Dogs and their families have been enjoying the self-service dog washing machine at Sparks Park in Carterton this summer.
As temperatures soar into the 30s, the K9000 Self Service Dogwash is proving popular – since opening on July 1 last year, there have been 1050-plus washes through the machine, operator Karl Tuarau said.
“Over the Christmas-New Year period from December 18 to January 8, there were 185 washes.”
Two regular clients were keen to show Midweek how much their pooches love getting wet, clean and flea-free in the machine at the park on Belvedere Rd.
Chocolate labs Tank and Harley, known as the ‘Double Trouble Chocolate Lab Brothers’ are both eight years old. They are litter brothers and even let their four-year old ‘sister’ in the machine to wash them too.
Then we have Pepper, a near two-year old Huntaway-heading cross.
“Pepper is a very regular customer of ours,” Tuarau said. “She hates the dryer but she doesn’t mind a wash.
“She is taken to Sparks Park every week and she receives a wash every time she goes down. Sometimes she can be a little naughty and go for a swim in the pond [when there is water in there] or she can come out a little muddy at times, when the water is low, or gone altogether. So she gets a wash so she can go home clean.”
Accepting coins or Eftpos, the machine costs $12 for a 10-minute wash, with an extra five minutes for $4 and a 20-second grace period to clean up at the end if people run out of time. With warm water and a choice of shampoo, conditioner, flea treatment shampoo and a blow dryer, the dogwash machine is receiving good feedback online. It’s also open for use 24 hours day, with a spotlight available.
Tuarau operates three self-service dogwash machines at Carterton, Plimmerton and Paraparaumu. More machines could be on the way for Wairarapa, he said.
“There’s criteria for us to meet, so if other Wairarapa towns meet these criteria, then absolutely we will put some more in.”
Visit the Facebook page K9000 Self Service Dogwash Carterton – Sparks Park for more information.
