Business Matters: Self-serve dog wash reaches Robbinsdale

Описание: At Robbinsdale's newest business there are two dogs in tubs, and the rub a dub, dub part can be done by the pros or by you.

Opened Dec. 5, Bark and Bathe is the latest in a string of self-service dog wash businesses to crop up in the metro since the entrepreneurial concept first took hold on the West Coast years ago.

"It's a way to keep the mess out of your house and bring the mess to us, and we'll clean up after you," said Karen Moe, co-owner of Bark and Bathe.

Moe and her business partner, George Selman, are the first to open a self-service dog wash and dog salon in Robbinsdale, a city that they say has a high population of dog owners.

"I think the self-serve gives the owner a way to connect with their dog," said Moe. "A lot of times people are very uncomfortable leaving their dog, they don't know how they're going to be treated, where we're trying to take the fear out of that."

The business offers both self-service and full service options for dogs as well as grooming. Organic shampoos and conditioners, as well as brushes and professionals dryers are provided in the service, which is priced according to the dog's size and weight. The prices for self-service ranges from about $10 to $20.

Judy Bauley of Plymouth brought her Doberman pinscher named Piper in for a wash on Monday. It was Bauley's second visit to the new business. She says she realized she could actually get Piper cleaner by bringing her in for a wash than she could do at home, where it's challenging to find a good space to wash the dog, and it's more time consuming to deal with all the clean-up afterwards.

"You walk out of here, the dog is dry, the dog is happy, the dog looks like a million bucks, and I don't have that huge mess," said Bauley.

Alexandra Renslo reporting

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