Cleaning Up at Buggy Glo Car Wash and Barking Bath

If you’ve ever had to wash your enthusiastic dog at home, you know the routine: first you scrub up your furry friend, then you scrub up the disaster zone that is now your bathroom.

Cleaning man’s best friend after he’s taken a few dips in muddy puddles can be daunting, especially after you’ve already made the house spotless that day. If this sounds like you, you might want to check out Buggy Glo Car Wash and Barking Bath.

Buggy Glo Car Wash and Barking Bath is the ultimate two-bird-one-stone scenario. Wash your car and your dog at the same time! Barking Bath provides two rooms for dog owners to come wash their pets with a variety of soaps and conditioners to choose from. Water is heated to 105 degrees so your pooch will be warm and comfortable and the air is circulated, so no wet dog smell will linger. Bring a friend for company and enjoy kitschy, doggy-themed songs, A/C in the summer, and heating in the winter.

For ten minutes, just swipe your credit card or insert eight dollars to get Sparky all clean while keeping the mess out of your own home.

Mark Lightowler, who purchased Buggy Glo Car Wash in 2000, is the proud owner of Boston, a 150-pound Bernise Mountain dog, and Bruski, a 140-pound Golden Retriever. After countless messy bathroom bath times and staggering bills at the groomer, it struck Lightowler that other pet owners might experience similar frustration.

“It can be a real mess and I thought it would easier if people could do this somewhere else,” said Lightowler.

Lightowler opened up Barking Bath as an addition to Buggy Glo Car Wash on March 1. He says word of mouth has helped bring in customers on top of advertising and the response has been very positive overall.

“People come in together and they have a fun time,” said Lightowler. “Sometimes one is washing up the dog and their friend is taking pictures.

The baths accommodate all sizes and breeds with a ramp for large dogs to walk up and into the bath. There are high intensity dryer settings for larger breeds and low intensity dryer settings for smaller breeds.

After each customer, Lightowler ensures that each station is spotless. 

To add to the experience, there are also doggy vending machines with various items such as eye, ear and dental wipes for dogs, dental bones, pepperoni treats and dog bone treats.

So the next time it rains and your Husky is as dirty as your Honda, you know where to go. 

Buggy Glo Car Wash and Barking Bath is located at 51 Middletown Avenue. North Haven. For more information, call (203) 495-9945.