American Pet Spa - In the News

 

Lauren Hill Article - University of Northern Texas, March 2008 (pdf)

Training Article by Judy Estes, February, 2008

Press Release, 2002
New Pet Spa Offers
Convenience, Affordability and Fun
Modern Pet Care Concept Opens for Dallas Area Dogs and Cats

DALLAS (July 23, 2002) - Do-it-yourself pet spas have been popping up around the country, bringing a new self-serve mentality to the pet care industry. American Pet Spa has opened this relatively new concept of self-serve and full-serve pet care, as well as boarding and day care facilities, in the Dallas area.
Owner Martin Polasko, 44, admits that people often ask, "What exactly is a pet spa?" He says he is happy to spend time educating his clients about pet spas and their benefits.

"Anyone who has a pet knows that cleaning and grooming can be expensive and trying to do it yourself at home can get messy" Polasko said. "We provide an environment where people can walk in with their pets and have all of the necessary tools provided for them to take good care of their dog or cat."
Polasko said that the benefits of the self-serve pet spa are that it is more affordable to do it yourself, it allows "parents" to spend quality time with their pets and it is a convenient alternative to bathing your pet at home.

Starting at $12.95, American Pet Spa supplies its clients with everything they need for a clean pooch: a clean, easy to use bath basin, shampoo, conditioner, brushes, low-heat hair dryers, scissors, nail clippers, breath spray and cologne. The bright colors and clean environment keep the atmosphere inviting for both pets and their owners. The best part is, you don't have to waste your time cleaning up, because Polasko and his staff thoroughly clean and sanitize the stations after each client.

A Pet Spa is Born
Long-time dog lover Polasko opened American Pet Spa in June of 2002. He became a member of the American Board and Kennel Association and researched over 100 kennels across the United States before developing his pet spa. He offers his clients multiple services which allows them the convenience of one-stop pet care. Polasko believes that raising the bar of customer satisfaction and providing a clean and safe facility will be his recipe for success.

Another point of inspiration for the Cleveland, Ohio, native came from a stray dog he had adopted.

"Our dog was frightened by strangers because he had been badly abused," Polasko said. "It was traumatizing for him to be dropped off at a pet groomer. A self-serve atmosphere allowed me to stay with him and was much easier than doing it in my own home."

The self-serve environment is especially helpful for pets with special needs, such as blindness or age-related problems. Polasko is also working to form alliances with local animal shelters and is planning to post lost and found animal postings on their website, www.americanpetspa.com.

An Educational and Family-Friendly Activity
In addition to giving pets "all the love they can handle," Polasko said that one of the missions of American Pet Spa is to educate its clients about pet care. The staff teaches clients how to groom their own dog, educates them about pet diet and exercise and recommends products that will work best with a particular breed.

Polasko also said that he sees many families come in with their pets as a fun activity.

"Parents can bring their kids in to teach them about pet care," Polasko said. "Everyone has a great time. There are water and bubbles everywhere."
For those who don't have the time to do it themselves, American Pet Spa will do it for you. They offer professional grooming services with qualified and experienced grooming stylists.

"We pay attention to every little detail," Polasko said. "It isn't a matter of how many pets we can groom in a day, but rather the level of service that we can provide to each individual pet."

American Pet Spa also offers a climate-controlled boarding facility, which is kept comfortable, clean and safe. The modern boarding area was built indoors to keep the "guests" safe from Texas heat exposure and bug bites. To ensure that there is enough love to go around, American Pet Spa employs five full-time and two part-time pet specialists.

"We spend quality time with each pet at least five or six times a day," Polasko said. "What more could a pet ask for?"