STUTTGART, Germany -- Keeping a dog in a bathtub is tough " unless you’re using U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s new dog wash machine at the Panzer Auto Craft Shop, that is.
The dog wash, located in the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Auto Crafts Center on Panzer Kaserne, held its grand opening June 17, complete with free dog washes, dog treat giveaways and a cook-out for owners, in honor of the Auto Craft Shop Customer Appreciation Day.
“This is a great step forward for all of our community’s dogs,” said Col. Carl. D. Bird, USAG Stuttgart commander, as he cut the ribbon opening the dog wash room.
But it was one giant leap for dog owners.
The dog wash is the first of its kind on a military installation in Europe, according to Samantha Helm, who works for the Family and MWR Community Recreation Division.
The wash is a self-service, money-operated machine with an enclosed metal bath area and a detachable shower head for dispensing products from shampoo to hot air.
“It’s the same as a car wash,” Helm said. “You have a rinse feature, you have a shampoo feature, you have a conditioning feature, and it also ... has blow dry.”
Waiting guests can sit on couches in a dog-themed waiting room and watch television.
The wash was a huge help to dog owners like Devlin McCauley and her family, who brought their border collie and chow chow mix, Sugarbear, to get a bath June 17.
“It’s hard to wash her at our house,” McCauley said about her pooch, who had the appearance of a small grizzly bear. “I have to sit with my blow dryer and try to get her dry.”
In addition, the dog wash saves families like the McCauleys money. It costs $5 for 10 minutes, compared to the ,70-80 it can cost at a German grooming facility, McCauley said.
The wash’s high walls also prevent pets from escaping, which was appreciated by another community member at the grand opening, Cindy Anderson.
“Just having all the mess contained, having her contained … this is much better than wrestling our dog in the shower or doing it under a hose outside,” said Anderson, while bathing her dog, Whisky. “We’ll be here often.”
More than 30 dogs visited the wash June 17, indicating that the facility is a much-needed acquisition.
In fact, Family and MWR purchased the wash because so many community members were already involved in the garrison’s other pet-friendly events, such as the dog show. “We asked them what they’d like to see [and] we talked about a washing station,” said Ron Paoletti, Family and MWR Recreation Division Chief. “As they say, the rest is history.”
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