Driving down State Road 109 will take you through the small town of Wilkinson, Indiana, located in the northeast corner of Hancock County. Just on the edge of this town is a building that looks like a church, but it’s not. The first clue is the large swimming pool out back. Many times you will see dogs of all shapes and sizes running off the adjacent dock and diving into the pool. This unique facility is Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center & Massage, and it is a wonderful place with all sorts of amenities for pets and other animals.
Actually, Youngblood’s Natural Care Center just celebrated their 11th anniversary. This is a locally owned facility that started out in a small space in the Weston Village Shopping Center in Greenfield. Now two moves later, the family-owned facility is in an old church building with a pool out back.
Owners Kim and Samantha Youngblood, a dynamic mother/daughter duo, have created this wonderful space for the care of dogs, cats, chickens, cattle, horses, birds and rabbits. Kim is a graduate of Equissage in Virginia and obtained her certification in canine and feline massage therapy in 2014. Kim also graduated from Angel’s Animals Holistic Care in 2018. Samantha attended NE Indiana Equine Sports Massage & Rehab Therapy in Decatur, IN and obtained her certification in equine sports massage therapy and rehab therapy. She also obtained additional training for equine raindrop therapy, animal thermography and saddle fitting. In 2015. she traveled to Angels Animals Holistic Health to get her certification for equine and canine kinesiology taping. In 2019. she became a “Certified Pet Nutrition Specialist.”
The Youngbloods and their wonderful staff are there to help owners care for their animals with a more natural and holistic approach. They are also there to provide instruction and advice on nutrition as well as training and massage therapy. The Youngblood’s retail location is fully stocked with all sorts of natural and holistic food, supplements, and treats. This includes raw food, freeze dried food, and all natural supplements. They also sell custom collars, leashes, toys, cat trees, dog beds, and cat litter. Nothing comes from China except special Chinese Herbal Supplements that have been thoroughly researched.
The Youngblood facility is not just a retail store (which is why the pool is out back). They are also a training facility. They hold puppy classes, manners classes as well as competitive dock diving. You can also rent their pool for your doggos to have their own private session. However, the pool comes alive in the summer when Youngblood’s hosts International Dog Sports Dock Diving Competitions. Folks come from all over the country to compete at the Youngblood’s facility. Best of all, if you just want to come to watch…it’s FREE.
Most importantly, Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care is all about healthy and happy animals. If your pet or other 4 legged friend has an issue, the Youngbloods have a variety of treatments in their arsenal that might help. This includes animal massage, ANMR, Red Light Therapy, Kinesiology Taping, Thermography, and nutrition classes. Also, if you have a new pet that has an unknown vaccine history, you can bring them to a Vaccine Titer Clinic to see if they have the antibodies…which will indicate whether they need shots or not.
Sam says, “We focus on getting to the root of the issue and helping your pet from the inside out. We offer superior customer service. Focusing on each customer that walks through that door as family. We guarantee you will love your shopping experience and know that there are people out there to help, support, guide and always have your best interest at heart.”
You can certainly tell that customers love the Youngblood Facility. Mariana Rozzi said, “If I lived closer, I would probably stop by Youngblood’s every day. I’ve purchased treats, chews, slow feeders, supplements, biothane collars/leashes and they never disappoint. I also buy Rio’s raw food through them. They ordered it in for us, and it was so convenient. We are 4 weeks into our first dock diving class at Youngbloods, and I’m so glad we went for it. Sam is the instructor, and she is so knowledgeable and helpful. We’re planning to sign up for the second round of classes in July and more classes in the future. Lastly, they also hold low-cost titer clinics a few times a year, which is awesome!”
Customer Stephanie Yarian praises Youngbloods: My very active bull terrier was diagnosed with a torn/strained knee tendon. The vet recommended medication and rest. After a month of trying rest, she was still a limping and sore. We took her to Youngbloods for thermography…as the next option was surgery. She got her first massage, and within 2 sessions, the limping improved. We are now 4 sessions in and thanks to Kim her limping is gone! We have also incorporated red light therapy and kinesiology taping the last 2 sessions. Kim and Sam have saved me thousands in a surgery (which may not have increased the quality of life) with minimal invasive treatments. Sophie thanks you!…More money for treats and toys!
Youngbloods will be hosting the next IDS Dock Diving event, September 13 – 15, 2024. Check their Facebook Page for a complete listing of competitions and times.
To find out about all the wonderful things that Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care and Massage does, please visit their website at youngbloodanimalmassage.com You can also follow them on Facebook. They are located at 310 S. Main St., Wilkinson, IN. Store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 6pm. Ph # 765-785-4035.
Brigette Cook Jones
Executive Director
Hancock County Tourism
Keep Up to Date on All of Hancock County’s Great Events and other Information…
Hancock County Tourism and Visitor Center is the official destination marketing organization for Hancock County, Indiana. Our mission is to bring regional, national, and international business and leisure visitors to Hancock County for the economic benefit of the county and our tourism partners. Hancock County Tourism and Visitor Center strives to be a leader in destination marketing and tourism development.
- To encourage visitors to discover the historic, cultural, and recreational opportunities as well as hotels, restaurants, and retail options throughout Hancock County via marketing promotion and partner support.
- To encourage groups, businesses, and organizations to hold meetings, conventions, events, and festivals in Hancock County by collaborating with both in county and out-of-county groups, businesses, and organizations.
- To assist groups with development of new tourism opportunities through support, resources, and professional assistance.
The Hancock County Tourism and Visitor Center does not primarily organize meetings, conventions, sporting, and special events, but guides planners, and visitors to resources, attractions and services that result in a positive experience.
To stay up to date on everything “touristy” in Hancock County, be sure you are receiving Hancock County Tourism’s e-newsletter. You can register on the website at https://visitinhancock.org/email/