This idea is brilliant!

July 24, 2006 issue - When Belfont, Pa., resident Denny Barger needs to bathe his three Great Danes, he heads for his local car wash. But don't call animal cruelty just yet. He's there for the newly installed self-serve pet wash. Once there, he leads his dogs up a ramp on the side of a big tub on stilts, chooses a shampoo (some washes offer gourmet blends with oatmeal or tea-tree oil) and sprays them off with the provided shower nozzle. A hair dryer is also included. For $5, the mess—and the wet-dog smell—all stay on the premises. "Oh my, yes, it's worth it," says Barger.

Car-wash companies are increasingly trying to ramp up profits by adding self-serve pet-wash stations. PD McLaren Ltd., which manufactures the washes, reports that sales have significantly increased this year. It sold just 40 units between 2000 and 2002, but has already sold 80 in the first six months of this year. "Three years ago people laughed and said, 'How stupid is this?' " says Pete Weiblen, marketing manager for GinSan, another company that makes pet washes. "Now, all of a sudden, they're all over the place." Experts estimate that there are more than 700 combo car-wash/pet-wash companies nationwide; the self-serve washes are also popping up at condo complexes and as stand-alone businesses with cutesy names like Shampoodle and Dog Gone Clean.