Sunday, October 28, 2007

Dog Day Afternoon


Star and Mazzy
Originally uploaded by sfraz71.

Such trauma yesterday! I took my sweet little Mazzy to the groomer for a short haircut, something I always dread doing since I am so afraid of someone hurting her, and what happens? They hurt her!!!

I thought it had been taking them too long to call me to come pick her up, so I called them a few times...no answer. So, I immediately drove over there, knowing in my gut that something was wrong. They told me that as they were trying to shave near her face, Mazzy jerked and they cut her eye! Well, when they told me that, I assumed they were talking about her eyeball. Further into the conversation they let me know that in fact, it was her lash line and not her actual eyeball and that they had a vet look at her, who said she was fine. I will be calling him tomorrow to get details.

I had to hold onto the counter to hold myself upright, I was so horribly upset. Immediately the tears came flooding. They kept telling me she was okay, that it was just a small cut, but I was still devastated. What got me the most was that they kept her there for HOURS after hurting her, without giving me a courtesy call or anything! Poor Mazzy must have felt so alone, afraid and abandoned!

I finally got to see her and her eye didn't look as bad as I expected, but later I noticed it was a vertical slit (theres a V cut along the rim of her eye!)...my God that must have hurt so badly! She's a little trooper though and seems to be doing alright. She looks so tiny though after getting such a short haircut, which makes her seem even that more fragile.

I realize accidents happen and appreciate how apologetic the groomer was, but I won't be bringing Mazzy back there again. For them not to call me is unacceptable plus they tried to blame me for the accident since Mazzy had some matting, which only added insult to injury. Honestly, I don't want to take her ANYWHERE again after this!


How do we protect our pets from this? How can we know who we can trust with our furry little friends?

**Update:
Just found these tips for hiring a groomer from helpinganimals.com:

Accident Prevention
The best way to prevent accidents is by taking precautions and doing research. If you must leave your animal companion at a grooming salon, take the following steps to ensure his or her safety:

Consider using a groomer who makes house calls, so that both your animal companion and the groomer are under your supervision. If that’s not possible, ask to be present during grooming.

• Check to see whether the groomer you are considering is a graduate of a training program and a member of any trade organizations. Although groomers are not required to be licensed, association with groups like the National Dog Groomers Association often indicates professionalism. Evidence of participation in industry seminars is also a good sign.

• Find a groomer with experience. Groomers who have many years of experience in working with animals will be more confident in their skills and limitations and should be more comfortable with animal behavior than those who have less experience. Any reputable grooming salon should have at least one veteran groomer on staff.

• Request references from other clients.

• Ask if any animals have been injured or have died in the salon’s care. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the facility.

• Request that your dog be hand- or air-dried. Cage driers can malfunction and inadvertently be left on, leaving your companion animal with no escape from the heat.

• Be sure to alert the groomer of any health issues that your animal companion may have.

What You Can Do
You can help prevent grooming accidents by contacting your local and state representatives and pushing for stronger regulations in the grooming industry. Lives can be saved and tragic accidents can be prevented through laws that require groomers to use only dryers that must be reset after a period of time rather than those that reset without a break, laws that set time limits on tethering and standards on the types of tethers that may be used, and laws that prohibit the use of sedatives or tranquilizers.

If your animal becomes injured at a grooming salon, you can file a small-claims suit or a lawsuit against the groomer or salon. Remember that a story about your animal companion’s injuries on a local television station or in the newspaper can help prevent future tragedies. Public awareness is a powerful tool.

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