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Kylie says "I just love the way I look when I leave the spa."
"We get more beautiful with every visit to the Red Hydrant don't you think?" asks both Laci and Desi.
...again thank you Cloud 9 for these pictures. They were taken at a recent portrait day at the Red Hydrant.
NEWS ARTICLES
The following article appeared in The Tampa Tribune, Business Section, on Monday, October 2, 2006.
Red Hydrant Dazzles In Pink
HOSTS BREAST CANCER EVENT BARK FOR A CURE
By CAROLE DICKEY
cdickey@mediageneral.com
During October, pet owners walking into the Red Hydrant Pet Spa and Boutique in Land O Lakes may be dazzled by the color pink.
During the entire month, Red Hydrant, 2446 Land O Lakes Blvd., will be raising money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through their Bark for a Cure event. "We decided to host Bark for a Cure when some of our favorite customers were diagnosed with breast cancer," said Roman Giamarese, co-owner of the pet spa.
One of those customers and honorary chair of the event is Beth Vener, 63, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May.
"Our big emphasis is on being aware. It can happen to anybody at any time," Vener said. When she first noticed a lump, she was complacent, believing it was just a cyst, she said. "My mothers always had lots of them, and so did my mother-in-law, so I wasnt worried until a friend worried for me," she said. She went in for tests, was diagnosed with cancer and is now undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
"Do your breast exams," Vener said. "Go for your yearly mammograms, and make sure your friends do too."
The Red Hydrant, where she takes her four dogs an American Eskimo, a poodle, a miniature pinscher and a Yorkshire terrier endorses Veners admonition to be aware. As a reminder, the boutique will offer literature about breast cancer self-exams and supportive topics for cancer patients during October. In addition, when pet owners make a donation to the Florida Suncoast Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, their dog will receive a pink bandana. The boutique will also have the bandanas available for non-spa pets as well.
Also during October the boutique will feature a variety of pink products, including collars, toys and treats. "A portion of all the pink sales will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation," Giamarese said.
For more information, call 813-235-4707.
The following article appeared in The Loop, the regional edition of the Tampa Tribune on Wednesday, August 2, 2006.
Red Hydrant Pampers Pets
NOSE TO NAILS GROOMING
By CAROLE DICKEY
cdickey@mediageneral.com
When Colleen Cook was looking for a dog groomer for her toy poodle, Paris, she wasn’t sure which way to turn. She had been taking Paris to the same groomer all his life until, due to the groomer’s death, she was forced to change.
“I didn’t know who to take Paris to and I was really worried. Then I heard about them.”
“Them” is Martin Ellis and Roman Giamarese, owners of Red Hydrant Pet Spa and Boutique in Land O’ Lakes, which opened about seven months ago.
“I came here and interviewed Roman for about 30 minutes – how do you do this, how do you do that,” Cook said. “It’s all worked out very well. Paris loves it and I’m very happy with it.”
Caren Clisset, who also has a toy poodle, Little Man, heard about the spa from her sister.
“Word of mouth spread very quickly because the guys do such a thorough job and they’re so gentle with the animals; you feel comfortable leaving them here,” Clisset said. “You feel like you’re sending them to a spa instead of to a dry cleaners.”
The word about the spa seems to be getting out. In the short time the spa has been open, Ellis and Giamarese, the only ones working for the first two months, had to add three people to their staff.
“For a new business, we probably are exceeding our goals tenfold. We couldn’t be more pleased,” Giamarese said.
The Red Hydrant includes both dog-grooming services and a retail shop that sells practical, fanciful and humorous items for personal use and gift-giving.
Ellis, a member of the National Groomers Association of America, said most of their clients come in for their complete spa package. That begins with an evaluation of the dog and of the needs or special requests the owner may have.
“We identify the age and activities and food types the dog has so that we can come up with a groom or trim that is like the breed as well as something that is easy for the owner to maintain,” he said.
Grooming begins with the pads, then grinding the nails to smooth off the rough edges. The grinding is a gentle vibration that is less intimidating than the classic nail clipper, Ellis said.
“Instead of cutting your nails at home with the nail clipper, it’s more like getting a manicure and it’s going to be a more finished, complete look, and it lasts longer,” Giamarese said.
From there, the groomer moves to the prep stage, cleaning the ears, possibly plucking hairs from the ear canal and shaving the sanitary areas both from an aesthetic and hygienic standpoint, Ellis said.
“Then we put them in the tub, or Jacuzzi, as we call it,” he said.
Selecting an appropriate shampoo requires some decision-making. They have shampoo for animals with skin challenges, veterinary-quality medicated shampoo, hypoallergenic shampoo, vitamin-enriched shampoo and shampoo for white dogs, which makes the coat a little brighter, he said.
After applying a light conditioning, if needed, the dogs are hand-dried.
“We would never put an animal in a cage to dry. That’s not good for the animal and not good for the coat,” Ellis said.
While the dogs get their spa treatments, owners can browse the store.
“We carry one brand of food only, Royal Canin all-natural dog food, because we feel so strong about it and it is a brand of food that is known for having breed-specific formulations,” Giamarese said. “They customize the food to counteract and direct the needs toward some of the specific challenges of those breeds.”
One of the vendor’s newest products is a dental-hygiene food.
“It’s great for removing the tartar and it also helps on puppy bad breath,” Giamarese said.
In addition to practical needs like food, dog treats, dog bowls, placemats, leashes and collars, the spa carries beds in car shapes and a line of custom beds where the customer can choose the design and fabric.
“Our pet owners are also pet lovers,” Giamarese said.
To accommodate them, they carry dog-bone picture frames, coffee mugs with images of dogs and cats on them and whimsical dishes, such as one with writing on it that reads “Everything tastes better with dog hair in it.”
The spa also has poodle purses and humorous dog treat jars, plus a line of Buccaneer items, including dog bandanas, dog bowls and coffee mugs.
“So mom and dad can have their Buccaneer coffee while the dogs are having their Buccaneer bowl,” Giamarese said.
One row of shelves displays children’s picture books featuring dog or cat characters and some how-to books for adults, such as a yoga book. The yoga book shows the owner how to teach the dog to do the exercise, which is important to shut-ins or others who find it difficult to walk the dog.
“Dogs are much smarter than we are when it comes to exercise,” Giamarese said. “When dogs wake up in the morning, the first thing they do is a really good stretch. They get up, they drink some water, they go outside, they are really good about meeting their basic needs. We can learn a whole lot from them.”
Red Hydrant, 2446 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 235-4707.
The following article appeared in The Laker, January 25, 2006.
Pet Spa and Boutique Opens in Land O’ Lakes
By Jeanne Norton
Staff Writer for The Laker
The Red Hydrant Pet Spa and Boutique not only has a catchy name, it has something for every dog owner in the area. First of all, it is a full service, all breed grooming salon. Grooming is by AKC standards and includes nails, ears, corrective work, and ornate grooming with hand scissored finish work. They can also do what is called ‘shed out’ which removes the undercoat. This help to eliminate residual odors, excess shedding, and the need to shave your dog down. The Red Hydrant can handle large dogs, special needs dogs, and service dogs. It has a unique electronic table that is lowered to allow dogs to step up on the table. This is a wonderful feature for dogs with arthritis and aching bones.
The boutique is stocked with unique items for dogs, cats and dog and cat lovers. You will find pet supplies, pet care products, stationary, picture frames, decorative and fun food bowls, all occasion cards, cookie jars, and pet clothes. They offer natural and holistic treats such as popcorn, nachews, and fortune cookies as well as industrial strength chew toys. There is an assortment of humorous books, best selling educational children’s books, veterinarian approved pet recipe books, and even a book that includes a frisbee. Candles offer aromatherapy for you and your pet and burn for 90 hours.
‘Doggles’ block UV rays 100% so are perfect for boating and other sunny day activities and also protect pets’ eyes while they enjoy car rides with their heads hanging out the window. Dog ‘poo’ bags attach to a leash for easy use during walks. Beautiful designer dog carriers are airline approved.
Buy a Good Karma rope toy and a portion of the purchase price benefits The Rescue Train (www.rescuetrain.org). You can also order a custom dog bed for your best friend in a variety of shapes and sizes with a washable filler and cover made from one of over 20 different fabrics that are offered.
Red Hydrant owners Roman Giamarese and Martin Ellis both have extensive business experience in customer service. “We have two Shar Peis of our own named Sydney and Muriel and we love animals so this is a perfect business for us,” said Giamarese. “There are some exciting plans in the works for the Red Hydrant including trunk shows for dog clothes as well as other new additions to the boutique.”
Land O’ Lakes resident Suzanne Lichtman has been taking her dogs to the Red Hydrant since it opened. “I have two Australian shepherds named Roxy and Pebbles. I consider them my fifth and sixth grandchildren and I wouldn’t have them groomed any where but at the Red Hydrant. Also, Roman and Martin are great guys and I wouldn’t trust my dogs to anyone else. You know the way most dogs get frantic when they know they are going to the groomer? Well, when I pull the car up to the shop, the girls know where we are and get really excited. It’s obviously a good experience for them.”
If you are a pet lover, you owe it to yourself to experience the fun that a visit to the Red Hydrant Pet Spa and Boutique will bring.
Ellis is a member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America. The Red Hydrant Spa and Boutique is located at 2446 Land O’ Lakes Boulevard (same center as Big Lots). Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment for grooming, please call (813) 235-4707. You can also visit their website at www.theredhydrant.com.
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