SP2 by Soggy Paws

False advertising. Big sign in window «DOG AND CAT GROOMING» however they do not do cat grooming.

My furry kitty needs high end cat food to get through her day of licking, meowing and staring out the window. Recently she went to kitty camp for a few days — boy did she miss her food. This place has the healthiest food for your animal. I think it avoids the vet… that’s what we are hoping. We cut her nails at home… so no comment about that.

The sign on their business says «We LOVE large dogs,» but let me tell you, that is NOT the case.
I’ve come here on various occasions to get my dog’ snails trimmed, as her regular groomer is on Clybourn, and she seems him every 6 – 8 weeks, as only a Rottweiler can.
SP2 is the nearest place to me that will do maintenance nail trimming, but only one of their employees (gone since my visit), is able to do my dog’ snails. I always tipped 20%.
On occasions when the young lady hasn’t been there, the moment I walk in with my dog, the gay guy who works there queens out, and tells me he can’t do it. On two other occasions another groomer has taken her to the grooming area, but says she can’t trim her nails. As a client, you cannot see what goes on, because the grooming area is NOT visible to the public.
On my final attempt visit last Saturday, they took my dog to the back, and the store got busy. The lady came out front, informed me my dog wouldn’t let her nails get trimmed, and returned my dog to me, LIMPING! It appears she attempted to trim the nails, stopped, and my dog was going through discomfort. No explanation, no apology, nothing!
I walked my dog a few blocks down on Western to Chicago Grooming Salon, and guess what? NO problem, and the area is visible to all. Most importantly, they took me without an appointment, and ALL the employees were NICE. They loved how sweet my pup is, and I tipped well. SO glad I now have a place to take her to every two weeks without a hassle. Pet Stores should NOT double as grooming salons.

Once upon a time, I would have given this place all five stars, but after being a weekly customer for over 3 years, I am no longer a customer here. Over the past few months the stock has been really low or non-​existent for cat food. The brands they do still carry, the selection has gone way down. The minimal selection they now have is rarely in stock. The dog side is totally taking over. You know, I get it… there might be more dogs or more people willing to pay good $$ for dog stuff, but don’t push out your loyal customers that have cats.
My final «straw» is when I went in to purchase Fromm cat food. They have a buying incentive where if you buy so many bags (I believe 12) then you get a free bag. I’ve been going there for over 3 years so you would think I’m getting close to my 12. I don’t buy it every month, but every other month or so, almost consistently, for over 3 years. I ask how close I am to the 12 mark. The girl looks through my purchases and says the last purchase was in October. (They ask your name when you purchase so that they know your purchases if you are a regular) I know this can’t be true because I JUST finished a bag that I purchased there in December. So I ask how close I am. She says 6 bags on on my record. Guess they haven’t been logging in all my purchases! I guess I should have saved all those receipts if I really wanted that free bag. (My fault, I know) Well, regardless, with the low stock/​no variety, and now this, they have lost me as a customer. I just ordered my food online and it will be delivered tomorrow. Shame… I really like to support local too.
I gave them 2 stars because if you’re a dog owner, they will most likely be great. The staff is nice and the store is clean.

«This place is all about services, I guess. I d like to buy six cans of overpriced cat food and I am getting ready to leave… ah here he is. They need someone here to cover when they are in the back taking care of the dogs,…» I actually typed this several weeks ago when I was standing in the store waiting to pay for my cat food. The co-​owner messaged me angry with my review and suggested I go somewhere else.. Here is my reply … The person who was servicing the animal came out looked at me standing there — I had been there alone for several minutes already– looked at the fellow standing there with his dog –who came in there after I did— said something very quickly and then disappeared with the doggie into the back while I stood there and waited. I suggest that Soggy Paws problem that day was communication — not indicating adequately to the customer what was to happen. «Hi — are you buying that cat food? This dog servicing will take quite a long time. How about I ring you up first instead of ‘Hiiiiixasgdhjsdgcbagakjhfadk!» or whatever was mumbled in my direction not clearly indicating what was to happen. If you google my name you will see that I am a public advocate of buying local and I wish your establishment the best. I have seen a dozen pet supply stores come and go in Lincoln Square and I would like to see you succeed. I hope you do well enough to have someone cover the counter while you are doing services in the back. At minimum put a sign up on the counter — «Hi — We are here! but we are busy grooming right now. It will be about ten minutes so go shopping around the corner and come back and we’ll be right with you.»

This review is based on the last time I went to this place because the first time I went there, I left having severe reservations based on the attitude and tone of the woman who worked at the counter. However, having been back, I have been won over.
I have a border collie mix who has enough hair to make down filled jackets for the entire Russian army. With that said, she’s a tough ‘groom.’ They do a WONDERFUL job with her and she always looks like a million bucks after they work their magic on her. Not to mention my dog has awful anxiety in strange places (because she’s a grumpy old lady) and sensitive skin. They were very considerate and treated her like a queen.
Overall I would definitely recommend this place for a groomer. They know what they are doing and they do it well.

The #1 Gold Standard of Beagle Care!
Want to hear something a little weird?
My beagle is quiet here.
You may not understand how remarkable this is:
My beagle is quiet for nothing else, ever.
Especially when getting his nails trimmed.
Beagles bay when they are happy, hungry, angry, annoyed, sad, excited, want attention, want to escape attention, at a stroller, mail carrier, squirrel, rabbit, bird, insect, breeze, fallen leaf, person sitting, standing, walking… but mine is especially loudly howling the most ear-​splitting, abused, baleful woe when he sees nail trimming coming.
He would rather limp like a stereotypical gangster with nails longer than Lana Del Ray’s press-​on-​talons. It sounds like an air raid siren but is decibels louder.
We actually tried blindfolding him, distracting him with squeaky toys, feeding him, bribing him with treats, making a muzzle out of a thigh-​high stocking (believe it or not, learned from a boy scout manual), even peanut butter out of a jar is no match for my baby’s vocal horror of trims. EXCEPT HERE. Where he opens his little eyes wide like an innocent well-​behaved angel who obeys commands and never makes a peep.
Magic I tell you… can’t live without them.
And they sell food, toys, puppy leashes, cat toys, you name it– they can get it, magic. Even a silent Beagle nail trim.

If you are in need of a professional, loving, and caring groomer then look no further. SP2 has exceeded my expectations for the past 3 years; however, today they deserve more accolades than I simply had time to give them in the store. I was 1 hour late to an appointment due to unexpected work responsibilities and horrific traffic. Not only was Kailyn her usual gracious self by carefully grooming my overly anxious 10 year old Lhasa Apso, Tippy, she spent time to ask me about a rare condition she suffers from. Most companies would have turned us away; however, SP2 welcomed us as if we were early to our appointment. I am amazed by there service and genuine concern for the pets they service. Kailyn you are amazing and thank you for being you!

My cat Kevin and I get along great… until I try to trim his nails. He freaks the f’ out. After several unsuccessful solo attempts, I admitted defeat and called SP2. They were able to take us right away. I was in and out in under 10 minutes and Paul, one of the owners who did the trimming was very nice and able to handle Kevin’s…enhanced attitude without skipping a beat. Why did I wait so long to come here?
Quick, inexpensive, compassionate care. If you’re like me and wimp out when your cat starts acting like a lunatic at the sight of the nail trimmers, do yourself a huge favor and come here. Totally worth it and all you need to do is call ahead to make sure they can take you.

I feel so lucky to have discovered a place as wonderful as SP2 in my new neighborhood! From the moment you step in the door, it is clear that the folks at SP2 have your pets’ well-​being as a top priority. This is reflected in the high-​quality brands they carry (like Fromm!), as well as the variety of flavors. They even have a well-​stocked cat section, which I find as a cat-​owner, is not always the case in specialty pet stores. The expertise and love for pets at SP2 is also apparent by the high-​quality customer service. The folks at SP2 are not only friendly, they are incredibly knowledgeable about their products and about pets in general. Case in point-​when I went in looking for a new flavor of grain-​free Fromm for my dog, Emily was able to recommend an alternative based on the flavors he’s liked in the past – and was even helpful in explaining that the aroma of the alternative flavor was less «fishy» than others. I would also highly recommend the grooming services offered at SP2. They provide a personalized consult based on the type of dog you have and their coat, and they match the grooming service to what is best for your dog. Kailyn, the groomer, was even able to explain that because of the nature of my dog’s wire-​hair coat, she recommended thinning and trimming as opposed to shaving as leaving his guard hair intact is in his best interest. They don’t overbook the grooming appointment slots and so my dog was able to get in, get groomed, and get out in just under an hour (I imagine times vary by dog type). This was wonderful because it meant less stress for him waiting for hours… and in addition it was highly convenient for me as they called me 15 minutes prior to when he would be ready for pick up. They are definitely not an assembly-​line style grooming salon. And of course, my dog looked wonderful and left happy, not jittery.
I will keep coming back again and again to SP2 for all my pet food, toy, and grooming needs! I encourage others to do the same – you will not be disappointed!

Love this place! They are so good to my dog, I refuse to go anywhere else for grooming services. They carry Fromm! My dog is like, «MMMM MORE FROMM PLEASE!» And I’m like, «Let’s go to SP2!» Only I say it in barking noises so he understands. But really, they are the only people who can cut my dog’s nails since he has crazy anxiety about it, they are so caring!!!

Took my elderly cat in here for a nail trim today — the friendly young guy manning the store asked me some questions over the phone prior, obviously concerned about making it a good experience for my kitty and being prepared for any problems that might arise. I went in with no appointment and he had her done in no time — he also offered some suggestions for food as she is thin and a picky eater (renal disease). A nice, quick, enjoyable experience. Highly recommend!

Utterly fantastic.
I stopped in to inquire if they carried the brand of dog food that C&G eat. They didn’t, but the lady there went online to search for their food and look at their list of ingredients to see if they carried anything similar. Turns out, the pups were eating okay food, but they should be eating better — a dry food where a grain is not listed at the first ingredient (they need protein). So, we spent a considerable amount of time talking about different kinds of dog food, whether or not I should feed grain or grain-​free, about varying flavors to help prevent allergies, and even how some owners switch to a fish protein based food during the winter months for a healthier coat (dogs like omega-​3s too!). I was really blown away by how informative this spontaneous stop in was. I was given a sample of the Fromm’s grain-​free game bird dry food, but decided to get a bag anyway — quite reasonably priced at a little over $ 12 for a 5lb bag (plus, they keep track of how many you buy, and your 13^th bag is free). The pups never seem to have problems switching food, and based on supermodel Ginger’s enthusiastic eating on their 10% blend tonight, I know that they’re really enjoying it. The fun comes the next few days, where I get to monitor their poop and see if the grain-​free is making them smaller and firmer. Oh, the joys of having furry kids.
The store is pretty small, but the customer service one of the best I have ever encountered in 7 years of buying pet things. Ginger and Charlie were invited over to say hi, and when I explained that G may be a little (okay, a lot) crazy, I was given information about Animal Sense, a dog behavior training group that they work with. Super terrific!
Note: They also do grooming at this location.

Good selection of high quality cat food. Informative and always friendly.

SP2 has a database that keeps track of the different dog foods you buy, which is handy when you need help remembering what kind/​flavor you purchased last time. This may seem like a simple thing to memorize, but the parking lot in my brain doesn’t always have space for details like that.
The staff here really knows their stuff and they’re VERY enthusiastic about pets. They have a good range of suggestions, if needed, based on the breed/​size/​temperament of your pet. Also, their location is really convenient, right at the foot of the Brown Line Western station.

The person who gave them 2 stars over change. is lame. This store is awesome. My dog was injured at PetSmart and is fearful of grooming. I take her to SP2 and shes only there a few hours. She LOVES going to them. I love their prices. They ordered my dog food for me since they didn’t carry it. I ended up changing to Fromm after a long talk with one of the workers. My dogs now eat their food dry. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my SP2!

I really like SP2, and I was shocked to find out they are cheaper than Pet Supplies Plus!
My cat was diagnosed with Kidney Disease, and therefore needs to have wet food in his diet. Just when I think I found food he likes, he’ll stop eating it. SP2 said they will take back any unopened bags or cans!
They have great products; Fussy Cat, Weruva, Wellness, Tiki Cat, BFF, and others. These brands don’t have that «cat food» smell. You know, the scent that makes you want to throw up? The food smells good! They’ve also given me different samples of treats and food to try.
Now that Lincoln Square has the Farmers Market right across the street on Thursday evenings, I try to fit them into my weekly schedule (Sid the cat says Thanks and more treats please!)

My girlfriend likes this place, but nothing stood out in my mind.
So I bought a 15lb bag of dog food and the total came to something like 34.01, I gave her 40.00 and started to check my pockets for an extra penny and said I can run out to the car and get the penny to avoid having 99 cents running around in my pocket. She said it was fine, then proceed to give me the 99 cents. ha. then told me everybody uses change. it point was i just spent money at your boutique and I wanted to avoid having a pocket full of change in my pocket.
I understand that it’s sort of harsh for me to go on about the change but it sort of ruined my experience at SP2. Sorry to say that I wont be going back, but I’m sure they still have my girlfriend’s business.
I’ll give them 2 stars because the price of the dog food I bought was $ 1.12 cheaper than our usual place.

SP2 gave my furry beast one of the best lion cuts he has ever had! I was tired of schlepping my poor cat an hour from my house only to have him sit at his usual groomer for hours, so I decided to try SP2. An hour after we dropped him off for a shave and bath, we got a call that he was ready to go! My old groomer would take 3 – 4 hours! Picked him up and my boy was clean, velvety soft, and his haircut is great. He seriously looks like a tiny lion and there’s nothing choppy about their fur trim. He also came out very happy which is great since he usually seems kind of traumatized whenever he gets groomed. I will definitely be bringing him back for his next trim!

Rollin’ through the Square, Athena by my side, we’re open to adventure.
Instead of passing the pet store I’ve previously avoided (too many itty bitty sweaters and baseball jerseys for miniature pets), we decided on a whim – and a sniff – to check out the store. Much to our collective delight, the sweaters were gone!
SP2 is the new owner of what was formerly Sit Chicago, and it seems like SP2 has made themselves right at home. Athena and I were greeted by Kevin, who was bubbly and eager to talk about the new store and what they’re all about. SP2 is essentially the spin off of Soggy Paws, a groom-​it-​yourself store with three city locations. However, due to the size of the former Sit, there is no self-​groom here (hence the SP2) but you can pay them to groom your pet. Additionally, they also have walk-​in availability for nail clipping.
Kevin was very thorough, telling me (err, us) about all the perks of the store and many of the thoughtful toys SP2 carries. Since the old store was mainly geared towards little critters, says Kevin, the new one is bringing the focus back to bigger dogs – and that means well-​crafted, chew-​proof options for voracious pups. And possibly most importantly, SP2 carries a variety of Fromm’s foods and also has a Frequent Feeder program for multiple brands… not to mention their single bags of Fromm’s were dollars cheaper than another (unnamed) pet shop in the area…
The store is small, but well thought out and Kevin was a dear. I (errr, we) absolutely look forward to frequenting the new SP2.