Karalina Tepko gets the thick fur of her dog, Ciao Ciao, ready for shampoo. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

Uptown Dogs and Cats owner and groomer Judy Griffin, with her rescue dog, Old Man. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

Steve Misczuk and Chris Warlick use the professional hair dryer on their German Sheperd Kaiser. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

By Shelley Smithssmith@salisburypost.com

Dog and cat owners now have a place to conveniently bathe their furry friends, leaving the mess behind at Uptown Dogs and Cats on Statesville Boulevard.

All you need to bring is your pet and a leash. Uptown Dogs and Cats will handle the rest.

Oatmeal shampoo, herbal ear cleaner, towels, an apron, brushes, cotton balls, a professional warm air dryer, grooming table and a waist-high tub are all included in the price at the do-it-yourself dog wash.

Uptown Dogs and Cats, owned and operated by dog groomer Judy Griffin, opened in 2004 on Jake Alexander Boulevard, offering grooming and retail. Five years later, in 2009, Griffin wanted to expand.

"I thought Salisbury desperately needed a do-it-yourself facility, and, apparently it did because it's been very successful," Griffin said. "I also did it for the dogs.

"Many dogs who have come in here have never had a bath. It's so good for their circulation, coat and attitude. And then some dogs just plain hate it."

Griffin opened at her 2125 Statesville Blvd. location in October. The building already had tiled and rubber flooring, perfect for the do-it-yourself enterprise.

"You can come here, pay a little bit of money, do it yourself, leave the mess behind and go home with a sweet smelling dog," Griffin said. "When you bathe your own pet, it is a great bonding experience."

The do-it-yourself service is for dogs and cats, and prices range from $7 for a cat or Chihuahua, to $15 for an Old English Sheepdog or St. Bernard. Labradors or German shepherds run $13. Griffin also offers a frequent washing club — for every five washes, the sixth is free of charge.

She can also provide a toothbrush with toothpaste, cream rinse, coat conditioner with aloe, critter chaser shampoo and whitening/brightening shampoo for $1 extra. For $2 extra, Griffin mixes a medicated shampoo for allergies and also offers sulfur and tar shampoos. She can also trim your pet's nails for $5.

"If the shampoos I mix for the different skin conditions work, I write it on the dog's card," Griffin said.

Customers Chris Warlick and Steve Misczuk have used the do-it-yourself facilities twice for their German shepherd, Kaiser.

"I love it, especially during the cold months," Warlick said. "For the price they offer, you can't beat it."

Misczuk said he is sure Kaiser enjoys the tub and spray nozzle more than the water hose at home.

"You know the water hose is terrible for them," Misczuk said, adding that it saves him time and trouble at home as well.

Griffin, a foster parent for Faithful Friends Animal Sanctuary and mother of seven rescued dogs, wants to use her larger facility to host pet adoption clinics this summer for Faithful Friends and the Rowan County Humane Society.

"I now have room to do that," she said.

Griffin said she is thrilled with the success of the do-it-yourself services, but her passion remains in grooming. She grooms about 10 dogs a day, and is booked three weeks out.

"For the convenience of my clients, they can drop off their pet before work and pick it up by 5 p.m.," she said. "The dog can stay all day if it needs to."

By June, she hopes to have another groomer to service walk-ins and form their own clientele.

"This is one of the few businesses in the United States that has felt a minimal impact from the recession," she said. "Most people who get their dogs groomed are committed to their dog's health and well being."

Griffin also offers grooming tools, clothing, treats, beds, collars, leashes and other accessories for sale at Uptown Dogs and Cats.

"I really, really love what I do," she said.

Uptown Dogs and Cats is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Grooming appointments should be made three weeks in advance, and do-it-yourself services are available all day.

For more information, call Uptown Dogs and Cats at 704-636-7260.