New mobile grooming business offers convenient option for Salina dog owners
There's now a way for dog owner to get their pets groomed without having to leave home.
After seeing a similar concept while visiting Scottsdale, Arizona, Cole Butts brought the idea of mobile dog grooming to Salina, with Top Dog Mobile Grooming.
When he first encountered a mobile groomer, Butts was a little confused by what was happening.
"My uncle had a Great Dane at the time (in Scottsdale), and I just saw someone walk in the backyard and grab his dog," Butts said.
He assumed someone was stealing the dog, but his uncle told him to look in front of the house where the groomer had parked his mobile unit.
"I thought it was just a great set-up," Butts said. "When I looked more into (the concept)...I saw it was actually a newer thing coming to bigger markets. So I thought, why not try it (here in Salina)?"
Bob Butts, Cole's father, said he knew his son had an entrepreneurial spirit and recognized this as a good opportunity to join in, with the two running the business together.
"(Cole) came to me over the years with a lot of different ideas and wanting to be self-employed, and this is the one that I thought there's a need," Bob said.
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Many reasons to want a mobile groomer
Besides a possible months-long wait to get a dog in to see a traditional groomer in a set location, Bob said there are several other reasons someone might want to contact a mobile groomer.
"We're a pretty good niche for (older people), who can't get out to a groomer, for people who have a really nice car and don't want to bring their dog back from the groomer with it shedding," Bob said.
Top Dog wants the owners to be around for the first groom or two, but after the dog gets to know the groomer and the groomer gets to know the dog, the process is pretty simple.
Bob said there are some customers that may have a keyless entry to the house or may leave their dog in the backyard for the day.
"We'll just come and get (the dogs) and bring them back in," Bob said. "So (the owner) doesn't even have to be home."
This kind of service works well for people that may have trouble getting out of work during the day to take their dog to a groomer.
"Our first appointment is generally at 8:30 a.m., and we schedule our last one around 4 p.m., so we're done by about 5," Bob said.
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A love of dogs and the process
For Cole and his fellow groomer Cayman Munson, working with dogs is a fun experience. While they typically work on their own in the two separate units, a small bus and a van, they groom out of, this day, they worked together on a larger dog, Jaxx.
"I just love the dogs and like seeing the end result, from start to finish (of the groom)," Cole said. "Like (with Jaxx), he has a lot of fur on him and seeing all the undercoat that we'll pull off is super satisfying to me."
Munson agreed that seeing the end result is a fun part of the job, but he has also enjoyed being able to see different breeds of dogs.
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"I got to see English bulldogs today before this," Munson said. "I don't think I'd ever really seen one before."
Another perk is interacting with the dog owners and seeing their reactions to the end result.
"There's a good social aspect with the customers," Munson said. "(I) like building bonds with the people around town."
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Schedule an appointment with Top Dog
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Appointments can be made on its website, or by calling Top Dog at 785-404-7778.
Pricing is based on the weight of the dog, with a small dog being up to 20 pounds, medium animal being 21 to 50 pounds, a large dog being 51 to 99 pounds and extra large animal being 100 or more pounds.
A basic package, includes bath, blow dry, nail trim and ear cleaning. A trimming package includes "feet, face and fanny."
Top Dog is willing to travel outside of Salina but charges an additional $2 per one-way mile outside the city limits.
For more information, visit the company's website, Facebook or Instagram pages.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina's Top Dog Mobile Grooming brings convenience to dog owners
