By By Adrienne McKenzie
There is a new hangout in Atmore for dogs to be groomed, to learn their manners and to stay when their 'parents' must go out of town.
The K-9 Kleaners is a new boarding, grooming and obedience establishment for dogs owned and operated by Eugene and Kathryn Wheeler.
Kathryn Wheeler said her and her husband decided to start this business because there is a need for this type of establishment for Atmore residents.
"I started this with my dogs," she said. "I have five of them at the house and three of my five require maintenance a lot. When I was working with the city, I found that a lot of people need this so they don't have to drive far distances to have a place for their dogs to stay or be groomed."
The K-9 Kleaners has many services available for dog lovers to pamper their K-9 friends.
"We do grooming on all dogs, large and small," Wheeler said. "We do boarding and obedience. We have a pick up and delivery service. We have a doggie daycare for dog owners who can't leave their dogs alone. A lot of dogs can't be left alone because of anxiety. We have some pet supplies and a teeth-cleaning service. We also do toenails here."
At The K-9 Kleaners, a dog owner can order their favorite doggie shampoo. Wheeler said she uses a variety of brands at her store, due to customer fondness.
"Bio-Groom is supposed to be the No. 1 brand," she said. "We use different shampoos for different preferences."
There are many different types of products one can either find or can be ordered from The K-9 Kleaners. The brands Wheeler uses include Double K, HydroSurge, different flea and tick products and many different types of cologne.
Wheeler is not only happy to take in dogs to teach them obedience and groom them, but she also is in the business of finding dogs without a home a good place to live.
"We select a foster dog and until it gets adopted, we sponsor it," she said. "Each foster dog goes through obedience classes, is neutered, spayed and has its shots."
The K-9 Kleaners opened Aug. 7 and had their grand opening Aug. 11. They are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. They schedule appointments, but walk-ins are welcome although not always available.
The K-9 Kleaners is located at 110 West Ridgley St. in Atmore.
For more information call 446-9033.