DIXON – There’s a new beauty salon in town looking for clients – of the furry, four-legged variety.
The Pup House, owned by Sloan Dalton Coss, 25, of Dixon opened Sept. 13 in a bright blue building at 527 Depot Ave. which is almost as happy as its new owner.
Coss is a Dixon native and a 2016 graduate of Sterling High School.
She moved to the Denver area of Colorado for a few years, where she discovered her love for working animals in the boarding and grooming industry – and also a love for herself.
Feeling homesick, she persuaded her partner, Chris Riffle, to return to Illinois with her.
“I love working with dogs,” said Coss, who shares four with Riffle. “It changed my life after I started working with dogs.”
When he first got home, he and Riffle were grooming the dogs on his grandmother Barbara Coss’ back porch.
When he saw a small, then faded yellow building for sale in the Dement Town neighborhood, however, something clicked.
“I felt like it was something I had to do,” Coss said.
Now she and Riffle groom dogs five days a week, from 8 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday. They also offer pet waste cleanup services.
If all goes as planned, sometime down the road there will be an expansion. Coss also owns the lot next door, which has a large two-story garage that he hopes to convert within the next two years to a doggie day care and an around-the-clock kennel.
He said he really enjoys being a part of Dixon’s thriving small business community and what he sees as a renaissance of sorts happening in his town.
“I appreciate the small town business vibe,” he said.
He also has no regrets about leaving the big city.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Coss said. “I love it. It feels so good. I want to go home.”
Find all kinds of adorable puppy photos, including before and after shots, on the Pup House Facebook page. Call 815-677-7756 or email [email protected] for an appointment or more information.
