Dogs have always been described as man’s best friend and when it comes to caring for our four-legged friends we want the best. Pups and Tubs is a dog grooming business on Monroe Drive, run solely by its owner and founder Raymond DeLeon. DeLeon started Pups and Tubs in 2013, after being in the dog grooming business for sixteen years.
“I wanted to open my own business because I had been dog grooming for so long,” DeLeon said. “I wanted to work for myself.”
Pups and Tubs provides a friendly, welcoming, and safe environment for both dogs and humans alike. In the entrance of the shop, metal crates sit on top of the window sill, where dogs yap continuously to get your attention. Dana Richie, a freshman at Grady, walks past the storefront every afternoon on her way home from school.
“I always love seeing the different dogs sitting in the window when I walk home from school,” Richie said.
Pictures of various dog breeds hang on the walls inside the shop with signs that say “Warning, Waggin’ Area” and “Live, Laugh, Bark”. Over the wooden counter, grooming equipment and the dog-grooming process is visible to customers. DeLeon believes this laid-back setting plays an important part in the grooming process.
“It’s a relaxed environment. In a lot of grooming shops, it’s like a factory, so the dog gets stressed out,” DeLeon said. “When you have a quiet place, dogs are more calm, …I can groom them faster and quicker because they cooperate.”
This one-man business seems to work well for both DeLeon and the dogs. The dogs get personal attention from DeLeon, who describes the shop as more intimate than other places.
“It’s more one-on-one. When you go to different grooming shops you never know who’s going to groom your dog,” DeLeon said. “With me they know that there is consistency, so it’s going to me and it’s going to be the same haircut each time.”
Though many dog grooming businesses strive for a cute haircut, DeLeon said he prioritizes caring for the dogs.. While the dogs stay at the Salon, they are taken outside and given water regularly.
“I want to make sure, number one, that the dog is safe,” DeLeon said. “Number two, the dog is healthy. It’s not just making them look good; the dog has to have its nails done, the ears have to be cleaned properly, make sure that they don’t have fleas. The most important thing for me is the dog being comfortable with the haircut.”
Along with the standard haircut, Pups and Tubs provides two grooming packages for furballs. The Full Service groom provides a haircut,a sanitary clip and other extra services. The Mini groom provides those services, along with fluffing and eye trimming.
Neighborhood local Anita King and her dog Kerry are regular Pups and Tubs customers. She believes DeLeon has gone above and beyond to make sure that Kerry is healthy.
“Raymond has told me about of problems Kerry had that I wasn’t aware of, such as when his skin problem started,” King said. “At one point Kerry had an ear infection that I didn’t know he had.”
King is not alone in her praise of DeLeon’s service.
“He’s like Dr. Dolittle,” said Bonnie Rosmarin, who has been a Pups and Tubs customer for three years. “Any dog that comes to him is so comfortable.”