Tracey Vasallo, left, manager of Perk-N-Pooch and Renee Guerrisi, co-owner, along with Guerrisi’s basset hounds, Sweet Pea, left, and Buddy enjoy the atmosphere of the new dog wash and coffee cafe.
Staff / Nathan Self
Pet lover and long time rescue owner, Renee Guerrisi and her dogs, Buddy, left, and Sweet Pea, inside the new Perk-N-Pooch dog wash and coffee cafe located in Sandy Springs.
Pet lover and long time rescue owner, Renee Guerrisi and her dogs, Buddy, left, and Sweet Pea, inside the new Perk-N-Pooch dog wash and coffee cafe located in Sandy Springs.
The business, Perk-N-Pooch, is located in the Sandy Springs Crossing shopping center at the intersection of Roswell and Abernathy roads in Sandy Springs. It opened Jan. 1.
“Washing your dog is always a challenge,” said Joe. “You either wash it in your tub at home or outside and it might be freezing and then they get grass all over them.”
Joe said the couple got the idea for the business after they saw a coin-operated dog washing business in California.
After much research, the Guerrisis found there were about a dozen coffee and dog wash businesses throughout the country, but none in Georgia or metro Atlanta.
Their shop offers self-washing at tiered prices, as well as grooming services. It has an express wash, which is 30 minutes and a fluff-n-buff, which is an hour and allows those who want to work out next door the ability to kill two birds with one stone.
Other professional services offered include nail trimming, paw pad trimming, gland expression and de-shedding.
Tracey Vasallo, the shop’s manager, has been in the veterinary medicine field for 12 years, having previously worked with a veterinary dermatologist.
The washing stalls are separate, have a drain in the floor and a metal tub which accommodates 250 pounds.
The shop serves Lakehouse Coffee, which is roasted in Smyrna.
“We really wanted to create a place that offers a good, family- oriented environment. Even if you don’t have a dog, you can still come here as a family,” said Renee.
The store also serves d’Lites ice cream, a low-carb, low-calorie ice cream made in east Cobb.
The couple selected their location because of the future easy access to the Abernathy Linear Park and nearby dog parks. Eventually, residents will be able to walk to the shop from the linear park, according to city plans.
Saturday and Sunday, Perk-N-Pooch is hosting a grand opening event. Saturday, it will have a dog photographer on site and Sunday, Angels Among Us will have rescued animals up for adoption.
“We really just want to be a neighborhood hangout,” said Guerrisi, “a place where people can come regularly to clean and take care of their dogs.”
Information: www.perk-n-pooch.com or Facebook PerkNPooch
(678) 500-9237
We're sitting on about 350 dogs as we speak, and will have a number of them at Perk-n-Pooch Sunday from 1-4 pm, so come out and see some pups! You actually save two lives when you adopt from us; the pup you take home, but it also frees up that Foster to accept another Dog On Death Row into their homes.
Thanks so much to Joe, Renee & Tracey for inviting us! Go Like us on Facebook to help us a little, but also to see the event page.
www.AngelsRescue.org