Alpha Pet Spa and Salon is an intimate, home based, family owned and operated dog grooming salon established in March of 2016.
Andi Whittenberger started her grooming career in 2008 with PetsMart, where she managed a salon staff of over 21 employees and taught dog grooming academies to future stylists. In 2014 Andi left PetsMart and created her first home based grooming salon, while pursuing her cosmetology licensing. After over a year of working in both human and dog salons, Andi decided to return her focus to full time dog grooming. In March of 2016 Andi opened a commercial store front bringing on board her husband, Peter Whittenberger, and multiple other stylists. By 2020, Andi and Peter realized that they were outgrowing their current space and that the decision to change locations was in their near future. With over 12 years of grooming experience working in salons staffed from 1 to 21 people, they decided that not only did they prefer a smaller, more intimate environment, but so did the dogs. Thus began their conversion of their attached garage into a full service dog grooming salon, bringing along fellow stylist, Janette Danielson. In September of 2020, Andi and Peter Whittenberger opened their home based grooming salon.
Andi grew up in North Carolina and moved to Reno, NV in 1997. Andi has over 17 years of dog grooming experience. Andi also has her cosmetology license and a Bachelor of Science Business Administration Accounting degree. Andi has been an avid animal lover and owner her whole life. With a passion for animals, Andi has had the pleasure to care for dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, chinchillas, a chameleon, many fish tanks, and a pot bellied pig named Jake. Currently Andi and Peter have two dogs; Fumble the puggle, Potato the pyrenese, two cats; Evie and Trout, and a ferret; Juniper.
Originally from Montana, Peter moved to Reno in 2007 to pursue his Masters Degree at the University of Nevada, Reno. Outside of the salon, Peter is a practicing video artist whose work uses animation to explore various environmental and landscape issues. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Montana and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno. Peter has presented his work at the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Nevada Museum of Art, the Torrence Art Museum, Harvard University CAMlab, the Sie Film Center, and Superblue Miami. He has screened in festivals, both nationally and internationally, and has been awarded a funding grant from the Puffin Foundation, received the Reno-Tahoe Artists Award for Best in Digital Media, and is a Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Award recipient.