Anne Francis has been grooming professionally since 1996. At the age of 14, she began volunteering at her local animal shelter and knew during those first encounters with animals that she wanted to make a career out of caring for them. Anne is very active in competitive grooming, and has earned numerous ribbons and medals throughout her career. She now serves on the board of the New England Pet Grooming Professionals and regularly contributes informative articles for Grooming Business magazine, a valuable business resource for pet stylists. Her attention to details and vast knowledge of her craft are evident in every article she contributes. Anne co-owns Dog Daze Day Camp and manages the grooming at its sister store, The Village Groomer and Pet Supply, both located in Wapole, Massachusetts.

Presented by leading pet product manufacturer Cardinal Pet Care, the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards were established in 1988 to recognize excellence and professionalism in the grooming industry. Cardinal was founded in Los Angeles in 1948, and currently operates out of Azusa, California. They produce the highest quality pet care products. The Cardinal family of brands includes Crazy Pet, Gold Medal Pets, Pet Botanics and Pet Botanics Naturals. On October 29, Cardinal officially converted their manufacturing and distribution center into a 100% solar-powered facility, showing not only how much they care about the quality pet products they produce, but also about the environment for pet generations to come.