Start Autumn with Clean Best Friends

BEDFORD, MASS (09/14/2010)(readMedia)-- Area Volkswagen dealer Minuteman Volkswagen of Bedford will clean your Golf, your Beetle or your Golden Retriever on Saturday, September 18, from 10 AM to 3 PM, with all proceeds benefitting the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Merrimack Valley dog and car owners are invited to stop by the dealership at 39 North Road in Bedford, MA, to clean off the remaining summer dirt.

Patricia Gabriel, owner of Gentle Grooming in Lowell, will have the Gentle Grooming Mobile Pet Salon on site, offering personalized dog washes for a $10 donation. The self-contained Mobile Pet Salon offers a clean, safe environment for dog grooming and can accommodate dogs up to 30 inches tall. Minuteman will match every dog-wash donation in their efforts to support the Animal Rescue League of Boston, a nonprofit organization that has been committed to the protection of animals both domestic and wild from abuse, abandonment and neglect since 1899.

"We want to encourage everyone to support the ongoing work the Animal Rescue League of Boston does to keep pets and wildlife safe and healthy," said Ray Hovsepian, general manager of Minuteman Volkswagen. "One of the best lessons for kids to learn as they head back to school is to practice kindness towards the animals they encounter both at home and in the wild.

To help Volkswagen cars, SUVs and minivans shake off summer wear, Minuteman will be offering a sneak peek of its newly renovated VW service write-up area and parts department. New Hampshire and Massachusetts Volkswagen owners can get a free multi-point inspection and fluid top-off performed by Minuteman's factory-trained technicians.

Hovsepian stressed the importance of seasonal maintenance for cars in Massachusetts.

"It's been a very hot summer, and the heat makes every system in your car work harder," Hovsepian said. "Even in a new car, coolant, oil and other fluid levels can be off. A quick check now will make sure that your car is running as it should for the next several months."

While the dogs are getting clean and VWs are getting a checkup, visitors to Minuteman will get a chance to see the new 2011 models that have recently arrived, including the 2011 Jetta Sportwagen. Featuring a redesigned front end, the Sportwagen offers either a 5-cylinder gas engine that gets 23 mpg/city and 30 mpg/highway, or a turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel that outperforms the new subcompacts in fuel economy with 30 mpg/city and 42 mpg/highway.

"This will be a fun event for dogs and their owners, and everyone who wants to come down is invited," Hovsepian said. "We'll be raising money to help care for animals throughout the Merrimack Valley and giving dog owners a chance to experience the excellent mobile grooming service that Gentle Grooming provides."

About Minuteman Volkswagen:

Minuteman Volkswagen, located in Bedford MA, is entering its 38th year of excellence. Minuteman is renowned throughout the Greater Boston area for its friendly and knowledgeable sales staff, skilled service department and impressive selection of new and pre-owned Volkswagens. If you're in the market for a quality new or pre-owned Volkswagen at the right price, Minuteman is where you want to be. For more information you can visit them on the web at www.minutemanvw.com, call them at 781.275.8000 or stop by their showroom at 39 North Rd, Bedford, MA.