New dog grooming store to offer pet day care

PORT CLINTON – This summer, locals and tourists who fear leaving their dogs alone while they visit the lakeside shops or set off on their boats will have a safe and comfortable option: the doggy day care at Nauti Dog Grooming.

Nauti Dog, which opened in Port Clinton on February 1, will offer daycare for dogs Monday through Friday and every alternate Saturday.

“People who want to get their boat out but don’t want to take their dogs can drop them off here,” said Shelly Garcia, owner of Nauti Dog, of Catawba. “I don’t offer boarding, but boaters need a place to send their dogs for a few hours so they can go out and do whatever they need to do.”

Nauti Dog Grooming is a full service dog groomer that offers baths, ear cleaning and nail services.

“We offer full grooming services with a trimmer cut and styling scissors,” Garcia said. “I do all races and sizes.

Garcia started dog grooming as a hobby a few years ago and enjoyed it so much that she decided to make it her profession. Before opening Nauti Dog, she became a certified groomer at Diamond Cut Grooming in Medina.

“I did this for my friends and family as a hobby for a while,” she said. “I worked at Fremont for a really good accounting and human resources company, but I knew I didn’t want to do this forever. “

When Garcia learned that a dog grooming business on Maple Street in Port Clinton was closing, she decided to buy the store and change her profession.

“I love dogs, so I turned something I love into something I want to do. I decided to take my hobby and start my own store. I didn’t want to groom myself for a big box store. I had to find something that I could do on my own, ”she said. “I needed a change, and it keeps me standing. I am busy all the time.

Garcia said she spent the entire month of January remodeling the store to create a barbershop vibe. She painted the walls pink, installed white and black checkered flooring, and bought a barber station in a former barbershop.

“I always wanted to own my own home,” she said.

Garcia said she was a little worried about starting a business in the midst of a pandemic, but hasn’t stopped being busy since opening.

“I thought that with COVID, am I doing a good thing? ” she said. “But I was full three weeks before the opening. I would post about the remodeling progress on Facebook and people started calling, calling, calling.

Garcia’s only employee is her 16-year-old daughter, Alexis, who helps her on weekends and after school. Garcia enjoys her new job and wants to keep the business small so that she can give personal attention to her clients.

” It’s really fun. It’s fun to see all the different dogs, ”she said.

According to client Shannon Wolford of Port Clinton, the dogs are having fun too. His Shih Tzu, Duke, was often afraid of groomers, but he enjoys visiting Garcia at Nauti Dog.

“She’s so sweet to him, and he really loves her,” Wolford said. “Duke looked and smelled great. She took very good care of him.

Nauti Dog Grooming, at 133B Maple St., can be reached at 419-635-8440.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.