Aussie Pooch Mobile Dog Wash Blog

At the tender age of 16, Christine Taylor turned her passion for dog-care into a business operation, running a dog wash business out of her family’s backyard in suburban Brisbane. Two decades later, Aussie Pooch Mobile is celebrating its 21st anniversary and has become an international business, with almost 200 franchises worldwide.

Using the skills she picked up at a high school work experience placement at her local vet, Taylor was driven to set up a business that provided an affordable service for dog owners that was missing in the pet industry.

Years later, while on her honeymoon, she realised she could expand her burgeoning grooming business by focusing on just one service- washing dogs- and she turned her business into a premium, mobile franchise.

“That’s where the idea of a trailer on the back of a car comes in,” she told Dynamic Business.

Aussie Pooch Mobile, was the world’s first premium dog wash and now services thousands of dogs a month. Its roving franchise operators allows dog owners the convenience of treating their canine best friend to a professional hydrobath and grooming session, on the familiar territory of their home turf.

International expansion came next for Taylor, and she has almost 200 franchisee operators around the globe, with 150 around Australia, and 50 more spread across the US, Malaysia, NZ, New Caledonia, and the UK. More than anything, she says, the root of her success comes down to the mobile nature of the franchise, which delivers convenience to her clients.

Her service has become so convenient that Taylor believes she’s single handedly created an industry that’s heavily relied upon, and produced a service now seen as essential for pet-owners – but it wasn’t always seen this way.

“You know, people weren’t actively seeking out a professional dog washer, let alone someone who would come to their homes and do it for them,” she said.

“It’s been so successful that it’s now a regular thing. Most dogs come back every two to four weeks for another appointment, and another wash.”

With over two decades of industry experience under her belt she says the core of her business success is the franchisee operators at a local level, who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and finish a job smelling of wet dog hair.

Work/life balance a reality

Taylor says the work/life balance available to Aussie Pooch Mobile franchisees- the flexible hours, outdoors activity and engaging with a variety of customers (both human and animal) – are big draw cards and are large contributors to the business’ huge growth.

Taylor says nowadays, franchises are much more common and easier to set up than they were two decades ago, and all franchise owners really need is a dedication to and a real passion about the business model. She points to the amount of support and business training available online as a huge leg-up for franchise owners, citing the Franchising Council of Australia’s website in particular and the education packages it provides online.

To people looking to start-up a successful franchise, she emphasises the importance of completing background research.

“You really have to do your homework- research into all areas of the business- not only the product, the service, but also research into marketing, your audience- try and do as much as possible,” Taylor added.

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Unfortunately, the warmer weather brings with it the danger of snakes.

It is important to know what snakes live in your area, and what the signs of poisoning are so you can seek treatment immediately.

There are many types of venomous snakes in Australia but brown snakes are the ones most commonly responsible for snakebites and snakebite deaths in both animals and humans. The next most common are tiger snakes, found in the wetter parts of southern and eastern coastal Australia, especially near water. Other snakes include black snakes and taipans.

It is best to find out which types of snakes are most common in your area and their habitats so you can avoid them.

What are the signs of a snake bite?

When the snakes bite they inject venom, which contains a variety of toxins. The neurotoxin is the most important toxin in the venom of Australian snakes, causing paralysis. Snake venom also contains an agent that uses up all the clotting factors that helps to stop your pet from bleeding. Tiger snakes have an additional toxin that breaks down muscle causing damage to the kidneys.

The signs of snakebite vary depending on factors such as type of venom, location of bite and amount of venom injected. Generally, the closer the bite is to the heart the quicker the venom spreads to the rest of the body. Dogs, being inquisitive, usually try to chase or kill snakes and are more commonly bitten on the face or jaw. Cats, being hunters and more agile, commonly receive bites on their paws.

Signs may include:

· Trembling, salivation, vomiting and depression

· Unsteadiness, hindleg weakness, dilated pupils and worsening paralysis

· Respiratory distress, red-brown urine, complete paralysis and coma

· Some dogs may collapse suddenly then appear to recover before showing above signs up to an hour later.

· Death can occur within 2 hours of snakebite, even within 30 minutes

What should i do if my pet is bitten by a snake?

Contact your vet to ensure they have anti-venom on hand and proceed to your vet immediately (without going over the speed limit, of course). The only treatment for snakebite is for the vet to give antivenom through a drip and the sooner the treatment is started, the greater the chances of survival.

The type of antivenom given depends on the type of snake but if the snake is not seen or identified the choice can be made on geographical area, snake venom detection kits or several antivenoms can be given. Hospitalisation will also be required to monitor the animal’s signs and treat any complications.

First aid includes keeping your pet as calm and quiet as possible and applying a pressure bandage – just a firm bandage of any material over and around the bite site - if practical. NEVER apply a tourniquet, wash or cut the wound site. Carry your pet rather than let it walk to avoid speeding the spread of the snake venom.

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