Owensboro’s Shammy’s Dog Wash Hosting Fundraiser for Kentucky Animal Rescue
Just look at this sweet angel's face. It is the sole reason I abandoned all common sense and adopted a Golden Retriever puppy that loves to dig and play in the mud, splash in puddles, and roll his body in the grass picking up all the gross stinky scents he can.
He also LOVES to snuggle and get "lubbins" but that isn't exactly fun for us when he smells like wet dog and Frito feet.
Freddie, just so happened to need a bath in a BAD way when I saw Sparky Pet Rescue announce a fundraiser at the new dog washing stations that are now available at Shammy's Auto Wash in Owensboro. I was dragging my feet trying to decide whether to go through the trouble of bathing him when it was raining so much. I just knew as soon as I did, he'd get all muddy and dirty again. I think we are in the clear for a minute, so it's the perfect time to get him cleaned up and support an animal rescue that is near and dear to my heart.
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I have never tried this service before, so I thought I could also give an honest review and hopefully provide some tips to anyone wanting to check it out. I probably should have looked up the website first for information, but I decided to just roll on up in there with just Freddie and some treats in case I needed to bribe him to cooperate.
The first handy thing I noticed was that the side of the tub opens up, so your pup can just hop up in there. Unless they are a total "derp" like Freddie. He was a little unsure of entering, so I had to get his front end up in there and then hoist his rear end up. My bribery plan did not work. But he was happy as a clam once I got him clipped in and ready to go. Bonus points for the AC in the booth because I was expecting it to be muggy and stank. It wasn't at all.
There isn't a lot of instruction, but it's pretty easy to figure out. Just put your card in and you push the buttons you want as you move through the process. I was expecting each step to be timed, but it wasn't, so Freddie got plenty of shampoo time before I realized it and moved on to the rinsing. The soap and conditioner come from the water nozzle which makes it super easy. If your pup uses a special shampoo for allergies or whatnot, you could skip right to the rinsing button and use your own.
You know what I didn't bring though? I was totally kicking myself for this silly mistake. A TOWEL. I just figured since there was a blow-dry portion at the end of the wash, I'd be fine, but I didn't consider needing to dry MYSELF off. I got pretty soaked.
Freddie is a major shaker. In the past, when I have bathed him at our house, I end up having to wipe down the whole bathroom multiple times. Not having to do that was definitely one of the best parts of taking Freddie to Shammy's. Here he is enjoying the warm breeze of the blower.
From start to finish, you have 15 minutes for shampoo, conditioner, flea treatment (I skipped this step), and blow dry. Looking back, I wish I had done the soap and rinse quicker to have more time to blow dry. It seemed as though you could add a couple more dollars for more time, but we just left with him still damp. Once he figured out how to get down. Sweet boy!
He loves hanging his head out of the window, so he air-dried and fluffed up in all his golden glory.
I'll definitely be returning the next time Freddie needs a spa day! It was so much better than killing my back leaning over our tub or hosing him down in the backyard. Now is the perfect time if you want to try it out. From today until August 27th, both Owensboro locations, 2524 Frederica St. or 1401 Carter Rd. are giving 50% of the proceeds from the dog wash to Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky.
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