perform check-ups on Cowboy for free, but Eddie insisted on paying. He would also take the pup to Crawford's salon and refuse the handout, so she would charge him $5 for a wash. "The guy kept the dog better than he kept himself," said Crawford.

Years later, a family member came to San Francisco and saved him from the streets, and Crawford would receive calls from him until he eventually passed away.

Salon manager Micki Nelson with Clark.

As a full-service grooming destination, Kate's was able to stay afloat when the economy tanked in 2008. Kate attributes her resilience to her loyal customer base, and to the fact that people—like Eddie—simply love their dogs and will prioritize their comfort during times of financial hardship.

But the true secret to Crawford's success is her genuine love of the animals she cares for. "Kate speaks dog. She doesn't speak human as well, but she speaks dog," joked salon manager Micki Nelson, who has been working with Crawford for the last six years. "You can teach anyone how to bathe a dog, but you can't teach everyone to be kind to the animals."

"I just love the dogs," said Crawford. They don't lie, they don't cheat, they don't judge. Where else can you find a friend like that?"

Kate's Cat and Dog Salon is located at 1333 Fulton St. at Divisadero. Those interested in Crawford's services can swing by and make an appointment, call her at (415) 563-5283, or email her at katesgrooming[at]gmail{dot}com.