Brian Hoksbergen is the owner of The Mud Puppy Do-It-Yourself Dog Wash in Mission Viejo that opened three years ago in the Los Alisos Village Shopping Center at Trabuco and Los Alisos.

It’s not a stretch to say Hoksbergen is a dog lover. He's had many throughout his life. All have been adopted from a shelter, and almost all were in sad condition when he got them, the very dogs most people would pass over.

Not Hoksbergen. Describing one heartbreaking bald, cowering dog in a back corner of a shelter’s kennel, he remembers saying to the dog "You’re coming with me."

With the love and care of Hoksbergen, his wife Karla, who works a full time job in the medical field, and son Travis, who’s currently in college, all their dogs have thrived.

For the past 20 years, Hoksbergen has owned a real estate company, and he’s not planning to give it up.

But when the real estate market slowed down, he got the chance to act on an idea inspired by a frustrated friend recounting what it’s like to give his dog a bath. 

"It’s an ordeal," his friend told him. "Water all over the bathroom floor, dog hair stuck to the walls, cabinets, the bathroom door and floor. dog hair in the tub—trying to clean away most of it before it goes down the drain creating a clog."

His back hurt from bending over for so long, all the while trying to prevent his dog from jumping out of the tub.

The idea hit Hoksbergen. Like most dog owners, he knew the challenge of bathing canines, especially the ones that don’t want any part of it.

He went to work designing every detail for the do-it-yourself dog wash.

The workstation includes:

• A dog restraint to safely and conveniently bathe a dog
• A tub at waist level to help avoid back pain
• Professional grade shampoos
• Grooming tools
• Towels
• An apron
• A hair blower
• Staff to help get the dog up and down the ramp to the tub
• No cleanup afterwards—the staff does that

They also offer a grooming service.

Prices for basic dog wash:
20 lbs or less        $13
21-75 lbs              $15
76 lbs +                $17

Hoksbergen is hopeful about the growth of his business. "Four well-established businesses in this shopping center have disappeared," he says. "And I'm still here."

Location: 22902 Los Alisos, Unit O, Mission Viejo

Phone: 949-951-3414

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.