Pet grooming spa to open near Anna

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ANNA — Local dogs will have a spa of their own beginning June 1.

That’s when Alaina Cox will open Alaina’s Paw Spa at 16378 county Road 25A, Anna. The spa will cater to dogs, and the owner will offer services including bathing, nail trimming, hair cuts, sanitary trims, ear cleaning and flea and tick baths. The services are by appointment only and can be made by calling 937-639-2100. Dog owners who make appointments before June 1 will get a 10 percent discount off the price of the service.

Fees will vary, depending on the size of the dog and the services provided. Credit cards will be accepted.

Cox trained at and is certified by Hair of the Dog Academy in Lima. An Anna native and Anna High School graduate, she has been grooming dogs at Dog’s Tail in Anna for the last six years.

“We both have enough of our own clients, so we’re not taking anyone from each other,” Cox said. Her stepfather, Hank Zimpfer, of Anna, helped her acquire the building. She has made an additional $20,000 investment in equipment and supplies. Cox’s mother, Jan Kelley, of Anna, assisted with interior decoration.

Bright colors abound, from the modern art rug in the waiting room to the bright pink accessories in the workroom. Hooks for leashes are plastic dog tails. The reception desk lamp is shaded in pink, dog bone-patterned fabric. Dog-themed valances top the windows, and lest anyone get the wrong idea about who will be most important at the spa, a large set of wooden letters spelling D-O-G rests on a supply cabinet.

New kennels await occupants. Zimpfer constructed one for especially large animals.

Cox will groom only dogs.

“I’m not a big fan of cats,” she admitted. “My grandparents had a cat when we were growing up that would attack us. That put me off cats.”

She doesn’t own a dog, but lived with three at her mother’s house. Her favorite breed to groom is the Shih Tzu. The largest she has worked on is a Newfoundland; the smallest, a Chihuahua. The dog she would most like to own is a Pomeranian.

When she’s working with animals, the most difficult thing to deal with is meanness: “Trying to control them so they don’t hurt themselves or you,” she said. The biggest challenge in getting the spa open was making sure she had all the equipment and supplies she’d need.

“She groomed all the family dogs to make sure everything was working properly,” Kelley said.

Cox plans to offer monthly specials and to name a Dog of the Month. A grooming session usually lasts for one and a half to two hours; however, Cox requests that owners leave their dogs at the spa for four hours at a time.

The spa will be open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and every other Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Alaina Cox, of Anna, owner of Alaina’s Paw Spa, stocks towels at her spa, Thursday, May 25.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/05/web1_SDN052617DogSpa.jpgAlaina Cox, of Anna, owner of Alaina’s Paw Spa, stocks towels at her spa, Thursday, May 25. Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News

By Patricia Ann Speelman

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4824.

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