Niagara Falls strays from pack on rules for dog groomers
City interprets rules for pooch stylists differently than rest of region
Combing through the provincial government’s state of emergency order, at least four Niagara municipalities have fetched an interpretation that dog groomers are a non-essential business and should not be operating.
St. Catharines, Welland, Fort Erie and Port Colborne have all said recently they are not allowing this industry to remain open for curbside service in their communities, a result of how they are understanding rules from the government that took effect Dec. 26.
The City of Niagara Falls, however, is sitting still with a different interpretation and is allowing groomers to tend to pets.
“We felt some of the order wasn’t as clear as we would’ve liked, which then left it to us to try to interpret it,” said chief administrative officer Ken Todd.
“We vetted it pretty good,” he said about senior staff meeting to discuss this specific decision and arriving at a verdict.
Todd said the city is taking the position that groomers fall under a category of essential animal-related services.
Veterinarians are open “for the immediate health and welfare of the animal only, or provided through curb side pickup and dropoff of the animal,” the province has said.
Other businesses that provide for the health and welfare of
animals, including farms, boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters and research facilities, are also permitted, which is a part of the province’s outline that Todd believes groomers fall under.
“We felt we could cover it under that section of the order,”
said Todd, adding he feels other Niagara municipalities have a “more firm, different interpretation.”
Groomers play a larger role than shampooing dogs’ coats.
“There are situations where pets need to be cared for by groomers to help with respect
to their health,” said Todd.
Billie Jo Horvath, a homebased groomer in St. Catharines, agrees.
Several other small businesses are allowed to operate curbside, a practice she became familiar
with between last March and
Dec. 26.
Dogs are dropped off and staged in a fenced-in area, put on a leash other than the one they arrive on with their owner, and are taken immediately to a tub for a thorough washing.
Horvath is hearing from customers who are struggling to pay vet bills.
One client’s dog suffered an eye infection because of overgrown hair on its face due to it not being in to see her for a trim.
This is a complicated process that pet owners don’t have the ability and equipment for, she said.
“The stress they’re going through — it’s just heartbreaking,” said Horvath.
“It’s unreasonable to expect owners to care for their dogs the way groomers have been caring for them their whole lives.”
It’s not just the owners who are uncomfortable.
“These dogs are being left behind, and they’re in distress,” said Horvath, pointing to a section of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act which says “no person shall cause an animal to be in distress.”
She said what’s taking place today contradicts that legislation.
“What we would normally criminalize and charge owners for, we’re permitting right now,” she said.
The City of St. Catharines bylaw enforcement team checked with the provincial government and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, according to staff.
The municipality was “advised that pet grooming does not fall under essential services as currently defined by the province,” said director of planning and building services Tami Kitay.
“As a result, dog grooming businesses are not able to operate at this time,” she said.
Grant Munday, Welland’s interim director of development and building services, said “based on correspondence with the province” groomers are not considered essential for the “immediate health and welfare of animals in Ontario,” and that they aren’t permitted to be open.
The City of Port Colborne is wagging its tail similarly.
“After further discussion and investigation with the Niagara Region, the latest update on pet care and grooming services in Port Colborne is that dog grooming is not available during the provincewide shutdown,” said city spokesperson Alex Pedersen. The Town of Fort Erie is also not allowing groomers to operate locally, based on what is contained in the provincial order, said communications adviser Janine Tessmer.