“I just love dogs. They are 100% pure unconditional love,” says Ivan Lugo.
A smile spreads across Ivan Lugo’s face as he looks down at his pet chihuahua Hermes cradled in his arms.
“I mean, look at this creature,” he says. “He’s so calm, so beautiful. He’s an angel.”
Lugo doesn’t hold back when it comes to talking about his favorite subject—man’s best friend. As the owner of Scottsdale’s Lugari Pet Salon, Lugo has been grooming the Valley’s most pampered pooches for several years, transforming mutts and purebreds alike into showstopping stunners worthy of the title “top dog.”
Finding His Calling
Born and raised in Mexico City, Lugo wanted to be an actor. Charming and outgoing, he commands a room. But like his parents—his mother is a veterinarian, his father a biologist—he instead focused on animals and went to school to become a professional dog groomer.
After moving to Scottsdale in 1999, Lugo worked at various grooming salons and pet resorts in the Valley while making the rounds in the dog show circuit. In 2011, his pup Rocco was named the No. 1 male chihuahua in the country by The Chihuahua Club of America. Lugo was even invited to show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.
In 2017, he opened Lugari Pet Salon.
“I wanted to do something different,” Lugo explains. “I wanted a place where people feel comfortable and where pets feel comfortable.”
The lobby recalls a living room, with white vintage furnishings, comfy seating areas and inviting displays. A glass wall connects the space to the grooming area, giving clients visual access to the salon’s operations. And there are no cages here. Dogs play together freely in a large back room.
“It’s all very relaxed and calm,” Lugo explains. “I always tell people, ‘Your pet is going to have a great experience.’ You can see how we bathe them, how we brush them. I'm not hiding anything from the clients. We like to keep everybody happy here—dogs and humans.”
Paradise Valley resident Crystal Castrogiovanni, owner of dog treat brand Bentley’s Biscuits, has been bringing her two Cavalier King Charles spaniels to Lugo for the past decade.
“There’s absolutely no one else I would trust with my dogs,” she says. “Ivan is exceptional at grooming. He’s at a completely different level. He’s just kind, and he treats my dogs like they’re his own. He has a connection with them, and they just love him.”
Kevin Damato agrees. The Scottsdale resident first brought his chihuahua-dachshund mix Milo to Lugari shortly after it opened its doors.
“Ivan is the only one who did what I wanted. Most of the time, groomers cut too short, and it doesn’t look like the same dog anymore,” Damato explains. “Plus, Milo enjoys it here.”
Not Your Typical Destination
In addition to offering breed-standard grooming, the salon specializes in unique cuts and colors. Japanese-style cuts transform pups into adorable, fluffy versions of stuffed animals, while tails and ears are dyed brilliant shades of pink, red, and orange. A cat becomes a dinosaur with spiky triangles cut into the fur on its back, while a French bulldog receives a cheetah-print dye job.
“The Asian look is very popular right now,” Lugo explains. “We did a cat with a rainbow color. And a lot of our clients love to get their pet’s ears dyed pink or blue.”
Since he first opened the salon, Lugo has groomed dogs from the Tempe-based Lost Our Home Pet Rescue.
“We do makeovers on the puppies, and that way they are more attractive to people, and they get rescued,” he explains.
A Pet Taxi, First-Aid, And a Fashion Show
Recently, he started the Lugari Pet Taxi. It transports clients’ pets to the salon, vet, doggy daycare, and even the park. And, first-aid and CPR classes for both dogs and humans are offered throughout the year at the salon. Additionally, Lugo and his team will help clients organize unforgettable parties for their pets’ birthdays.
But Lugo’s most popular event is Canine Couture, the annual doggie-owner fashion show at the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, the most-attended polo event in the United States. Lugo developed the idea in 2014 after the pet resort he was working for at the time was approached by the polo event.
“They wanted to have something else—not just the polo match, not just the horses,” Lugo recalls.
“When we started the fashion show 10 years ago, people just wore simple dresses,” he adds. “Now, they dress up their dogs, and they dress up themselves. It’s a lot of fun.”
Previous winners have included a woman who dressed her dog like a phoenix, complete with fiery wings and a red, orange, and yellow tail. Another took top honors with a Marie Antionette-themed outfit, with both the owner and her shepherd mix pup decked out in matching silver gowns. One pooch came as Evel Knievel with a helmet and cape, while another was Bob Ross. The dog wore the wig; the human was a paint palette.
A panel of celebrity judges evaluate the dogs on their appearance and the creativity of their costumes. Trophies, grooming sessions, and cash prizes are awarded.
“We are the entertainment in the middle of the main polo match,” Lugo says. “Everybody's having fun. They’re drinking and eating. But when the dogs go into the field, everybody stops doing whatever they're doing and watches the dogs.”
This year’s Canine Couture show takes place on Oct. 26. To register, visit ThePoloParty.com.
With so much going on, Lugo still manages to maintain deep, personal connections with his clients and their pups.
“I love working with dogs,” he says. “I’m very passionate about it. And I think that’s the most important thing.”