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PharmaceuticalrepElissaMaslerof DelrayBeachgroomspetsfor flexiblehourswhilebringingin moremoney.

Dogs don")thave to chasethis truck to catch a bath

.

By SUSANT. PORTPalm Beach Post Staff Writer

Jerry; Julie, Jackie and Joeyhave standing appointmentsevery Wednesday.

The best part for the WestHighland white terriers? Theydon't have to travel far for theirbeauty care. .

That's because theirgroomer drives to their BocaRaton house and parks hermobile trailer on the driveway.She hooks up to water andelectricity; and putstht1 dogsthrough a 15-step spa treat-ment - including bath; mani-cure and pedicure, blow dryand trim.

. "I am pretty into my dogs,"said Sidney Pachelinsky; 60,who .said he also takes his ca-nine quartet to Mizner Park fordinner. . .

Pooch partisans such as.Pachelinsky are just the kind ofpeople Aussie Pet Mobilewants to reach.

Ian Moses, 57,founded thecompany in Sydney;Australia,in 1996, when he brought agroomer down to his family'sbed and breakfast to wash histwo dogs. He soon realized

there would be a good market chise in July.for the service and an even "I wanted to be an entre-bigger one in the UnitedStates. preneur and start my own

He moved Aussie Pet Mo- business,'.'said Masler,29,whobile to Dana Point, Calif., in also is a pharmaceutical repre-1999. Its first South Florida sentative for Pfizer.franchise opened in Pompano She said she thought theBeach in March, followed by pet-grooming business wouldtwo in south Palm Beach allow her flexible hours whileCounty in June. bringing in more money.

The .newest opened Mon- Masler.who said she'sbeen. . ,dayin PortSt LucIe. . an "animalnut"allher life,got

"Instead of driving to the a Small Business Administra-salon, we bring the salon to tion loanof$130,000to start theyou,"Mosessaid. . business.Sherunstwotrailers,

Aussie Pet Mobile was will add a third in January andranked the No.1 miscellaneous . plans to hire a fourth groomerpet franchise in the country by soon.Entrepreneurmagazinein Janu- "South Florida is soary and No.172out of500for all service-oriented," she said. "Ifranchises nationwide. figured there would be so

Moses said he has 180 many people who love. thisfranchises so far.The company service." .

posted sales of about $6million . Each franchisee needsin 2002. $500,000to be chosen, Moses

"It's a huge industry;" said. Each business ownerMoses said. "People pamper hires groomers and dispatch-.their pets almost as much as ers to handle scheduling. Thetheypampertheir kids." . trailersare providedbyAussie

. The mobile pet-grooming Pet Mobile.. .idea appealed to Elissa Masler Nancy Whiteman, whoof Delray Beach. owns the Port St. Lucie fran-

She openedan Aussiefran- SeePETS,2D ~

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Grooming cost hinges on size of dog.,type of service... PEfSfrom ID mobile units in twoyears.

chise, said she opened Mon- O~her such services op-day and has 27 clients. erate IIIt~e area.

Whiteman 48 works as DebbIe Vaughn has runregional man~ge~ for Sic- pebbie's Mobil.ePet Groom-mens and said she thought Ill~ for about fIve.year~.SheAussie would offer a nice saId she handles Jobs III thechange of pace. ' Wellington and The Acreage

"I've been in corporate areas.America all my life. I wanted Vaughn said she travelsto go into business for my- in a full-service .van andself," Whiteman said. "Plus, doesn't rush her customers.my dog kind of smelled." "I take my time to.groom

Whi~eman, who has a animals and do a good job,"Hunganan sheepdog named she said. "It's not like a pro-Bunker, wants to. have six duction line. Customers ap-

I

predate that I can take mytime."

Patrick Johnson, 49,whoruns the Aussie franchise inPompano Beach, said whathe likes most about his busi-ness is that everyonehe dealswith on the job is happy.

Even his wife,Venus."She left her job as a

first-grade teacher to becomea full-time groomer for me,"said Johnson, who used torun an air-conditioning busi-ness.

It all comes back to peo-

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p"'~ f

pIe like Pachelinsky, whosaid he's been using mobilegroomers for 20 years.

Aussie Pet charges from$39 to $79 a visit, dependingon the size ofthe dog and therequested services.

Pachelinsky, who is re-tired, said one of Masler'sgroomers will park outsidehis house for three hoursworking on each of his fourWesties individually.

"I'm a little nuts when itcomesto my dogs," he said.@)susan_port@pbpost.com