Rebekkah Cottrell offers specialty baths, facials and hydration treatments
WEST LAFAYETTE − A lifelong love of dogs has led a West Lafayette woman to open what she considers a spa to care for puppies.
Rebekkah Cottrell is owner and operator of Blooming Wildflower Pups at 101 W. Railroad St., West Lafayette. He is the only fix, but others may be added in the future. Cottrell prides herself on servicing one dog at a time, knowing that many dogs can be fearful of having other dogs around and many are unable to be trimmed and washed.
“I have dogs that come in that are afraid of water and have high separation anxiety. They do great for me, because it’s just me and them,” she said. “I bathe them, I clean them, I cut their nails and they go home, but they can’t do that anywhere. (Clients) tried.”
At first, he was going to work out of his garage, but zoning led him to find a storefront. She worked as a state test nurse aid for nine years and is still a licensed phlebotomist. She became interested in pet grooming when she began caring for her Bernedoodle, Charlie.
“I realized that a lot goes into keeping them healthy. I took some classes and got certified in pet first aid and CPR, for cats and dogs,” Cottrell said. “I did all that and I just said, ‘I want to do this full time.'”
Cottrell offers basic and full service grooming including nail polish, facials, and hydration treatments. Older dogs, age 7 and older, get a different type of bath with ingredients meant to help moisturize their older skin. She wants to learn how to detox and mud bath in the future for dogs that may need that special care.
“They need different ingredients, more hydration maybe, or maybe they have oily skin and need a different combination,” Cottrell says of older dogs. “But, with that, it has a beneficial PH balance and other ingredients that help with their muscles. It does more than just a bath.”
Cottrell saw his client list grow after three weeks in business. She also organizes for the Coshocton County Animal Shelter.
“The main thing that makes me want to groom is to be with the animals, so giving back and helping them is really important to me,” she said of shelter pets. “They deserve to have spa days like any other dog. Some people don’t take their dogs to the groomers, but older dogs especially need it.”
Blooming Wildflower Pups is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 4 pm Friday and various hours one Saturday a month. Appointments can be made by calling 740-610-5918 and the business can be found on Facebook. The store also offers services for cats.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of experience in local journalism and numerous awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
