Who’s Who: Aussie Pet Mobile offers pet pampering without the hassle

Published 4:35 pm Friday, December 17, 2010

EDMONDS — For most pet owners, bathing their cats and dogs or carting them off to the groomers means fur-covered car seats and dodging sharp claws.

Edmonds resident Ana Allison and her husband’s franchise of Aussie Pet Mobile takes the stress out of grooming for pets and their owners.

Allison makes house and business calls to pamper cats and dogs out of her pet grooming van, Aussie Pet Mobile. Her van is customized to offer full-service grooming for breeds as small as Chihuahuas and Yorkies and larger breeds including Labradors and Saint Bernese.

An appointment takes one to two hours, depending on the pet, and includes bathing, grooming, trimming nails, brushing teeth, removing undercoat and flea and tick control.

The van is equipped with two 65-gallon tanks (one for heated, fresh water and the other for waste water), a bath tub and a table for grooming that can withstand up to 200 pounds.

Grooming fees begin at $75 for smaller dogs and increase depending on the breed. Allison uses natural, environmentally-friendly shampoos and soaps.

“It’s easy and convenient for homeowners,” she said. “The benefit to the animal is the biggest. Dogs get really stressed, especially older, bigger dogs. This is easy for them.”

Aussie Pet Mobile was created 14 years ago in Sydney, Australia. There are 300 franchises in the United States, Allison said. Allison grooms pets along the west side of I-5, including Mukilteo, Ballard and three ZIP codes across Edmonds and Shoreline.

“I’ve always been an animal person,” she said. “It’s fun for me to interact with these clients every day.”

Her clients include Cosmo, who she adopted five years ago, a Saint Bernese and a couple Labradors.

“They’re great and wiggly,” she said of the Labs. “They jump in the van and slide across the floor. In the tub they’re splashing water everywhere. They love the attention.”

She also grooms cats, even the fat ones.

“Some cats are easier than dogs,” she said. “Cats are the control freaks.”

The mobile service means less stress on pets and owners as it doesn’t require putting feisty cats into kennels or having pets ride in cars, Allison said. Additionally, pets won’t spend time waiting in cages or being passed along different people, like they would at a chain store, she added.

“This way they have one-on-one with their groomer and all the time is spent on them,” she said.

Since starting the franchise last summer, Allison has amassed about 150 clients. Most people are new to the concept of mobile pet grooming services, she said.

“It’s great to be the first on the block,” she said.

After working in the public sector as a construction project manager, Allison opted to switch careers to fulfill her goal of owning a business. She met with a business coach who specialized in franchising. She was introduced to four types of franchises. One of the options involved pet grooming.

“It’s a different level of stress,” she said of the career switch. “This is much happier.”

Once completing months of rigorous training in business and pet grooming, Allison spread the word about her business at pet-friendly events including the ShoreDog festival in Shoreline.

“I felt confident to go out on my own,” she said.

For more information, visit www.aussiepetmobile.com or e-mail Ana Allison at aallison@aussiepetmobile.com.