PetSmart Groomer Charged with Animal Cruelty after Dachshund Dies

Henry, a 1-year-old Dachshund, was only supposed to get a grooming Sunday at a PetSmart in San Mateo, Calif.

But Henry ended up with a punctured lung and two broken ribs after spending only three minutes with groomer Juan Zarate. As Henry bled from his mouth and had difficulty breathing, an on-site veterinarian tried to save his life — to no avail.

“We know that the dog was brought there with no injuries or no known illnesses of any kind and we do believe that actions taken by the groomer, during the grooming session, is what caused the dog to die,” San Mateo Police Department Sgt. Rick Decker told ABC7 News.

Zarate was arrested at the store and charged with felony animal cruelty. He is out on bail and expected to make his first court appearance sometime in June.

An X-ray revealed Henry’s internal injuries. The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA is conducting a necropsy (an autopsy for animals) to determine what caused Henry’s death.

Meanwhile, PetSmart is conducting its own investigation.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Henry. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of pets, and we take full responsibility for the pets in our care,” the company said in a statement sent to ABC7 News.

“The individual involved has been placed on suspension pending the outcome of this investigation. Any incident of animal cruelty goes against everything we believe as a company and as individual pet parents. No words can express our deep sorrow for the family, and we will continue to work with the pet parent during this difficult time.”

Henry is not the only dog that has been killed or injured by a groomer at PetSmart (or Petco, or other pet stores). You may be surprised to know that pet groomers are not required to be licensed or certified in any U.S. state. They are regulated in New York City and Miami-Dade County, Fla., but not statewide.

New Jersey may be the first state to require licenses for groomers. The proposed law, “Bijou’s Bill,” is named in memory of a 6-year-old Shih Tzu who died during a routine grooming session — at a PetSmart store.

Until statewide laws are passed, to prevent a tragedy from happening to your own dog, it could be a life-or-death matter to ask the groomer some important questions, especially at PetSmart and Petco stores, where many of the incidents have occurred.

“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Bijou’s dog mom, Rosemary Marchetto, told CBS New York.

Photo via Twitter

Petco Dog Groomer Fired After Disturbing Video Goes Viral

After a video went viral this week that shows a Petco groomer repeatedly yanking a terrified dog’s leg, the company announced today it has fired the unidentified man.

Hanna Marie Pellissier was in her car outside the Atlanta Petco late Sunday afternoon when, through a store window, she witnessed the groomer’s abusive handling of the dog.

“He was trying to cut his nails and the dog pulled his paw away,” Pellissier wrote in a description of the cellphone video she took and then posted on Facebook.

“The employee then started smacking the table and then pulling hard on the dog’s leg. The poor dog was panicking and trying to get away. The employee just kept pulling on him.”

She notified the store’s manager, who told her, “I’ll try to say something to him.” She also called Petco’s customer service to complain.

Three days later, thanks to Pellissier’s diligence and the power of social media, Petco terminated the employee.

“There are strict grooming protocols in place to ensure the safety and well-being of pets, and we are very concerned by the conduct of the groomer in this video,” the company said in a statement sent today to 11Alive. “As such, after a thorough investigation, this employee is no longer at Petco.”

The dog is in good health and back at home, Petco stated.

No Statewide Regulation for Dog Groomers

Surprisingly, dog groomers are not required to be licensed or certified in any U.S. state. (New York City and Miami-Dade County, Fla., do regulate them; however, this is not done statewide.)

Thousands of dogs have been injured or died in the hands of incompetent groomers. Although laws have been proposed in some states to regulate grooming businesses, none of them have passed.

“Bijou’s Bill” is currently making its way through the New Jersey legislature. It’s named in memory of a Shih Tzu who died during a routine grooming session at PetSmart. “Lucy’s Law,” a similar bill in California that was named after a Yorkshire Terrier mix who was severely injured by a groomer, failed to pass in 2012. Petco and PetSmart strongly opposed the bill and lobbied against it.

Until statewide laws are passed, when you take your dog to a groomer (especially at a large chain store, where many of the deaths and injuries occurred), it could be a life-or-death matter to ask some important questions.

“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Rosemary Marchetto, Bijou’s dog mom, told CBS New York in December.

“I thought it was safe. I thought it was a licensed profession.”

Here’s the video Pellissier took, which is difficult to watch.

Photo via Facebook

New Jersey May Become First State to Regulate Dog Groomers

Did you know that not one U.S. state requires dog groomers to be licensed or certified?

Because thousands of dogs have been injured or died in the hands of incompetent groomers, laws have been proposed in some states to regulate these businesses. So far, none of them have passed.

Now lawmakers in New Jersey have the opportunity to make it the first state to require licenses for pet groomers. (New York City and Miami-Dade County, Fla., do regulate them; however, this is not done statewide.)

The proposed law, “Bijou’s Bill,” is named in memory of a 6-year-old Shih Tzu who died during a routine grooming session at PetSmart.

“The pet groomer told me, ‘I hope this dog doesn’t give me a hard time. I had a hard day,’” Bijou’s dog mom, Rosemary Marchetto, told the New Jersey Assembly Regulated Professions Committee yesterday, according to NJ.com. “In 45 minutes they called me that ‘The dog is dead.’”

Marchetto would not discuss the details of Bijou’s death because she settled out of court with PetSmart, she said.

The sponsor of Bijou’s Bill, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, said she had done her own investigation into pet grooming businesses. “We just want to raise the level again of professional care, sanitary care and making sure that we’re protecting pet owners and the pets,” she told CBS New York.

The assembly committee discussed the bill yesterday but did not vote on it. If Bijou’s Bill passes the assembly and eventually becomes law, groomers would be required to be at least 18 years old and must pass a test by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. A license would cost about $60 to $75 — not much of a financial burden, Huttle noted.

A similar bill in California, “Lucy’s Law,” failed to pass in 2012. It was named after a Yorkshire Terrier mix who — also during a routine grooming session at a large chain store — suffered a detached retina, severed leg ligament and had five nipples shaved off.

That bill was opposed by many groomers, including Sue McFarlin. “Licensing groomers is not the answer to poor-quality grooming services,” she wrote in a petition she started against it. “State bureaucracy will not improve pet safety or grooming quality, but it will result in less competition, less choice for consumers and higher prices.”

Even if regulations did lead to higher prices, I doubt that many pet parents would mind the extra expense, and the peace of mind knowing that their beloved dog was in competent hands.

Until statewide laws are passed, when you take your dog to a groomer (especially at a large chain store, where many of the incidents have occurred), it could be a life-or-death matter to ask some important questions.

“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Marchetto told CBS New York.

“I thought it was safe. I thought it was a licensed profession.”

Photo via Facebook