Local couple open dog daycare and grooming business - East Idaho News
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Local couple open dog daycare and grooming business

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IDAHO FALLS – After 30 years of working with animals in various capacities, Michelle Martin is the happy owner of a dog daycare and grooming business.

Diggs Playhouse opened at 115 East Anderson in Idaho Falls last month. The business offers boarding, grooming and training services for dogs. It’s designed to be a place where you take your dog if you’re going on a trip. Trainings to teach your dog to walk with a leash, along with good jumping and barking habits, are also available.

Michelle runs the business with her husband, Brenden, and together they run a nonprofit that rescues dogs from being euthanized at the animal shelter. They are then trained to be given to veterans to use as service dogs.

The company caters to all dog breeds, and in the last few weeks, Martin has seen a variety of dogs, including golden doodles, huskies, labs, shepherd breeds, pugs and border collies.

“We get quite a few different ones,” Martin tells EastIdahoNews.com.

Martin grew up in Montana, but has lived in Idaho Falls for the last eight years. She’s loved animals for as long as she can remember and has particularly fond memories of her pet cat as a kid.

Over the years, she’s worked as a vet tech, and been involved in animal shelter and rescue services.

The thing she loves most about animals is the “unconditional love” she feels when she’s around them.

“No matter what, they just love you,” she says. “I don’t think I could ever live without a dog or a cat.”

dogs
Dogs at Diggs Playhouse | Michelle Martin

And she’s honored that customers trust her enough to take care of their dogs.

Matin’s goal with Diggs Playhouse is to make sure no pets end up at the shelter.

She enjoys providing the same level of care that dogs get from their owners and she’s looking forward to interacting with more dogs and their owners as the business gets established.

“These dogs are like our family. Some of these dogs I’ve known since they were puppies and they’re 10,13 years old,” Martin says. “They become your pet just as much as the owners.”

Diggs Playhouse is open seven days a week with varying hours. For more information or to schedule a time to bring in your dog, call (208) 970-7383. You can also visit the website or Facebook page.

ribbon cutting
On the right, staff gather for a photo during the ribbon-cutting last month. | Michelle Martin

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