Pets, their owners and the community benefit from South Bark Dog Wash’s dedication to quality and service.
By Lizett Bond

Community involvement is a calling that can offer enhancement to any retail business. Combine that service with a sincere desire to improve the vitality of a neighborhood, a passion to provide excellent customer care and an intense drive to succeed merged with the talent to call upon the creativity of past career paths and you have arrived at South Bark Dog Wash in San Diego.

South Bark owners, Donna Walker (left) and Lisa Vella. Photos by Chris McLay, Unleashed Photography

Co-owners Donna Walker and Lisa Vella embarked on their venture in October 2000 in San Diego’s South Park district. They brought with them a host of skills; Walker, with a liberal arts degree in film, video, radio and television, had recently retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service as Chief Photographer’s Mate and filmmaker. She is also a registered veterinary technician and holds a degree in animal health technology.

Vella, with a bachelor’s degree in photography and a master’s degree in educational technology, came from a grocery retail family. An accomplished photographer, Vella is a professor of photography at San Diego City College. Both women were involved in fostering and training dogs and wanted to launch a dog and cat related concern.

When a neighborhood park became a refuge for drug dealers and other riff-raff, they took matters into their own hands and assisted in establishing the Grape Street Dog Park, believing that if the commons became a haven for dogs and their owners to congregate, undesirable elements would flee. And they did. When the time came to open their endeavor, they found a building three blocks from that park.

“We used what we knew to help with our decision as to what type of dog business would contribute to this neighborhood, and at that time there were not a lot of dog washes,” Walker said.

Easy-access tubs replete with an array of usuable products, and a wide range of pet foods on offer, help make South Bark a one-stop shop for its customers. Photos by Chris McLay, Unleashed Photography

After researching the various aspects of their vision, they commenced eight months of renovations on the 1,200-square-foot, 60-year old structure. The women wanted their artistic backgrounds and passions reflected in the décor and ambiance.

“We believe in education and knowledge, and we wanted that, but in a very, very fun, whimsical way,” Walker said.

“When you walk in, you see lots of colors and top-of-the-line products; we believe in good quality necessities,” she continued.

Four dog wash stations are designed in what Walker described as an “island system.” With glass-tiled self-service tubs set up in an “H” pattern, the South Bark team can freely assist customers and maintain cleanliness in the area.

Patrons are also able to visit with each other as they bathe their pets. The middle of the Italian-tiled configuration is higher, allowing a “lift” for shorter customers, making it easier to reach their animals. A rolling metal platform, with a rubberized top, allows dogs to walk onto a grooming table and into their tub. Dog handlers undergo special training and must become store certified before they are allowed to assist customers in that capacity. The enterprise sees approximately 1,200 washes a month.

AT A GLANCE

South Bark Dog Wash Location: 2037 30th St., San Diego, CA  92104 Owners: Lisa Vella and Donna Walker Size: 1,200 square feet Employees: 12 Years in Business: 10 Products and Services Offered: Home of the Blueberry Facial, South Bark Dog Wash offers full service self-dog washing as well as organic shampoos and conditioners. A retail store on site offers a wide selection of pet products, including foods, toys and grooming necessities. Educational seminars, dog training, anesthesia-free teeth cleaning, pedicures, massage and pet photography are also among the services offered. Adoption days with local agencies are featured and, the business offers a wealth of informative links on its website. Website: www.southbark.com

“It really rocks around here,” Walker said.

Not stopping at canine hygiene, Walker and Vella also offer retail merchandise, along with a wide variety of services, including training at different levels, anesthesia-free teeth cleaning, nutrition lectures, photography, nail trimming, pedicures, massage and seminars. By way of these numerous resources, they experience a great deal of repeat business.

“The regulars are hip and open-minded; they are looking for an enjoyable experience with their dog or cat in a happy atmosphere that is fun, funky and educational,” Walker said. “They are people who talk and laugh and enjoy life.”

Initially, they placed advertising in small, local publications, as they felt potential clients were more likely to take notice. According to Walker, the best advertisement is making customers happy.

“They tell their friends and relatives, ‘Hey, you should go to South Bark.’ Really, truly, that’s the best advertising,” she said.

Networking also plays an important role in their success and not only through business groups and community efforts. A visit to the South Bark website yields a wealth of links to other pet-related establishments and area businesses.

“When we first opened up, we started very delicately and then more actively pursuing networking opportunities, and I would actually go into other dog and cat places, introduce myself, and tell them what we were doing because you have a lot more power as a group and more confidence in numbers,” Walker said. “You don’t need to close yourself up because then you don’t have anything except yourself. We really try to connect with other businesses.”

Unique to South Bark Dog Wash is the Blueberry Facial. After the store first opened, Walker and Vella noticed that many dogs left with clean bodies, but their faces often were not given as much attention. The women began to experiment with products to create a gentle facial cleanser. Working with a shampoo company, they wanted something to encourage customers to wash their dog’s faces.

But why blueberry?

The Blueberry Facial is South Bark’s signature offering for both dogs and cats. Photos by Chris McLay, Unleashed Photography

“A couple of reasons,” Walker said. “One, blueberry is a really good antioxidant; it has a nice natural fragrance and it’s blue. We liked that it went with our whole whimsical, yet educational theme, and it’s fun, people remember it.”

Canine and feline clients can partake of the blueberry facials and enjoy the application via a warm washcloth from the store’s new washcloth steamer. A wide range of shampoos and conditioners, organic essential oils and an assortment of complimentary fragrance sprays are available for bathers.

The small retail area is well stocked and makes excellent use of space without appearing cluttered. Offering a wide variety of high-quality foods, including six freezers of frozen raw products, Walker said the store does the volume of a store six or seven times its size and is  No. 1 seller for the area with several companies.

An extensive selection of shampoos, sprays, conditioners and ointments are also available to retail shoppers. South Bark’s private-label “screamer balls” are prevalent at the local dog park. Blueberry Nibbles, an after-facial delicacy, are simple, healthy treats developed especially for South Bark.

In addition to retail, the entrepreneurs have branched out into the wholesale market. South Bark Professional Pet Products is housed in another 1,200 square-foot building nearby. They offer their own private label products as well as pet necessities from other lines. Vella runs that aspect of the business, with three other employees working at that site.

The dog wash and retail store employs another nine staff members, including Walker. The owners place a great deal of importance on their employees and training. They look for dynamic, educated people that are goal-oriented, friendly and polite. Respect and a sense of self-confidence is an essential trait. Sales meetings provide ongoing training, as do informational presentations provided by various vendors.

“We want our customers to have a very, very good experience every time they come in,” Walker said. “We are known for our customer service and have won many awards for that as well as our community service.”

South Bark’s owners believe in using a hands-on approach with their clients. Photos by Chris McLay, Unleashed Photography

Giving back to their neighborhood and community is very important to these businesswomen, witnessed by an array of involvements. Adoption days are hosted several times a month in the store’s large patio area, and they support multiple animal adoption agencies.

Fundraising is ongoing and comprises events for larger organizations as well as for local dog and cat owners who may be displaced due to the economy. They collecting funds and donated goods during the holidays for those in need.

Not stopping at animal-related fundraising, Walker and Vella also contribute to local school fundraisers as well as softball and soccer teams. Both women belong to numerous organizational boards within the community and have watched the South Park district grow as a result of the involvement of community citizens and business members.

These participations have netted them recognition and numerous awards, but that’s not their reason for sharing.

“Community service can be good advertising, but it’s not done to grow your business,” Walker said. It’s done for good karma and good energy, to give back and show that you care about your community, not to drive business. If it’s part of the community and will help build up the community, we will do it.”

In addition to assisting with the establishment of the Grape Street Dog Park, Walker and Vella have been instrumental in bringing the neighborhood back to life by attracting new businesses and supporting those already in existence.

“You are not going to get rich right away in this business, and you have to have passion—but that’s not enough, you need education and drive,” Walker said. “You have to be in it for the long haul, and you have to give back. If you want the community to support you, you have to support it because it’s the right thing to do.”

The owners of South Bark Dog Wash, home of the Blueberry Facial, believe they have arrived at the ideal combination of attributes to face those challenges and have brightened their neighborhood with a revived energy.

“When you walk in, you are greeted with all kinds of visuals, it smells good, everybody is happy,” Walker said. “You can really feel the energy. <HOME>