Sweet Paws Bakery — Local services in Gainesville

I brought my dog here for a bath Dec. 16th and used the velocity dryer to dry her after toweling her off. The velocity dryer did have a bit of a wet-dog smell to the air that was coming out of it, but this isn't unusual in my experience with public wash-station dryers. I've never had a problem with them before. But this time my dog started getting very itchy after her bath here. It didn't make sense to me because she just got bathed and I used their skin soothing shampoo, but her itchiness continued getting worse slowly until yesterday (dec. 24th) when I noticed she had a strong smell of wet dog (usually actually a yeast infection of the skin). I called this store to let them know what happened and recommended they clean the velocity dryer, but was told "[plenty of dogs have gone through without any problems]" and no apologies or accountability was taken. My dog hasn't been anywhere else since her bath here and rarely ever gets skin infections. Thankfully I'm a vet tech and already had the supplies on hand to treat a basic skin infection and she is comfortable now, but I am very concerned about how this happened. In my experience, skin yeast infections with large dogs can take a few days to present themselves as the itching spreads. And many pet owners won't know that a velocity dryer can essentially spew bacteria all over their dog if the intake filter is dirty and the inside + tubing hasn't been cleaned in a while.

I used their self-wash station for convenience, especially because my dog's coat is extra thick and the velocity dryer is practically a necessity to get her dry in a reasonable amount of time. I trusted that the $15 I pay to use the station means that it's cleaned and sanitized between uses, and the velocity dryer is maintained. But I'm upset that my dog was harmed by their equipment and not even an apology was offered. I would just like to know that the velocity dryer has been sanitized and will be cleaned regularly so this doesn't happen again no matter how infrequently these kinds of things happen (that they are even informed of).

The photos attached are from hot spots on the insides of her thighs, but she had irritated patches dispursed around her back too.

I still put 3 stars because the shop was cute and seems well-maintained and the bath was a decent experience otherwise, aside from what I assume was a dog there for boarding that yapped almost constantly, adding to my dog's stress during the bath but that was minor... Customer service was good until I had to call them about the...

I brought my Cavapoo, Moana, to SweetPaws Bakery when she was 1 month old because I worked long hours and didn’t want her to be alone at home. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed by the team and the daycare pups who were all having a great time. She ended up being a Sweet Paws regular for the two years we lived in Gainesville and we loved every minute. Not only did they make sure she had fun in a safe environment with other playful small dogs, but they helped with grooming by keeping her nails cut and her ears clean (our vet was always impressed) and gave us many memories we won’t forget (paw print crafts galore). They also helped me with any questions or concerns I had about her care, kept me updated on any changes in her behavior, and were even kind enough to offer help with transportation on days when I had to work late or even got stuck in traffic. We have since moved from Gainesville and miss our sweet paws family more than we could say. As an obsessive Cavapoo mom who constantly worries about her puppy, I can honestly say I never worried about her while she was at doggy daycare. They are truly the best EVER and I can’t bring myself to find a new daycare in our new town because I know no one would compare. We will definitely be making trips...

I have been a customer at Sweet Paws for over 7 years and absolutely love it, and so does my dog Lyric. The shop is small and hospitable, and has anything you could want for your very special pup. Great home made treats, a good variety of quality commercial food and snacks, and just an overall great place to hang out and chat with Pat and Colleen and the other regulars that habituate the place. I read some of the negative posts and can't believe those people were in this store, I have never seen such behavior from the owners, they are always friendly and courteous and ready to help you make the best selection. The self serve dog wash is awesome, too!! Can't say enough good things about this place, so do the right thing and support the small local business, you...