Before Wag’n Wash opened for business on a Tuesday in September, West New York native Janie Semprevivo washed one of her own dogs.
The East Rutherford store – which Semprevivo initially wanted to open in Hoboken – is a rare breed in this part of the country, although self-service dog washing stores similar to Semprevivo’s exist throughout the Western United States. Semprevivo said her dog was one she found in a trash can after some kids had poured battery acid on it and left it for dead. She discovered the wounded animal when she was feeding strays outside her former job in Elizabeth.
When Semprevivo isn’t adopting dogs, dogs adopt her – such as her dog Daffney, an 11-year-old beagle springer mix, who crept into her car when the door was open one day, caught a ride home, and never left.
Now, both dogs share the store with Semprevivo as she grooms other dogs or rents space for people who might want a place to wash their own dogs.
The smell of lavender gently scents the air. Semprevivo believes the smell and the quiet atmosphere helps calm the animals brought into her shop. She usually lets an animal sit and soak in the atmosphere for a while before she grooms them. Animals, she said, particularly dogs, sense the vibrations. They can feel the anxiety of a place or its people. If both are calm, the dog is likely to stay calm, too.
Was always a rescuer
Semprevivo said she has always loved animals from the day she was five years old and her father brought home a dog for her. Like Semprevivo, her father often rescued strays from near where he worked in Newark. Over the last decade, Semprevivo has taken on a similar role, whether in West New York or in towns like Hoboken or Elizabeth. Over the years, she has managed to help more than 170 dogs find homes on her own or as a volunteer for an organization called Abandoned Pets. She still does fundraising events to help animals.
Letters of praise that Semprevivo has received from people she has helped say she has “a natural gift of empathy and compassion” when she is dealing with animals. Dogs especially seem to soften up and melt the moment they meet her. Before making the plunge into an animal-related business, Semprevivo worked as a marketing professional for a major food company for over 25 years. She always believed she should be doing something with animals, but was always afraid to take a risk.
“I was always afraid I wouldn’t be able to bring home a steady paycheck,” she said.
In 1993, Semprevivo combined her adoption efforts with grooming in a program called Raining Cats and Dogs in Hillsdale. It was there that she got the idea she might become a dog groomer. Later, she attended the Nash Academy of Animal Arts in Edgewater and eventually earned her master groomer certification. From 1996 to 1998, she worked as a groomer in other people’s businesses. All the time, she kept thinking she wanted a business of her own.
After some research, Semprevivo discovered the concept of wash-your-own-dog shops and went to work in a Texas store for a week to find out how they operated.
Financing was a problem
Long before she actually sought loans to set up the business, Semprevivo collected equipment – asking that any gift friends or relations gave be in the form of pet supply gift certificates. In four years, she had $13,000 worth of equipment.
Getting a loan, however, proved more difficult than she imagined. With 25 years of experience in marketing, she knew how to present her case to the financial sector. Yet despite submitting a comprehensive 100-page business plan, seven banks rejected Semprevivo. Finally, she called a woman’s group in Washington D.C., who directed her to the New Jersey Economic Development Commission, which has a program for small business owners, women and minorities.
“I got a call from a person there who said she didn’t think I would qualify,” Semprevivo said. “I asked her to read my plan. A month later she called me back saying they would give me the loan.”
Holistic approach
Holistic care for dogs is a concept Semprevivo found out about after attending some trade shows. She learned how herbal remedies and a friendly atmosphere can help calm animals. Everything in her store is organic. She uses no preservatives or chemicals. She uses tearless shampoos and conditioners.
In order to maximize comfort for humans and animals, Semprevivo worked with an architect to design three stations. Each has a tub at an appropriate height for a human to comfortably bathe different sized dogs. Each tub is equipped with restraint systems to keep the dog from injuring itself. Above each tub is a 15-gallon shampoo dispenser. Each station is also supplied with towels, combs, and other items with a nearby drying station complete with blow-dryer. Water temperature is regulated, and surfaces are designed to keep the animal from slipping.
Dogs, she said, like to be touched, and she gets a lot of abused dogs that have been traumatized. She also said a lot of men want to bond with their dogs, something that happens during the bathing process. Customers come from everywhere in Hudson County as well as Bergen and Essex Counties.
The cost for self service is $15 for the first half hour and $5 for every 15 minutes after that. People generally take about 45 minutes to wash their pets. Many people come after work with their dogs, so Semprevivo has adjusted her hours to help meet their busy schedules. People can wash their dogs or have her wash them from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Semprevivo also provides a grooming service. All customers must present vet records on pets showing medical records. She keeps a detailed record of her own about what pets may be troublesome. One small dog she had to groom hates to have its nails clipped. She has to put him in harness to keep him from nipping her as she clips.
People wash more than dogs, she said. Some have brought cats, some have brought ferrets.