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Kayla Wheeler and her boyfriend, Elliot Okland, got the 160-pound dog with a thick black coat about three years ago. She had always wanted a Newfoundland, she said, and his calm, friendly personality quickly won over Okland. But Leopold's large size posed a problem: Giving him a bath at home was too messy. Wheeler looked into the options around Minneapolis where they lived and found a self- serve dog wash that was clean, convenient and perfect for their busy lifestyle. Okland, a native of Montana who moved to Fargo when he was 12, joked that he was more familiar with a less sophisticated dog cleaning method . "Just hose them off with a hose," he said with a chuckle. As they traveled more, Wheeler said she realized that nice place she found in Minneapolis was rare. Much more common, she said, were businesses that were dirty or booked up several months in advance. They did their homework, researching the pros and cons of many grooming business es they visited along the...

Frank Franklin Ii  /  AP file New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer launched the investigation into the mutual fund industry after receiving a tip about trading activities of a hedge fund. updated 12/29/2003 9:59:43 PM ET 2003-12-30T02:59:43 For a year in which there was so much good news emanating from the economy and the financial markets, there sure was a lot of bad news too. Investors who enjoyed the first winning year on the stock market since 1999 also had to endure yet another year of scandal. This time the spotlight focused on the giant mutual fund industry and the New York Stock Exchange itself -- institutions that touch the lives of virtually every investor. The economy finally began showing signs of life, but only after U.S. companies trimmed their already-spare payrolls even further. Here are...