Pawtropolis: Finding Affordable Care for Your Dog or Cat in Northeast Georgia

As a new pet owner and a poor college student, I'm stuck between two very difficult worlds - getting everything I think my puppy needs and staying within a meager budget. What's a new pet owner to do?

After much research, I stumbled upon a place that was set in Bogart, Georgia called "Pawtropolis." This place had it all! Grooming, training, boarding, and day care! All at a reasonable price! It seemed amazing but one should never be wooed by a website. I decided to test drive the establishment by taking my seven week old puppy there for her first grooming. Needless to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

With my school and work schedule, the only possible day and time I could go was a Friday at three o'clock. I talked to the receptionist, who was both friendly and knowledgeable, and she, along with the groomer, decided to "squeeze" me in at three. At first, I was apprehensive. Usually when you're "squeezed in," the service is horrible because they're rushing so much, trying to beat the time clock. But since my precious pooch needed a bath and her nails trimmed, I was willing to give it a try. To top it off, Pawtropolis has a special for puppies up to four months called the "Pampered Puppy Program." In this package, the dog gets shampooed, blow dried, brushing, nails, ears and some small trimming, all for fifteen dollars!

Friday came and Sasha, my puppy, and I marched into the establishment, set a little out from the main road. From first glance, I knew this place meant business. The landscaping around the building was just beautiful, everything well kept and taken care of. From the parking lot, I could see a rather large area in the back that was filled with play equipment, toys, and dogs, all of it looking like new so I was surprised to hear that the business had been there since 2001. When Sasha and I entered, an older lady and her beagle were exiting, both looking happy and content. So far, so good!

The woman at the desk was just as friendly as the one we had spoken with on the phone. She cooed over Sasha, calling her by her name and even bending down to pet and play with her. When the groomer came out, she gave Sasha the same treatment as the sales associate as I filled at paperwork. Even though we were just getting a grooming, we were still required to fill out a profile, giving name, number, address, Sasha's medical history, etc. It wasn't too much and it was actually nice to have someone care.

When the groomer took my pup away, I was told it would be another hour or so before she was done, which was longer than I expected but definitely a pleasant surprise - anyone that took that long to groom a dog was certainly doing it corrected. I was allowed to walk around the main lobby or leave and they would call me later. I chose the later and did my grocery shopping instead.

One hour later, I was greeted by a cleaner, happier puppy - her nails filed, her coat back to it's original white and not the reddish-brown that playing all day in Georgia mud can sometimes cause, and a cute pink bandanna around her neck. The groomer even came out and talked about how well Sasha had done and even told me that if I just wanted to stop in every once in a while for a nail cut, it was only five dollars, half the price of the closest pet groomer to me. It was all too terrific. A great experience for both me and my dog.

As I was checking out, I asked the girl more about their services. Pawtropolis is not just a groomer - it's a pet shop, training center, boarder, pet sitting, and dog/cat daycare! Of course, with a new puppy, I was especially interested in the training. Once again, I noticed that the staff was exceptionally knowledgeable. There were many different classes for different levels of obedience of dogs. Once again, I was mostly interested in the puppy level.

For those, the classes were every Tuesday at night for an hour or so. For seventy-dollars, you get four classes and learn how to walk, roll over, sit, down, and coming when called. Other important puppy topics are also covered, like house training, biting, food, toys, and grooming. My favorite part is that the dogs are socialized with older dogs, getting them used to other animals.

The dog and cat daycare was a service that interested me the most. For five dollars and hour or eighteen dollars a day, your dog can stay at Pawtropolis and play with other dogs in their facilities, including both an indoor and outdoor play room. You can even have your dog walked or have a special treat when he or she's in day care! The cats have all these benefits, too, for twenty dollars a day and the two play areas are kept separated so that there's no little brawls!

So, if you're in the Athens area and have a dog, check out Pawtropolis. With it's reasonable prices, friendly staff, and a variety of services to offer, it's well worth the visit.