Beloved Manhattan Dog Groomer Died Doing What She Loved

MANHATTAN, IL - A woman who has been called “The Dog Whisperer” and “Debbie Doolittle” died the day before the Fourth of July holiday shortly after collapsing in the Manhattan dog grooming store she owned and operated over the past several years. Debbie (Seguin) Neville was the woman so many trusted with their dogs, Nikkole Neville - Debbie’s daughter-in-law - said.

“She had a major love for dogs and all animals,” Nikkole said. “She was like the neighborhood pet mom. If someone found an injured rabbit, they would bring it to her and she would nurse it and set it free.”

Debbie, a mother of three and grandmother of six, was one of nine siblings. All have dealt with heart-related issues and the five who preceded Debbie all died before age 62. Debbie was 58.

Nikkole and her husband, Danny (one of Debbie’s children) live in Virginia and were on their way to see Debbie in Manhattan the day before the holiday. Nikkole remembers receiving a phone call about two miles away from the shop hearing that Debbie had collapsed due to heart failure and would not be able to pull through.

“She knew we were coming for the holiday and would be reunited,” Nikkole said, noting how special the Fourth of July is because several members of the family have served in the military. “That’s what has held us together. She knew we were on our way to see her.”

Debbie followed up on her lifelong passion for animals when she opened the All Paws & Claws dog grooming business on North Street in downtown Manhattan. It had been a dream come true, but she needed to take out a $12,000 loan in order to make it happen.

But with her health deteriorating over just the last few months, the grooming business had not been able to keep up and only $1,000 of the loan was paid back, Nikkole said.

So she and others in the family have turned to a GoFundMe effort are looking to raise $15,000 to cover the loan and funeral expenses.

“The business is something she fought to keep open,” Nikkole said. “It was her dream, but with her health she started losing customers because she couldn’t handle as many per day.”

But that didn’t stop dog lovers from reaching out. Over the years, All Paws & Claws would have clients from all over Chicagoland.

“She would take dogs the major shops wouldn’t,” Nikkole said. “She would take in the underdog. Dogs that people didn’t think would stand a chance. She was the dog whisperer.”

“Anyone who knew Deb knows that she had a huge heart and would help anyone (fury or not) who needed it,” Nikkole wrote on the GoFundMe page, which as of 7 p.m. on Monday has raised more than $5,000. “Her infectious smile and laugh touched anyone who knew her.”

Photo provided