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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE A new business in the city is providing pet owners some peace of mind and pets with pampering. The Good Dog Spot opened Jan. 4 at 40 Old James St. offering dog grooming, day care and a "spaw." Dogs and cats, too who take in the "spaw" treatment receive a bath with a natural shampoo, a nail trim, eye and ear cleaning, a brush massage and blow-dry and that bath takes place in a special "HyrdoSurge" tub with massage action with classical music played in the background. Owners Elizabeth Powers and Lisa Peloquin told the Chicopee Herald the services they offer pet owners are unique in the Chicopee area and fulfill several trends they are seeing. Their dog daycare services provide dogs with needed socialization, Peloquin explained. Younger pet owners are working longer hours meaning their pets are home alone. That time alone can result in destructive activity from boredom and separation anxiety, she added. In the Good Dog Spot's play area, two dogs, an American bulldog and a Newfoundland, play with Powers and Peloquin. Powers said the dogs in the daycare program arrive in the morning have a schedule of resting and exercise as well as snacks. The schedule is designed so the dogs are relaxed when their owners come to pick them up between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Powers explained that all dogs must go through an evaluation process because "daycare is not cut out for every dog." The dogs will be separated by size and temperament by retractable fences soon to be installed in the exercise area. Powers and Peloquin also offer a variety of obedience and training classes at their shop. The two women are experienced in the pet care field. Peloquin, a Chicopee resident has been a groomer for six years, while Powers, of Easthampton, has six years experience running a kennel and is the only certified kennel operator in western Massachusetts. "Our aim is happy dogs," Peloquin said. For more information, contact the shop at 534-1333 |