Before COVID-19 hit, Brian Taylor’s days were filled with puppy love — and lots of pet hair. Known in his neighborhood as the “Dogfather of Harlem,” Taylor had groomed nearly 10,000 dogs in the decade since opening hisHarlem Doggie Day Spapet care business, and almost every night, he shared his New York apartment above hi shop with several pups he was pet sitting.All that changed in March 2020, when the pandemic forced him to shut down his business. And then, just a month later, a close friend and an uncle died after contracting COVID-19. Alone in his apartment, “all your demons start to get you,” says Taylor, 38, tells PEOPLE inthis week’s Kindness Issue. “It was dark times.“And then, a pandemic ritual gave him an idea. “Each night at 7 p.m., people were cheering for first responders,” he recalls. “I was at the window, clapping with my pots and pans, and thought, ‘What can I do to help? ‘” Taylor began to spread the word to financially struggling pet owners offering free groomings from his van.PEOPLE’s third annual Kindness Issue is dedicated to highlighting the ways, big and small, that kindness can make a difference and change lives. Click here and pick up the issue, on stands Friday, Oct. 29, for more stories on the impact of kindness from Common, Uzo Aduba, Kathie Lee Gifford, and other stars, as well as everyday people practicing kindness in their communities. To share the story of someone who’s done something exceptionally kind, emailkindnessawards@peoplemag.com.Courtesy Brian TaylorAfter recruiting several fellow groomers, he put on a free event in New York where they snipped nails and combed out matted coats for 100 dogs over two days. “By connecting people through the love of animals, we were sparking conversations and the chance to be kind to one another,” he says.And he found purpose amid the darkness of the pandemic: “Animals really saved me.“In July 2020, Taylor took his mission across the country with hisPup Relief Tour,teaming up with local businesses, many black- or minority-owned, to provide free services to the pets of homeless individuals, senior citizens, and those who couldn’t afford the $60 to $150 it can cost to keep their dogs bathed and trimmed.RELATED VIDEO: Boy Makes Gift Bags For Other Children At The Hospital"That’s the cost of a cell phone bill, that’s somebody’s groceries,” Taylor says. “We helped people who had a dollar to their name and were having to make the decision, ‘Should I buy food or should I get my dog groomed?’ “To contribute to our honorees’ GoFundMe fundraisers — and read more stories of people spreading kindness in their communities and beyond — clickhere.Taylor’s business fully reopened this summer, but he’s been continuing periodic Pup Relief Tours — with assistance fromthe tour’s GoFundMe page— grooming 1,500 dogs in 11 states with the help of more than 90 professional groomers who volunteered to take part.“I love what we’re doing. Making dogs look good warms the pet parents’ hearts,” he says. “And making a dog feel good — putting a wiggle in his tail — that’s important, too.“For more on Brian Taylor and the Kindness Awards, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
Before COVID-19 hit, Brian Taylor’s days were filled with puppy love — and lots of pet hair. Known in his neighborhood as the “Dogfather of Harlem,” Taylor had groomed nearly 10,000 dogs in the decade since opening hisHarlem Doggie Day Spapet care business, and almost every night, he shared his New York apartment above hi shop with several pups he was pet sitting.
All that changed in March 2020, when the pandemic forced him to shut down his business. And then, just a month later, a close friend and an uncle died after contracting COVID-19. Alone in his apartment, “all your demons start to get you,” says Taylor, 38, tells PEOPLE inthis week’s Kindness Issue. “It was dark times.”
And then, a pandemic ritual gave him an idea. “Each night at 7 p.m., people were cheering for first responders,” he recalls. “I was at the window, clapping with my pots and pans, and thought, ‘What can I do to help? ‘” Taylor began to spread the word to financially struggling pet owners offering free groomings from his van.
PEOPLE’s third annual Kindness Issue is dedicated to highlighting the ways, big and small, that kindness can make a difference and change lives. Click here and pick up the issue, on stands Friday, Oct. 29, for more stories on the impact of kindness from Common, Uzo Aduba, Kathie Lee Gifford, and other stars, as well as everyday people practicing kindness in their communities. To share the story of someone who’s done something exceptionally kind, emailkindnessawards@peoplemag.com.
Courtesy Brian Taylor
After recruiting several fellow groomers, he put on a free event in New York where they snipped nails and combed out matted coats for 100 dogs over two days. “By connecting people through the love of animals, we were sparking conversations and the chance to be kind to one another,” he says.
And he found purpose amid the darkness of the pandemic: “Animals really saved me.”
In July 2020, Taylor took his mission across the country with hisPup Relief Tour,teaming up with local businesses, many black- or minority-owned, to provide free services to the pets of homeless individuals, senior citizens, and those who couldn’t afford the $60 to $150 it can cost to keep their dogs bathed and trimmed.
RELATED VIDEO: Boy Makes Gift Bags For Other Children At The Hospital
“That’s the cost of a cell phone bill, that’s somebody’s groceries,” Taylor says. “We helped people who had a dollar to their name and were having to make the decision, ‘Should I buy food or should I get my dog groomed?’ "
To contribute to our honorees’ GoFundMe fundraisers — and read more stories of people spreading kindness in their communities and beyond — clickhere.
Taylor’s business fully reopened this summer, but he’s been continuing periodic Pup Relief Tours — with assistance fromthe tour’s GoFundMe page— grooming 1,500 dogs in 11 states with the help of more than 90 professional groomers who volunteered to take part.
“I love what we’re doing. Making dogs look good warms the pet parents’ hearts,” he says. “And making a dog feel good — putting a wiggle in his tail — that’s important, too.”
For more on Brian Taylor and the Kindness Awards, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
source: people.com
