Vanessa G. Photography: Blog

It was literally the “barking lot.” This was my first experience with a professional dog grooming and kennel service. I’ve historically had fur-babies that didn’t require regular hair trims, so I’ve never had the opportunity to visit a grooming business. The Barking Lot, however, was quite a treat for all the little pooches who did have the pleasure of regular visits. Denise Cross, who owns this local favorite, started her business in her home many years ago. She had found a niche in the local market, and as her business grew by word of mouth, so did her facilities. The Barking Lot is located off of Hwy 701 between Elizabethtown and White Lake, NC. Mrs. Cross is a shining example of how you CAN take something that you love and grow that into a business. I’m willing to bet you couldn’t find another dog grooming service with a more dedicated business owner. She truly loves her job, her business, and most of all those shaggy ‘people’ that frequently visit. She is passionate about what she’s doing and it shows! Here she is sharing the love. Doesn’t this look like the kind of person you’d want taking care of your baby while you’re away? And by the way, she has more than a dozen fur-babies of her own!

Denise Cross and I worked out a plan to update the images on her business web site and to provide images for future marketing and advertising pieces. The website is about to undergo a major overhaul, so visit often to see all the great things the Barking Lot has to offer.

On my first visit, I had expected to see a little hair trimming going on, but there was a lot more to it. Blueberry facials, massaging washes, hair drying, hair stylists, and nail artist, were my first few surprises. I’ve never even had a facial! Some of these babies were regulars. Then there was the facilities where pups are boarded, pampered, exercised, and entertained. I even saw a yellow Labrador watching television. Every member of the staff was hard at work, and every now and then they would stop and scratch behind a little ear, receive a slobbery kiss, or provide a little sweet talk to the one fur-baby who was a little nervous about the whole idea. When those canines left the building, they were ready for the runway…or at least ready to see their own special human. (Below is a blueberry facial. And yes, it smells delicious too!)

After a while, I was thinking of checking in for few days myself. A girl could get used to this kind of pampering. I’ve really been looking forward to sharing this experience with you. Maybe some of you will be as pleasantly surprised as me. Be sure to check out The Barking Lot website over the next few weeks to learn more about all the great things going on behind the closed doors. The new images will be arriving on the pages soon!

During my last visit, we took the time to photograph some of the precious paws in attendance. Here’s a few of my favorites…

Pets can become such a huge part of our lives. I call them “fur-babies.” We all know someone who treats their pets like one of the family. They get table food, prime location napping, groomed, spoiled, and praised beyond belief. And why not? They don’t talk back, or say hurtful things to us, are good listeners, and don’t care what we look like. They give us unconditional love.  Clearly we are not the first people to think so highly of our little furry friends. After all, the title “man’s best friend” has been around a long time.

I worked with a family of four recently. These fur-babies had a great time during our session and could care less about the camera. The rest of us were just along for the ride!