Grooming salon ‘cooked’ dog to death
PET SAFETY: Recent deaths at U.S. businesses reignite calls for regulations
LOS ANGELES — Curly, a toy poodle, was 17 years old when he died. But old age didn’t kill him — grooming did, his owners and veterinarians said.
Scott and Elsa Wyskocil of Los Angeles took the 10-pound dog for a wash and trim last year, but Curly never made it home.
He died after being placed in a hot dryer at a grooming business, his internal temperature topping 42 C an hour after his death, documents show.
Veterinarians told the couple “you probably don’t want to hear this, but they cooked him to death,” Scott Wyskocil said. “When they put the heat on him, they forgot about him.”
The couple settled a lawsuit for US$10,000 with the business, C&C Pet Food for Less, whose owner did not return phone calls from The Associated Press.
Dogs have been killed or injured by hot dryers, sharp clippers or their own leashes if left unattended during grooming, which doesn’t require a licence and has rules that vary by business.
Recent deaths at a Petco store in Virginia and a grooming salon in New Jersey have reignited calls to pass regulations governing the practice, with legislation pending in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. A California measure to regulate the grooming industry failed in 2012, but advocates hope to revive it.
The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has worked with three U.S. grooming associations to craft safety and sanitation standards that can be used as the foundation for state laws, said Mike Bober, executive vice-president of the pet trade’s regulatory association for manufacturers, producers, groomers and retailers.
The proposed guidelines on handling tools, dryers and animals themselves were finalized this week, and details will be announced at a pet retail trade show July 21.
“The best approach would be the implementation of uniform standards that all states could use as a metric for groomer certification,” Bober said.
“There needs to be something done so people feel comfortable that their pets are in good hands.”
The recent deaths have stirred concerns about a divisive grooming tool: heated kennel dryers, which are cages with heating coils or an attached heating device. Some say big dogs with long, thick coats won’t dry without them, and others say small dogs can die because of them.
While the pet industry will reveal uniform grooming standards, any enforcement would be up to states that pass licensing laws.