Hibida Mazariegos is a very kind, funny, determined person who always has a smile on her face or is making jokes. Hibida likes to get things done and always is very determined. She has curly, reddish-brown, medium-long hair. She is petite but that doesn’t stop her from grooming large dogs.

Hibida used to work as a house cleaner but decided that it was time for a change in her work life. She then started working at a dog grooming place and has been working there ever since. She has been working there for at least four years and doesn’t plan on leaving soon. Grooming dogs can be pretty difficult especially when you just start working there. Hibida didn’t have any prior experience working with dogs but she was able to learn quickly about what to do and the routines. “When I started working, it was at first a bit hard but I tried my hardest to learn quickly,” Hibida said. “I got the hang of things and was able to do that.”

When she gets to work she sees dogs getting bathed already, so she goes in and helps dry the dogs. What she does at work changes so she doesn’t have the same routine everyday. She clips nails, dries the dogs, and brushes them. Currently she is learning how to cut their hair but she isn’t that experienced yet. Stress does come with her job. Some dogs don’t cooperate, bark a lot, try to bite, or move around too much. Hibida said, “Grooming dogs may sound easy to some people but it can get difficult and stressful when the dog tries to bite you or just doesn’t cooperate with you.” Hibida told me a story while I was interviewing her. She told me that when she was working she had to get a new dog from the garden so someone can start washing the dog. There were several dogs all surrounding her but when she walks away a big dog jumps on her back causing her to fall. She told me that it hurt a little bit but it’s a funny story to tell.

Hibida benefits the community a lot with her skills in dog grooming. She helps out the dog owners who don’t have time to clean their dogs or don’t know how to. She also helps the dogs feel nice and clean. Along with the other groomers, she helps the owner of the company have a good business so people can keep coming back. 

Hibida has always been a hard worker and determined person. She did go to school for a bit but never finished. She wanted to start working to help out her family. She came to the United States from Guatemala 23 years ago to have a better life with her husband and to help her family in Guatemala. She has four kids and half are already out of high school. Her second-oldest child, Michelle, who is 20, told me that, “She is very loving and funny but she can get a bad attitude if you don’t listen to her.” I have known Hibida and her family for a long time and I agree that she is very funny and kind. 

Her family is her biggest influence. Hibida told me that, “My family helps me feel happy and not feel the stress that comes with the job.” She loves spending time with her family. She likes to go out with them or even just be all together at home. When some of her kids or her husband isn’t home, she likes to play with their cat or just lay with him. She also likes to take early walks in the mornings. 

Talking to her was very interesting and I enjoyed learning more about Hibida. She told me a lot about her job and I was just really curious to learn more. In conclusion, Hibida is a really skilled, hard-working dog groomer who also helps the community.