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Hernando Today

A Spa Treatment To Pamper Your Pet

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By TONY HOLT

Published: June 15, 2008

SPRING HILL The owner sees it as live artwork.

The owner Beth's Paw Spa gives each pet her full attention.

They come out of their appointment smelling clean and looking like they could be entered at Westminster.

Each dog and cat is examined, shampooed and dried. The animals are given one-on-one attention.

"Dogs are here by appointment," said Beth Trayer, owner of the Spring Hill pet spa. "A dog doesn't come here in the morning only to sit here all day. I don't believe in that."

The pets are walked behind her Kass Circle store before their baths and then walked again after their treatments are finished. Traver gives them a few breaks in between and gives them spring water and a natural treat — the latter only when the pet owner agrees to it.

The male and short-haired female dogs get bandannas when their treatments are done. The other females get bows.

"She was really helpful and really nice," said customer Sarah Trowell, whose black Labrador and chow mix were treated Saturday by Trayer. "I think I've found the place I really like. That's where I'm going to stay."

Trayer, 47, a native of Massachusetts, said she has been in the pet-grooming business for 25 years.

She attended school in Lynn, Mass., and had run a house-call grooming business before opening her store. She said she has lived in Spring Hill for five years.

Trayer preferred to have her own equipment set up in her own space. The 750-square-foot store includes a bath, with state-of-the-art hoses and nozzles and two tables, which are ergonomically designed to put less stress on the pet.

She can press a button and lower the table so that she does not have to pick up any of the heavier dogs. Trayer said it especially comes in handy when she is working on her customer's 125-pound Newfoundland.

Her shampoos are made from all natural products. She used an emu oil shampoo for both the Labrador and chow mix Saturday.

"It's all repeat business," she said of her clientele. "After the first month, they all have come back."

Typically, pet owners get their animals groomed every four to five weeks, especially in the summer.

Trayer said her customers are particularly grateful for the examination she gives them before every treatment.

She checks the animal's ears, paws, skin, fur and teeth before she puts them in the tub.

"Most animals are only seen by a veterinarian once a year," she said. "It's important that everything is looked at."

Part of her schooling included animal anatomy, so she knows how to identify a rash or ear infection, Trayer said.

Both the Labrador and the chow mix were in large-sized cages waiting for Trowell to pick them up. They looked relaxed and were sporting bandannas. It was the first time they had been with Trayer, so they were spooked by the dryer.

Within a few minutes, they were resting happily and ready to go home.

Trowell said she has tried several local pet-grooming shops and was never satisfied until she took her dogs to see Trayer.

Trowell, who lives in Pasco County, made her appointment after her sister recommended Beth's Paw Spa.

"My sister told me she would trust Beth with her own children," she said.

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz – Beth's Paw Spa

Owner – Beth Trayer

What it is – Appointment-only grooming for dogs and cats

Where it is – 1379 Kass Circle, Spring Hill

Get in touch – 352-684-3833

On the Web – www.bethspawspa.com

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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