IT'S no secret that North Shore residents love their pets, and now they have a convenient way to show it. Aussie Pet Mobile offers dogs and cats in the community pampering treatments, all in the comfort of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. That means neither the pets nor their owners have to go farther than their driveways to get the grooming services they want.
Animal lover Michelle Berg started the franchise about five months ago. "Our service really allows a low-stress environment and one-on-one grooming experience," she says. "No kennels or cages." On the contrary, the Aussie Pet Mobile van is set up like a full grooming salon. Pets are given a 15-step spa treatment that includes a shampoo, blow-dry and brush out as well as nail clipping and eye cleaning. Other services, such as teeth brushing, flea removal, de-shedding and even de-skunking, which is particularly useful on the North Shore, are also available. Those looking for something a little more luxurious can opt for a "pawdicures," massage or aloe skin treatment.
Part of Aussie Mobile Pet's appeal is its ability to accommodate different animals. If your furry friend has sensitive skin, there are a wide variety of specialty shampoos on hand to take care of that. And senior dogs won't have an issue getting around the van. "We've had many elderly pets who aren't very mobile. We have ramps and our bathing tub is low so they can easily step into it," says Berg. So far, the feedback from clients has been good, according to Berg. "We have a very caring environment for their pets and we want to make it a good experience for their pets as well as for their owners," she says.
"We've had a number of people say 'Where have you been? We've been looking for something just like that and finally it's here on the North Shore.'" The business side of things has also been going well, says Berg. "As with any new business there's a lot of money you need to put out to get started, but it's certainly been a very positive experience both for myself as well as for my staff," she says, adding she recently expanded her territory to include Burnaby.
Aussie Pet Mobile started in Australia in 1996 and has since expanded to many different countries around the world, including Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
