Andover Business That Dirty Dog Needs Your Support

The new coronavirus has changed life for all of us. Local businesses have taken a huge economic hit, but communities are finding creative ways to support the establishments they know and love.

In an effort to help local businesses in our communities stay connected and succeed, Patch will shine a light on some of them through a series of Q&A articles during this time.

That Dirty Dog is one of the businesses in town facing struggles during the coronavirus. You can lend your support by reading more about the company, below, and by contacting them here.

Tell us about your business and its history in your town.

We are a self-service dog wash and full service pet groomer with a mission to improve the lives of pets and those who love them. We opened up in February 2019 and were just starting to have consistent monthly performances due to the incredible customers who have supported us in our first year.

We are also involved as a sponsor and committee member of the Run for the Troops 5K non-profit to raise funds for veterans and their families as a way to give back to those that have given so much to our country and community. Andover is a very dear place for me as I have family roots that go back over 120 years and prior to opening up my first business I worked in Andover at HP/Philips Healthcare for over 25 years.

How has the new coronavirus impacted your business and its employees?

With a solid foundation to build upon, 2020 was starting out to be a year of strong growth. That was demonstrated by a recent hire at the beginning of March to add capacity in our full-service grooming and the hopes about April and May to be our busiest time since opening in our self-service dog wash with the warmer weather upon us.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced me to close the business until it is safe to reopen. The statewide order considers grooming to be a non-essential business category. Therefore, I've had to lay off my employees and we are anxious to get back to work as soon as possible.

How can local customers support you now and in the future?

We would be grateful if our customers would purchase an eGift certificate of any amount. The gift certificate can then be used for any purchase once we reopen (self-service, full-service grooming or retail.) They do make a unique gift for a family member or friend that has a pet and may want to give our services a try. Anyone can go to our website to buy one.

Additionally, people can share our business information with others that are dog and cat owners. They can do this by liking us on Facebook and sharing our posts within their own circles or simply by sending our contact information onto others.

If someone has been a customer for either the self-service and/or full-service grooming and had a positive experience, we ask they write a positive review and post a photo of their dog on public sites like Google, Yelp or our Facebook review page.

Lastly, we hope our customers will work together with us on finding dates for their pets' grooming appointments when we are able to reopen as we expect some pent up demand and we will fit everyone in as soon as possible. We hope they stick with us as we want to do all we can to fulfill our mission and serve our customers to the best of our abilities.

Do you have any words of encouragement for your community?

Andover is a community built on the strength of our relationships that in many cases cross generations, with traditions that are centered around family, helping each other and celebrating our differences. I believe if we remind ourselves of these fundamental tenets, we will outlast these times of crisis. The strength of this community can't and will never be compromised.

Are you offering any special services, promotions or hours during this time?

We are offering online eGift Cards.

Are there any other outstanding businesses in town you think deserve some community support?

Lady Black Tie.

Do you own a local business in need of a feature on Patch? Fill out the questions in this form for consideration. Or, check out Patch's full list of resources for small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

Thank you, and stay safe!