Tracey Benson has been grooming pets – mostly dogs, but also cats, guinea pigs and birds – for more than 30 years. She’s a certified master groomer, an accreditation bestowed by the National Dog Groomers Association of America. Most of her income comes from her work at Paws Applause in Scarborough. She also works at Dog Loft in Portland, and she owns Spoiled Rotten Pet Grooming in Hollis. Benson likes that with animals, “you never know what you’re getting.” But the noise sometimes gets to her. “It creates a lot of stress,” she said. “No one enjoys the noise.”

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