OTTUMWA — Some people just stared in disbelief when a local business owner said he was preparing to install Ottumwa’s first self-service pet-washing machine.

That didn’t stop Jeff Tharp, who is now the owner of the city’s only combination car wash-pet wash business. And no, you don’t send your dog through the automatic car wash.

“Your pet walks right up this ramp into the enclosed unit,” said Tharp, who, along with his wife Mary, owns the Wash King Car Wash in the Food Bonanza plaza.

He just added the “4 Paws Pet Wash” station in an enclosed, climate-controlled room to the left of the vehicle bays. The stainless steel tub acts as a shower stall for pets. And next to the ramp is a controller box familiar to anyone who has used a self-serve car wash: Put in your money ($5 gives eight minutes; pump in a few quarters for more time) and then turn the knob to spray with shampoo, flea bath or conditioner. There’s a four-horsepower dryer unit, too.

“We’ve had about six people use it since we opened [last week], and the people I talked to said their dogs love it. Some pets do require a little more coaxing,” he said, “but they get used to it.”

Tharp’s daughter, Alisha Brown of Agency, watched her miniature pinscher “Zoe,” run right up the doggy ramp.

Brown’s golden lab “Krissy” was a little more reluctant.

“Dad had to get in the tub the first time to get Krissy in, but she’s kind of a coward,” said Brown.

Now that she knows it won’t hurt her, she’s getting better about taking her bath. On Thursday, Krissy seemed to love the warm water spraying on and under her coat.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask, ‘Can I wash my cats?’ and I always answer, ‘I don’t know. Can you?’.”

But are they permitted?

“Sure. They could bring their pot-bellied pig if they want,” he said.

The advantage of the bay, with it’s drains in the floor, is three-fold, the Tharps believe: The owner is right there with the pet. A wet dog doesn’t run out of the tub and dash through the house. And Tharp does all the cleaning.

So did anyone think it was weird to build Ottumwa’s first self-serve pet wash?

“We heard that a lot,” said Tharp. “I’d tell them what we were doing and they’d say, ‘A what?’.”