Nick Sorrell, the owner of Muddy Mutts Pet Wash and Grooming, said he and his partner wanted to bridge a gap in the peninsula pet grooming market.

Last July, they started their self-service pet wash. After about four months, however, Sorrell said that customers were requesting a groomer. Now, Muddy Mutts is still self-service, with the option of professional grooming. Sorrell recently broke down some of the details of the Soldotna-area shop.

Q: What are the benefits of opening a self-service grooming shop?

A: Outside, one of the more popular options is self-service. We wanted to offer the community a dog grooming option on any budget.

Q: What have you learned since you opened one year ago?

A: People really love their dogs around here. There are lot of outside dogs here, and owners of outside dogs haven’t had a great thorough bathing option until now. We’ve learned the importance of pet care, and how it helps the community to have clean pets.

Q: What makes your pet grooming shop different?

A: We are self-serve. To my knowledge, we are the only one around here who does that.

Q: What does the self-service include?

A: Large waist-high wash bays, shampoos, conditioners, aprons, microfiber towels and a large drying room complete with hydraulic grooming tables, blow dryers and brushes.

Q: Is there a large demand for pet grooming on the peninsula?

A: The area has had a growing number of groomers for several years, but Muddy Mutts was our effort to provide a one-stop shop for all our customer’s pet cleaning needs. Only have time for a quick bath? We have that option. Need extra time to give your dog a deep condition, blow dry and brush out? That’s an option too. Need to drop them off for a full bath, brush, nail trim, haircut? We have that too. We aim to make all of our prices and services competitive with the hope of establishing ourselves as a premier pet salon locally.

Q: How do you get involved in the community?

A: We have hosted obedience clinics and are hoping to host a 5K next summer for people and their dogs. Also, we offer free washes to all personal service dogs and law enforcement service dogs.

Muddy Mutts is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and is located at 35677 Kenai Spur Highway, near Soldotna.

Reach Victoria Petersen at vpetersen@peninsulaclarion.com.