By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
Dogs might not necessarily like Wash-N-Go’s do-it-yourself dog wash, but it seems that their owners certainly do.
The dog wash, located in front of the Wash-N-Go car wash on John Small Avenue, opened about three weeks ago, according to co-owner Ross Boyer.
The building, built by Boyer, features professional equipment by P.D. McLaren Unlimited, including a metal wash tub, dog ramp and squeeze hose. The squeeze hose can be put on different settings, including shampoo, rinse and condition. Boyer said there also are settings for outdoor dogs, including “De-Skunk,” “Flea/Tick Shampoo” and “Oatmeal Treatment Shampoo.”
A wash costs $5 for 10 minutes. The automated payment center accepts bills only, not change.
“It’s usually plenty of time, unless you’ve got a humongous dog,” Boyer said.
He said business has been “catching on” since the dog wash opened. It seems that dog owners have to get used to the idea of a dog wash similar to the Wash-N-Go’s do-it-yourself car wash. The car wash and dog wash have some of the same settings.
“After they get over laughing, they realize it’s a good, little service,” Boyer said.
He’s had a lot of positive feedback since the wash opened, mixed in with a few suggestions.
“One lady suggested we have a suspended hose for big dogs,” Boyer said, adding that he plans to install the suspended hose soon.
He said people have complained about the location of the wash tub, which is situated in the back, right corner of the building. Sitting against the wall, it’s hard for people to move around and completely wash their dogs.
Boyer said the tub was strategically placed as far away as possible from any electronics, including the coin machine, to avoid an electrical outage.
“You know how dogs are when they shake,” he said with a laugh.
The location of the tub was the only qualm first-time user James Tyson had with the dog wash. Tyson, who finished washing his 2-year-old mutt, Spooky, in 10 minutes, said it usually takes about three times as long to wash his furry dog.
“It’s really nice,” he said about the dog wash.
Tyson said he was surprised how cooperative his dog was while getting scrubbed down. Of course, after Spooky was let off its leash, the dog sprinted outside and shook itself several times.
Mary Ellen Foreman, who was waiting in line behind Tyson and Spooky with her 2-year-old son, Gabe, and their two dogs, said she saved a lot of money by using the dog wash.
Foreman shaved her dogs, a long-haired Chihuahua named Lucy and a golden retriever named Oliver, herself, and paid $7 to have the dogs bathed. She said it usually costs about $100 to get the dogs cleaned and groomed.
“I like it,” she said. “I saved a lot of money; it’s easy to use.”
Foreman, who is pregnant, said she usually washes the dogs in a bathtub, but the dog wash saves her from having to bend over.
Lucy was the first of the two dogs to be washed. Lucy was relatively cooperative, besides some soft whimpering and shivering. On the other hand, Oliver, or Ollie, as Foreman often calls the dog, refused to walk up the dog ramp to the tub. Only after Foreman picked up the hefty dog, did it cooperate. Halfway through the wash cycle, Ollie began to make a break for the ramp before Foreman grabbed her dog.
After she finished cleaning Lucy and Ollie, Foreman said, “Next time, I’ll bring a towel and collars.”