Why can't they let the dog shake himself dry. My dog did that and he dried himself and wet me at the same time. what is wrong with people?? Dogs are not an accessory, a mutt is the best way to go. All they need is LOVE and a little food. what the hell is all this grooming stuff????

Posted by: roxanne | August 5, 2008 07:25 PM

This is all horribal.
my bichon has had her nipple cut off and has had a horrible ear infection because of mean groomers. Later we found a very nice groomer, to do our dog, and sadly when she did ours dogs ear our dog cried of fright, however now that she has been groomed many times our dog trusts our groomer with her ears. That groomer even left her job at petsmart to go to a better place because the groomers a petsmart were cruel. Now we see her at another grooming salon and always trust her with all of our dogs.

Posted by: B.J. | August 5, 2008 08:00 PM

Have you seen the TV advertisement for a product called Peticure? It's a nail filing machine that is supposed to keep from harming dogs when cutting their nails. I've seen 3 different versions in which the dog recoils in pain after a person clips its nails too short. The scene is disturbing, and I don't understand why they have 3 different versions and harm 3 different dogs. Though this product seems designed to ease suffering during grooming, the company is torturing dogs on TV just to sell their product.

Posted by: Derek | August 6, 2008 04:17 AM

Why would you want to put a dog in a dryer anyway?,people should wash their dogs at home and let them dry in the sun.
Let dogs be dogs, groomers suck,Just comb your dogs fur at home!.Aweful.

Posted by: claire | August 6, 2008 08:23 AM

I stopped taking dogs to these places years ago after an ex employee told me the horrors that often happen. If you must use them stay alongside your pet!

Posted by: Maureen | August 6, 2008 12:28 PM

I used to work for groomers at PetCo. The head groomer had some questionable practices, but eventually she was arrested for drug possession and child endangerment, so my favorite groomer became the boss. Aside from this criminal, everyone else there absolutely cared for every single animal that came through our door. I took the utmost care to treat them all like my own personal pets, with patience and love and kindness. We had strict time limits for dogs in the drying cages, and we checked on them every 15 minutes. Usually we dried them by hand anyway. We got many cases of neglected cats and dogs with fur so matted it came off like a carpet. So for those who are against all groomers, keep in mind that some people won't brush their dogs and the groomers are the only source of relief for these poor puppies (and kitties). Yes, some groomers are shady, but this is why you need to meet the groomers and make sure it's a place where the public can watch what goes on in the grooming area. Visit the place and meet other customers, do your homework. Anyway, I loved every single minute of that job (even cleaning the cages after each dog, which gets gross sometimes) and I never, EVER put any animals in danger. Not every groomer is Evil!

Posted by: allison | August 6, 2008 03:03 PM

A dog a living being in a fckn DRYER Is this insane...YES IT IS.

I believe the human race is on the verge of collapse. If not then how do we explain ALL THE insanity GOING ON ALL OVER THE WORLD...for lack of intelligence, thinking and compassion or just common sense

Posted by: r | August 6, 2008 04:32 PM

I'd like to know if the groomer responsible was held accountable. The sad thing is, probably not because who cares if dogs are hurt at groomers. I hope the groomer gets sued!

Posted by: trista | August 6, 2008 04:52 PM

I work at PetCo myself and we don't have "dryers to put the dogs in. We put them in a kennel and put a blower on them that just blows air at room temperature. I can't imagine why they would put a dog in a dryer..... I mean, they're not laundry.

Posted by: S | August 6, 2008 06:49 PM

Why would you put a dog in a virtual microwave? Would you dry yourself in a cage? No! You use a TOWEL! Groomers should dry dogs and cats with TOWELS too! TOWELS DON'T malfunction, use electricity, and are WAAAAY cheaper than machinery! It's a no brainer!

Posted by: Phill | August 6, 2008 08:09 PM

This is Tucker's story with his grooming accident. I will be more than happy to share photos of Tucker before, during and after the accident. Only if you ask. Some people do not like to see photos like this.

Please take time to read this and BE AWARE OF GROOMERS:

Help Protect Our Furbabies
February 13th 2007 12:09 pm
Just to be able to catch everybody up to date on what happened with Tucker. I want each pet owner to be aware and LETS protect our Furbabies:

Tucker went to the groomer on December 16, 2006 for just a regular visit…bath, trim, nails, etc… The morning of December 17, 2006, when Tucker woke up, his left eye was matted shut with green gook coming out of it. We had to use a warm washrag to get his eye open. During the day, he kept his eye squinted. As the day went on, I noticed a pin- point dot in the middle of his eye. I sent an e-mail to my breeder to ask her what I needed to do. She said that it sounded like Tucker had an eye ulcer and pink eye and that I needed to get him to the vet ASAP. Thank goodness my vet is in on Sunday afternoons from 4:00-6:00. I got Tucker there right around 4:00 and he confirmed what my breeder stated and we started the first of many rounds of eye drops and creams. I told my vet that Tucker had been at his office the day before to be groomed and it was determined that some type of accident happened while being groomed. We are not sure if it was a shampoo burn, blow dryer burn, from the brush or from clipping around his face.

Tucker made 11 trips to the vet from December 17 to January 17 for follow up visits, to change his medication and to see if the ulcer had cleared up. They check the ulcer by doing a dye test in the eye. If the eye stains green, then there is still a lesion on the eye.

After the 11th trip to the vet, he recommenced that we go to a special Eye Dr.(we only have one in our county and it is not close to our house). (I hate to drive the interstates, but you will do ANYTHING for your furbaby) and went the following day. The vet stated that the ulcer had cleared and put him on drops to clear the scar in the eye. Two days later, we were back at the vet. The drops from the Eye Dr. made his eye worse.

Tucker had his first Corneal Graft on January 31, 2007 and when we went back the next week for his follow up, it was determined that the graft did not take. (The graft is where they take part of the white of the eye from the top and make a slit in it and fold it down and stitch it over the lesion. This is to help heal the lesion). Tuckers 3rd eye lid was so far below that they could not pull it up and use it.

Tucker had his second surgery on February 7, 2007 and they had to remove the first graft, shave part of his eye down, and harvest pig guts to place over the "hole" in the eye and they did the corneal graft from the bottom up this time.

He goes back to the Eye Dr. on Friday to determine if this graft is holding. **(This will be the 20th visit, between the vet and Eye Dr)** There is a slight possability that he could loose his eye. We are praying that this does not happen. We do know that he will be partially blind in the eye, but should be able to see from the sides.

My Vet did ALL that he could do to help clear Tucker's eye up and PRAISE GOD the vet has picked up each and every bill. We all know how much office visits are. Can you imagine how much the surgeries would have cost? I have figured out that the three visits to the Eye Dr. are WAY over $2000.00, and my vet is handling the bills.

I have spoken with a local groomer in my area and he made the suggestion that when looking for a groomer for your pet to walk in without notice and ask for a tour of the grooming area, if they do not want you to go back there, then they MAY have something to hide. We all need to be aware of what happens behind those closed doors when we leave our babies.

I am still going to use my vet for medical reasons, but I have not made up my mind if Tucker or Tanner will ever go back to the groomer. I am looking to see if there is a groomer who has special handling for Shih-Tzu's in my area.

LETS KEEP OUR BABIES SAFE!!!

Paw Hugs & Kisses,
Stephanie

Eye Update

February 16th 2007 1:09 pm

Mommy took Tanner to be "snipped" this morning and he will be back home tomorrow morning. After mommy got home, she put me in that darn box called a crate and took me to the Eye Dr.

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!! The Dr said that my eye is healing as it should. I still have to wear my lamp shade another 5 days, because mommy told on me, saying that I like to rub my face on the covers. I go back to the Eye Dr. in two weeks and they will do a tear test to make sure I have enough tears in my eye. If all goes well, we are looking at hopefully having the graft removed in about 5 weeks.

Thank You All for your Paw Prayers, they are working.

03/02/07

YEAAAA, went to the Eye Dr today and the graft is taking. They plan to remove part of the graft in 3 weeks and I also get to start coming off my eye drops. Man, 21 days until go back to the Eye Dr. That will be the longest time to wait...Thanks to all my PupPals fror keeping me in your prayers.

03/16/07

Well, one more week until Tucker goes back to the Eye Dr. and they are suppose to remove the graft that holds the blood flow to the pig implant. Lets say a prayer that all is well. We will know next Friday the 23rd. I told Tucker last nite that we are on countdown until we go to the Dr. I do not think that he wants to go, but I think that I am going to have his daddy go with us, maybe that will make him feel better.

**I have made the decision to go ahead and take Tanner to the groomer tomorrow (03/24), BUT I am first going to call them** I am going by faith and going back to the groomer at my vet office**

03/23/07 -WOOHOOO - Went to the Eye Dr. and got the graft removed. I do not have to go back to the Eye Dr, unless a problem occurs.

05/18/07 - WOW, cannot believe it has been almost 2 months since the eye graft was removed. Tucker is doing better. He still shys away from the bath that I give him. I am going to contact a Myspace Groomer who lives in my town and speak with him about bringing both Tucker & Tanner to visit him and see what kind of reaction Tucker gives. This sorta makes me a little scared. I have been protecting him since December and am now trying to get him use to the "normal" life again.

05/25/07 - Tucker & Tanner are going to visit a new groomer in the morning. This groomer knows what Tuckers issue is and has promised me that Tucker will be much Loved during his visit. I still worry.

05/26/07 - Whew, we made it thru the groomer just fine. We even got home earlier than we thought. The groomer must have wore us out. We came home, got water and layed down and have not gotten up, except for mommy to take more pictures.

08/06/08 - Tucker & Tanner still use the same groomer that I found on MySpace. Aaron and Britta are the best. Tucker still gets scared when we get in the car, but once he is in the front seat he calms down. I thank Aaron and Britta for being patient with me and for the care that they give Tucker & Tanner. I usually always take photos of them when they get to the groomer and when I place them in the cage. Yes, I get to walk all thru their office. They hold nothing back.

Much Love and Kisses

Stephanie, Tucker & Tanner

Posted by: Stephanie | August 6, 2008 10:24 PM

I do think this is really sad!!! I have 3 toy poodles who need their hair cut in the summer (they are black). I take them to a groomer who I trust. I have never had a problem AND I will keep taking them there!!! I don't want them to get over heated in the summer with their long hair!!!

Posted by: Jonna | August 6, 2008 10:35 PM

I have a Bichon who also gets groomed every 6 weeks. I have taken her to different places until I found one that blow drys my dog by hand. Whats really upsetting is when you go to one with a lot of groomers and hearing them yelling at the animals and everytime the door would open to the place where they are grooming I would see these terrified dogs shake like there on a viberating bed.
I take my dog to a private groomer where you can see everything and hang around if you want to.

Posted by: Cheryl | August 7, 2008 08:49 AM

How sad! I hope she plans on suing them. But for what? Money will not bring back her precious dog. Why the hell would someone make a machine that goes up to 100 degrees to dry an animal? And then to think tha dog needs to be in there for 30 minutes? We as humans won't even stay OUTSIDE for 30 minutes on a 100 degree day.

I live in Texas and know first hand how hot it gets outside at 100 degrees plus! So why would I put a dog through that inside a machine?

What happened to actually doing work ourselves? We now have a machine that dries our towels AND our dogs. Is it that difficult to blow dry a dog by hand?

Posted by: BBR | August 7, 2008 12:07 PM

I don't know why such mean groomers get to keep jobs.

Where do they get their licenses to practice? Or does US not require all pet groomers to have certificates?

If it doesn't, then I recommend that you require periodical renewal for such certificates and lisences, so that this VERY PREVENTABLE tragedy does not repeat itself.

Posted by: Junko M | August 8, 2008 07:26 AM