“We are unique because we offer a one- stop shopping experience with all these concepts, not just one,” says Elias, who emphasizes that all products are high quality, natural, and made only in the United States or Canada.


responsibility to help grow his family’s thriving business. “My brother Joel had the idea for this business when he was only 12 years old. He’s 15 now, and helps out when he can.” Joel’s brainstorm for a dog wash in Carmel Valley


DIRTY DOGS This One-Stop Shop Caters to


CALLING ALL


Four-Legged Friends by Debra Novak


due to a lack of time or patience for grooming or a bad back, many individuals with frisky, puddle-playing pups and knot- ted mutts look to businesses such as Dirty Dogs for do-it- yourself tubs for bathing Fido.


M 20 Elias Btesh, store manager for the Dirty Dogs’ Carmel


Valley and Cardiff locations, was attending school in Santa Barbara and working as a lifeguard in 2008 when his dad called and asked him to help out. “We’d only been open in Carmel Valley for four months, and our five tubs were already in constant use,” says Elias, who assumed the management


San Diego Edition


ost guardians of bath-averse canines have learned from bathtub wrestling experiences that their furry friends would rather skip sudsy moments. Whether


evolved from his initial concept of do-it-yourself grooming to include one-of-a-kind, cage-free grooming by experienced in-house groomers. Grooming is now only one aspect of a storefront that also sells natural grooming products, as well as natural dog and cat food, treats, supplements, toys and gear. “We are unique because we offer a one-stop shopping experience with all these concepts, not just one,” says Elias, who emphasizes that all products are high quality, natural, and made only in the United States or Canada. The growing popularity of cage-free grooming appoint-


ments, which typically take 90 minutes, has led to another store expansion. “Our 1,400-square-foot Cardiff store, which only opened in 2010, is adding another 700 square feet in order to offer a larger selection of products that our four-legged friends can enjoy ,” enthuses Elias, who proudly points out that the company employs 22 people from nearby communi- ties. “There is a lot of work involved in training our associates on the 5,000 items in our inventory. However, we want them to be knowledgeable about products, so that they can educate our customers on what’s best for their pets,” he advises. From the neighborhood kids who can’t resist stopping by


to meet the Dirty Dogs official greeter, Simon, Elias’s loveable Chihuahua sidekick, to the 85-year-old who drops off a pup for a quick bath, all ages enjoy the fun and colorful stores that offer something for every pet lover. Elias believes that the niche Dirty Dogs has carved out will continue to grow, and says the proof is in his customers’ response. “Everyone who comes here says the same thing: ‘I’ve never been to a fun pet store like this one,’” states Elias. “And that’s exactly what we intended.”


Locations: Carmel Valley - 4639 Carmel Mountain Rd., Ste. 101, San Diego 92130; 858-259-3647. Cardiff - 2107 San Elijo Ave., Cardiff 92077; 760-944-3647. Visit DirtyDogsAndMeow.com. See ad on page 9.


www.na-sd.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36