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6A Daily News – Saturday, December 1, 2012 Pets health&activities Do it yourself, doggone it! By Jeff Strickler Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT) MINNEAPOLIS — Rachel Nieder gave her black lab a bath at home once. "But just once," she said. "There was a lot of water, a lot of fur and a lot of hurt feelings." So now the Columbia Heights, Minn., resident takes her dog, Beauty, to the Ollu self-service dog wash in Minneapolis. Both seem happy with the change. Nieder doesn't have to kneel next to her bathtub or worry about Beauty's fur clogging the drain. And when the bath is over, Beauty can shake to her heart's content — the shop provides Nieder with a rubber apron and an attendant squeegees the floor. If the words "self-service dog wash" prompt a double take, you're not alone, said Jodel Fesenmaier, Ollu's owner. When she opened the shop three years ago, she spent half her time trying to explain to customers why there was a need for such a place. "But once they try it, they're hooked," she said. Similar businesses have sprung up all over, and have made inroads into some national chains, including Petco, as part of the $3.5 billion that Americans spend each year on their pets. "You can actually have fun washing your dog," promised Keith Miller, owner of Bubbly Paws in MCT photo Rachel Nieder cleans her dog's teeth while secured in the bath area at the self-serve dog wash area at Ollu Dog Salon on Nov. 14. After trying once to wash her dog at home, she started using the salon. nate with Fesenmaier. The businesses are extremely popular in Southern California, and when she was living in San Diego she used them often to clean her dogs. When Fesenmaier moved back to Minnesota, she couldn't find a DIY wash. "So I drew up a business plan for Ollu." (The name is a nod to her dogs, Oliver and Lulu.) The shops have found a niche with condominium owners, who often lack laundry rooms in which to spray down their pets. The service also is popular among people who own large dogs. (Ramps help get the big dogs into the waisthigh tubs.) The businesses also draw seasonal customers. Among them are Jennifer and Corey Johnson from Brooklyn Park, Minn., who St. Louis Park, Minn. In fact, many dog owners are surprised at how docile their pets become when their owners aren't worried about the logistics of bathing. "The dog is more relaxed because you're more relaxed," he said. The self-service shops also have professional groomers on hand to help with the tasks that make some owners nervous, such as clipping nails. They'll help you pick out the right shampoo, too. But for the most part, it's just common sense, said Kristiana Clough, owner of Country Critters in St. Francis, Minn. "If you can give a kid a bath, you can give a dog a bath," she said. 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"But when it gets cold out, we can't wash him in the yard anymore." Plus, there's the hair, Jennifer Johnson added, which tends to amass in alarming quantities. "He'll leave a couple of pounds of hair behind," she said. "We don't want that in the bathtub." Some customers alternate between using professional groomers and the DIY approach. A bath can be "a cheap way to get out of a few groomings," Miller said. But most groomers don't have an issue with the self-service baths, Clough said. Dogs that need regular cuts, such as poodles, are still going to use a grooming service. "I think most groomers are indifferent" about the trend, she said. "It caters to a different group of people." Prices at the self-service washes start at about $15, depending on the size of the dog and the number of extra services, such as nail clipping. The fee includes shampoo, towels, toothbrushes and electric dryers for the dogs, plus waterproof aprons for the owners. The tubs are sanitized between washes. Some owners have found a social component that's missing from an athome bath. About once every six weeks, friends Annie Salmen and Kasia Chamiec wash their dogs at the same time. They stand at adjacent tubs: Salmen, of St. Paul, Minn., tends to Buddy, a beagle-spaniel mix, while Chamiec, from Minneapolis, washes her beagle-chow, Peanut. "It's sort of a girls' night out," Salmen said. To which Chamiec added: "When we get done, we go have a glass of wine to celebrate our victory." Shelter myths A myth is defined as a fictional story. Many myths exist regarding "shelter animals." These fallacies about the countless animals that have the dreadful misfortune of ending up at a shelter do them a grave disservice. These pets deserve much better than the misrepresentations surrounding them. Perhaps the largest misconception is shelter animals are not good pets, nor could they ever be. The myth is that, if they were good, their previous owners would not be so eager to rid themselves of them. The fact is that the only thing wrong with most of these poor creatures is to have an abundance of bad luck. The majority of these pets were relinquished because of their owners' problems and flaws, not because of their own. There are myriad reasons and excuses as to why an animal ends up in a shelter situation. Too often, the list of reasons given by people for surrendering an animal is as follows: we are moving; we are having a baby; I am allergic; I cannot afford it and I do not have the time. An abundance of unwanted puppies and kittens result from owners who do not have the forethought to spay or neuter their existing pets. Or worse yet, pet owners plan to breed to make an extra dollar or two and find it is not necessarily as rewarding as believed and end up with animals they never had an intention of keeping. Some believe their children must see the miracle of birth, not considering what would happen with the resulting animal. There are those owners who pass away and fail to make the necessary provisions in their will for their surviving pets. A favorite pet can become lost but, without collar, tags, and microchip, reuniting it may be close to impossible. Finally yet importantly, a vast number of those who arrive within a shelter might be considered fortunate, because they have been the ones removed from abusive cruelty situations. The bottom line is because of those people who did not fully understand or care about the implications of responsible pet ownership a steady unrelenting flow of animals enter the shelter system. Another myth believed is the idea that shelter animals are sickly damaged goods. While it is true many come in less than perfect condition, most times it is a direct result of neglect. Often times a good bath, the basics of a decent meal and water, affection, and treatment for fleas and ticks are the only items many of these animals require. There are those that require more such as repair of injuries suffered at either the hands of abusive owners or from being a stray in hostile territory. However, whenever an animal arrives at our own animal care center, it receives an exam and evaluation. In addition, a regime of vaccinations is started and medical conditions noted are dealt with. The center cannot guarantee the longterm health of any animal adopted, however, neither can pet stores or breeders. Unfortunately there is not a person alive who can see into the future. While it is possible that an adopted animal can have medical issues, most are quite healthy and require nothing more than a stable home and caring environment. The same goes for behavior problems. Shelters do not see behavior issues with animals any more often than animals acquired by any other means. Remember this; when pets are bought from anyone trying to make a profit, what is said may not necessarily be in the best interest either for you or for the animal being purchased. Shelters will typically give you all the facts they know honestly. If they do not, then they also realize the animal will come back, something they definitely strive to avoid. Ronnie Casey is a volunteer with Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter. You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at redbluffdailynews.com.