The moment Mayor Gary Singh saw a dog wash kiosk at the International Shopping Center Conference in Las Vegas back in May, he thought it would be an ideal amenity for the growing number of Manteca residents that are dog owners.

“There are a lot of people with dogs,” Singh said.

But there is more to it than just making a convenient wash area available that typically carries a $15 charge for 20 minutes.

Singh would like to see the revenue derived from the dog wash kiosks not only help fund maintenance and power costs for the dog washes but also help fund other recreational projects in the parks they are placed.

At the dog park, that could mean new “play equipment” for dogs.

At Woodward Park, it could mean everything from additional lighting, more playground equipment or other touches such as adding trees, benches, and such.

Both Singh and Councilman Jose Nuno each elected to put aside $70,000 for buying and installing dog  kiosks from money each council member was allowed to allocate to specific projects they favored from $2.5 million in leftover federal COVID relief funds.

The dog wash kiosks are by far the biggest surprise — and most unusual — item to get a greenlight at last week’s council workshop.

Singh noted there are a lot of apartment dwellers in Manteca that have dogs. At the same time, it can be a hassle for anyone to try and wash dogs with warm water and appropriate soap as well as dry them off at home and to do so without making  major mess.

The mayor doesn’t view it as competing with private sector dog groomers who offer much more than simply bathing dogs.

Singh would like to see additional dog wash kiosks one day to go at places such as car washes as the city’s population grows.

The closest All Paws Pet Wash locations to Manteca are San Jose, Rancho Cordova, Merced, and Fairfield.

Similar dog washes but without a kiosk are popping up in new apartment complexes.

Spanos Company, which is proposing a four-story complex near McKinley and Woodward avenues, is including a dog wash among its tenant amenities.

The dog wash is likely to be installed near the restrooms at Woodward Park to access existing water, power, and sewer lines as well as existing sidewalks.

If the city goes with the single All Paws Pet Wash kiosk, it will be 8 by 13 feet.

It is climate controlled with air conditioning and heater.

A coin and bill acceptor is built into the kiosk with an optional credit card reader available.

It can be accessorized with a treat-stocked vending machine to reward pets after a wash.

It includes a soap dispenser and fur dryer among other features.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com