Marianne Paton Sue Eslinger and her poodle-bichon, Patches, were among the first customers at Pampered Pup’s new location.

Growing her business over the last 15 years, Pampered Pup owner Mel Young decided it was time to make a move.

“The old place was very cramped and we had outgrown the space some time ago, so it was time to look for a larger facility,” Young said. “This new location will allow us to grow the business even more as we have plenty of room to expand our services.”

Among the first customers to visit the new location was Sue Eslinger of St. James City and her poodle-bichon, Patches.

“The new place is just wonderful, and they certainly needed it,” said Eslinger. “I have been bringing my dog to them for years. They do such a great job and all of the dogs seem to be very happy when they are here. It always amazes me that you hardly ever hear any of them barking and to me, that is a good sign.”

According to Young, Pampered Pub sees as many as 40 dogs a day and employs five groomers and two bathers. Young and all of her groomers are members of the National Dog Groomers Association of America and include Kacey Young Forstner, Cynthia Nicholson, Jackie Sassen and apprentice groomer, Dominee Romple. Serving as assistants and bathers are Nic Spyrnal and Kathy Appolloni.

The recent move by Pampered Pup has allowed more elbowroom for the groomers to shampoo, clip and trim the pets of the Greater Pine Island area.

Young is a master groomer and vet tech and has been grooming pets since 1974. She established Pampered Pup in 1981. Her daughter Kasey has literally grown up in the business and officially joined the staff after graduating from high school in 1998. She now is a very important member of the staff. In addition to her grooming talents, Kasey also keeps track of appointments and helps to manage the retail area of the facility.

“We are used to handling a large variety of dogs both big and small and from puppies to older dogs,” said Forstner. “The dogs also have a wide array of personalities and whether they are timid or somewhat aggressive, we have learned to handle every situation and can groom any dog in the right style and pattern for any breed.”

Among the service offered by Pampered Pup are deep cleansing shampoos, dematting and brushing, professional clips, nail trimming, ear care, skin care and more.

In addition to a much larger grooming area, the new facility located at 4574 Pine Island Road, will enable Young to increase her retail space to offer everything from scented shampoos, pet food, collars and leashes and other pet needs.

For more information about Pampered Pup and the services offered by Young and her staff, call 283-4422 or visit the Web site at melspamperedpup.com