JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Wag N Suds, a self-service dog washing and retail business, will not be closing its doors anytime soon after receiving community support.
Wag N Suds store manager, April Archer, said last week that she and the owner talked about closing down the shop because of financial issues.
“Me and the owner decided to make a post on Facebook that explained our situation and all the struggles we had gone through,” Archer said. “And because of that, it has blown up and had been amazing. The community has truly come together and has supported us the last four days.”
Wag N Suds offers a Do-It-Yourself, self-service dog wash for owners to be able to wash and dry their dogs. They have both high rise and handicap accessible tubs. They also provide grooming, and have an array of different items for furry friends in their retail space.
Archer said she was shocked to find out how much the community came through for their business.
“It’s been amazing and it’s crazy to think that so many people didn’t even know we were here,” Archer said. “But we’ve been blown away, speechless, like they’ve truly emptied the store. Amazing donations. I mean, they’ve been great.”
Resa Munt is a new customer who recently found out about Wag N Suds through Facebook.
“We saw the post and just the story was just heartbreaking that they were having to have the possibility of closing the doors down,” Munt said. “I started sharing the post and I saw more and more friends on my Facebook. And so I asked my niece and her friend to make a drive with me down here this morning and let’s check it out to where we can be able to start shopping with this local business.”
Munt drove to Wag N Suds from Bristol and believes it’s important to support small businesses in the region.
“This is somebody who had a dream and tried to make that dream come true,” Munt said. “We have got to take care of our small businesses. I work for a small business up in Bristol, and it is crucial when you have a good customer base, it seems to go hand in hand and it makes the community a little bit better.
Before the recent community support, Archer said they were planning to close within a week.
“If it stays the way it is, we definitely won’t be closed,” Archer said. “Like it has truly been amazing, the outpour of the community coming together for us. So at the moment, the doors will stay open.”
Archer said they also plan to do a fundraiser with the Appalachian Humane Society soon.
Currently, Wag N Suds has two employees and are looking for more.
Archer said she wants people to know Wag N Suds is veteran owned, has a friendly and helpful staff, and that active K-9 law enforcement and military dogs bathe for free.
Wag N Suds is open from Wednesdays through Sundays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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