Petition for grooming regulation after death of puppy in Kilmarnock
Harry the Cockapoo had to be put to sleep
Last updated 11th Jan 2022
Thousands of people are signing a petition calling for the pet grooming industry in Scotland to be regulated.
It was started by Lisa from Kilmarnock following the death of her nine-month-old cockapoo, Harry.
He had to be put to sleep after a visit to the groomers left him with heatstroke.
Lisa told Forth 1, “About an hour after dropping him off, I received a call from the girl at the groomers to say Harry had collapsed.
“From there, I got him to the vets and heatstroke was mentioned straight away. The vet had mentioned a drying box, but I hadn’t been told at this point by the groomer that he had been in one.
“Unfortunately for Harry, he needed specialist care in Glasgow. They tried everything over the next two days but unfortunately, due to complications, they couldn’t give him the operation he needed to survive.
“I went and held him while he was put to sleep.”
Lisa later found out that the groomer had left him in a heated drying cage. She added, “The timer on the heater had been set for 30 minutes.
“However, Harry never liked being shut in anywhere. I can imagine as soon as he was locked in that box, he would have been jumping about and crying for help.
“They only went to him when he became quiet. That’s when they knew something was wrong.”
Lisa's petition says: "There is no regulation of the pet grooming industry. Groomers do not need qualifications and are not licensed. They are subject to no rules or regulations, do not need to disclose information to you about how they will groom your animal or the equipment they will use, and are not even obliged to tell you if they have injured or killed an animal during grooming previously."
It also goes on to criticise the lack of regulation around the equipment used to groom animals, including heated cage driers.
The petition wants Scottish ministers to use their powers to introduce regulation for all dog groomers.
The campaign has the support of animal welfare charity, the SSPCA.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn says, "I have never heard of anything as extreme as this at a groomers. The majority of complaints in the past have been about a dog coming home with a little nick or something. This has been a horrible waste of a pup's life.
"Any dog that is being dealt with, whether it's under a big blow dryer or anything, should be under constant supervision. You would be able to easily tell, like a dog in a hot car, if it's in distress or if something has gone wrong."
Mike is also urging pet owners to be vigilant. He added, "Ask the questions. If you're delivering it to a premises, then ask to see behind their door. If they're legitimate and have nothing to hide, then they'll be more than happy to let you see."
You can add your name to Lisa's petition here.
Harry's owner did not wish to disclose the name of the groomer publicly.