Suwanee’s Unleashed Creations Pet Spa attracts clients from cities all over metro Atlanta for its unique, luxury-style grooming center with doggy daycare and luxury boarding.
By: Rachel Pillow | Photos by Karl Lamb
When we first met Karina Miller, Owner of Unleashed Creations Pet Spa in November of 2015, she had just opened her business a few months prior and was determined to provide Suwanee and the surrounding community with a unique, top-notch, luxurystyle grooming center with doggy daycare and luxury boarding. Three years later and Miller has hired three additional groomers, two that are National Certified Master Groomers, and has expanded Unleashed Creations’ list of services.
Miller’s background as an award-winning groomer has attracted customers from cities all over metro Atlanta, who drive over 30 miles to bring their dogs to Unleashed Creations Pet Spa. The boarding and doggy daycare portion of her business has been rapidly growing, too. A loyalty rewards program allows customers to collect points for any purchases they make and redeem them for a variety of services, from grooming to boarding. She wants to make all of their offerings accessible and more affordable for loyal customers and has also created packages that include unlimited monthly bath, brush and blowout starting at $39 or unlimited doggy daycare for $350. One day of daycare is typically $25, so for somebody who works five days a week, that’s a savings of $150 a month. Daycare is a great option for people who work too far from home to let their dogs out during lunch breaks or for dogs that could benefit from the added exercise, playtime and personalized attention. “We are great at taking care of dogs with special needs, too. If there is a dog with arthritis or severe anxiety, we will personalize and customize service for the dog. Maybe instead of going outside to play in a group setting, that dog will go outside with one person more often throughout the day,” she said.
Miller is also dedicated to giving back to the community by partnering with local veterinarians such as Tiger Tails and Town Center Animal Hospital, and providing free events and programs, such as “puppy training” every Saturday at 10am. It gives people an opportunity to socialize their puppies, learn training and behavioral tips, and get accustomed to some of the grooming equipment. “We introduce puppies to some of the grooming tools and help familiarizethem with things like the noise of the hair dryer,” said Miller.
FOCUSING ON THE DETAILS
Miller and her team are always trying to come up with creative ways to serve their customers (human and non-human.) “We like to focus on the little details,” explained Miller. For instance, on Valentine’s Day they took photos of the dogs, printed them on Valentine’s cards and had each put their paw print on the card with a personal message to each dog-parent. “People loved getting gifts from their fur-kids,” she said. Over Easter weekend, they held a free “doggy Easter egg hunt” where dogs got to sniff out treat-filled eggs and participate in games and a race in the yard. They also host free “doggy pool parties” in the summer and jump at any opportunity to celebrate holidays with their customers, like offering Irish beer tastings for St. Patrick’s Day.
“This is a small, family business and I like to get to know all of my customers, not just the dogs. For them, they’re leaving their babies here. So, they want to know who the owner is and who the teachers are that are putting their hands on their dogs. I feel so much responsibility here and want to ensure that everyone feels comfortable,” she said. Through free, community events such as the puppy socialization or the Doggy Easter Egg Hunt, Miller opens the door for current and potential customers to learn about who she is and how they operate their business. For more information about Unleashed Creations, visit unleashedcreationspetspa.com