Groomer’s Guide
Be A Voice For The Voiceless: Preventing Abuse In The Grooming Salon
by Jennifer Bishop Jenkins
As much as we want this not to be true, there have been incidents reported in the news throughout the United States of groomers abusing dogs entrusted to their care…some to the point of death. The subject of groomers abusing dogs is nothing short of agonizing to confront in our industry and among the worst things any of us could ever experience in our careers, but we cannot turn our eyes away.
RARE BUT HORRIFIC
Animal abuse is seen in other related industries as well, including dog daycares, boarding facilities and even veterinary practices. Sadly, even pet owners themselves have been criminally charged for abusing their own pets. It is an ugly reality of the world in which we live, knowing that animals are abused by humans in many lines of work. Some would even argue that what occurs broadly in agriculture, entertainment, institutionally and culturally is also animal abuse.

But for all intents and purposes, this is not a discussion about the global issue of people abusing all kinds of animals, nor is it about all animal suffering—this is about us and the pet grooming industry. This is about pet groomers losing their temper and hurting the very pets we take money from people to care for. And while it is truly hard to think about, the good news is that there is a lot we can do about it, both in prevention and management. It starts with being able to talk about it…with our eyes wide open.

I think it is fair to characterize these tragedies as rare in our grooming industry. It is certainly the exception, not the rule. It hurts us deeply because we most likely became groomers because we love dogs and want to help them. We can feel good about the many, many dogs that are groomed every single day by professional pet groomers who are genuinely loving, caring and gentle. But we don’t really know how many cases of abuse may be going unreported or unseen. We may only be hearing about more in recent years with the advent of cell phones, thus putting recording devices in everyone’s hands. And because of the internet and social media, more bad news can spread at a rapid rate.
PREVENTION, EDUCATION & REGULATION
We know that some of these horrific incidents with dogs dying at groomers have been the genesis of state legislation to license and regulate our industry. Some of these tragic deaths have been, of course, accidental. They have sometimes even led to improvements in our understanding of how to do our jobs better and the creation of better equipment, such as cage dryers without heating elements, which is now understood to be best practice for all. But some legislation has been prompted by allegations or incidences of abuse by groomers as well.
Many of us understand that licensing and regulation of our industry is not only inevitable, but truly desirable, if done right.
Many of us understand that licensing and regulation of our industry is not only inevitable, but truly desirable, if done right. However, to have regulation and licensing developed this way (because of the worst extreme of groomers abusing dogs) is not a positive or productive way for good licensing or regulation to be written. We have some very hard questions to face as an industry in addressing these tragic, if not rare, occurrences.

There are professionals in several fields that are working to understand, prevent and educate about this problem. One factor to consider is that pet groomers work in so many different venues: alone in a mobile unit, alone in a retail shop, as an employee in a big box store, in a small salon with a small staff, as a house-call groomer, out of our own homes, or affiliated with a similar business such as a boarding facility, daycare or veterinary hospital.

IF YOU GROOM ALONE
Grooming alone can be very stressful, and any of us that have groomed alone understand this. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates famously declared that “the unexamined life was not worth living.” Asked to sum up what all wisdom could be reduced to, he replied: “Know thyself.” Self-knowledge is a great truth, and here are some tips to do just that:

  1. Examine yourself and be honest with yourself. Keep a journal, writing a few minutes each day about insights you have into yourself. A quick list of self-observations is helpful; you don’t have to write a novel.
  2. No one of us is perfect. We have all lost our tempers from time to time and can all benefit from some daily self-examination. Don’t be afraid to see yourself for who you are.
  3. Practice self-monitoring for rising symptoms of stress. Do you feel your temper rising with a certain dog or client? Do you ever feel stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated? Are there stresses in your non-work life that are affecting your ability to do your job in a healthy way? Just stop working for a minute and take deep breaths. Set limits every single day in your work life to protect your health and well-being for the long term.
  4. Seek counseling and support for any issues that could potentially lead to trouble. And not just in this area of your ability to manage the dogs you groom, but in your overall health and stress levels. Everywhere in America there are low-cost and free community mental health services, sliding scale fees or free, not-for-profit counseling sources. Don’t try to tackle this alone—go talk to someone!
  5. Connect with a Master Groomer or other experienced groomers either near you or through the many online groomer communities or organizations. Ask for mentoring! Lots of us will be happy to do that for groomers who work alone.

Remember, even if you groom by yourself all day long, no one of us is truly alone. We are in a very large grooming industry that is part of an even larger pet industry. Everywhere there are more experienced groomers willing to just talk or to help with advice, resources and ideas. Find out if your state has a grooming association, and if it does, join it. Reach out. Make connections.

Remember, even if you groom by yourself all day long, no one of us is truly alone. We are in a very large grooming industry that is part of an even larger pet industry.
cats and dogs heads on top of human neck and arm silhouettes
FOR GROOMING BUSINESS OWNERS, MANAGERS & EMPLOYEES
Any owner and/or a manager overseeing staff in a grooming business—even just a two-person shop—absolutely has the responsibility to prevent abuse of the dogs by any staff person. Here are a few suggestions of strategies that may be helpful in doing so:

  1. Screen potential employees first with phone interviews before hiring. Always check references and do not hire without them.
  2. When considering a hire, run background checks on anyone that will be working with live animals.
  3. Ask directly during the interview process about temper control and anger management. Ask how they will handle a behavior issue with a dog and pay careful attention to vague answers. Take notes during the interview.
  4. Require and create incentives for staff to learn more about animal behavior management. There are dog training classes everywhere. For an excellent podcast devoted to the topic of how to manage behavior and the dog for grooming, I highly recommend Chrissy Neumeyer Smith’s “Creating Great Grooming Dogs.”1
  5. Practice scenarios with the entire staff to identify warning signs of rising frustration and stress, and go over the steps to take when these feelings occur.
  6. Post visual signs around the workplace positively stating safety rules and healthy reminders to take a break and ask for help when needed. Also verbally reinforce this often as you walk around supervising.
  7. Managers and owners should be frequently seen throughout the workday, so be sure to walk around and talk to your staff every day; don’t just stay at the front desk or in your office.
  8. Make this value central to your business culture. Write it near the very top of your employee handbook, model the loving care of the dogs that you expect of your staff and talk about it at regular staff meetings.
  9. Have security cameras throughout the business. There should be a camera on any space where the dogs will be throughout their time with you.
  10. For employees of a grooming business: If you SEE something, SAY something! Don’t worry that maybe you are misinterpreting what another employee is doing, and don’t worry about “getting a colleague in trouble.” Your reports to a manager are confidential, and all you must say is that you saw something that “may be of concern,” then leave it up to management. That is on them. Your job is first and foremost to be a voice for all the animals in your care.
Your reports to a manager are confidential, and all you must say is that you saw something that “may be of concern,” then leave it up to management. That is on them. Your job is first and foremost to be a voice for all the animals in your care.
STANDARDS DEFINED BY OUR INDUSTRY
After the tragic death of a dog in 2012 at a grooming salon in New Jersey, and the unsubstantiated claims of injury in a California case, legislation that would license and regulate groomers was driven by the strongly motivated owners of these dogs. These bills were proposed and, in both cases, passed through state legislatures and almost became a law. The problem was that no one in those two state legislatures had any idea how to address the issues or how to regulate groomers in a way that would make a difference. But thanks to some big names in the grooming industry, along with many other wonderful volunteer groomers who worked extremely hard for groomers to be heard in those two states’ processes, ultimately, they were able to defeat the poorly written and conceived legislation in both states. However, those two states nearly passing badly written bills regulating groomers was the wake-up call to the entire grooming industry that led to the creation of some important tools and organizations that now should be universally used, talked about, understood and applied throughout the grooming world, including the AKC S.A.F.E (Safety, Assurance, Fundamentals, Education) Grooming Program,2 The PPGSA Standards of Safety, Care and Sanitation,3 and the Master Groomers Council on Best Practices (MGCBP).4
SUNSHINE IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT
While any news of groomers abusing dogs is painful for all of us who love them so much, some of us remember a time where there was no internet, no security cameras, no social media and no groomer organizations or standards in our industry. We worry what horrors may have taken place when no one was looking.

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said in 1914 that “sunshine is the best disinfectant.” These wise words help us realize that keeping bad things hidden only makes them worse. Justice Brandeis was talking about how important transparency is to an organization to prevent corruption. This can similarly apply to the grooming industry, as groomer abuse of pets sadly does sometimes happen. Ignoring it or pretending it does not exist will not help it go away.

All the dogs who go home groomed and happily cared for deserve for us to prioritize this. There is no better “thank you” for grooming with gentleness and understanding than the wagging tail and slobbery kiss from a dog when we show them nothing but the love they deserve.

References:
  1. Creating Great Grooming Dogs Podcast: https://www.creatinggreatgroomingdogs.com/
  2. AKC S.A.F.E (Safety, Assurance, Fundamentals, Education) Grooming Program: https://www.akc.org/products-services/akc-safe-grooming-program/
  3. PPGSA Standards Of Safety, Care & Sanitation: https://petgroomersandstylists.org/standards
  4. Master Groomers Council on Best Practices (MGCBP): https://mgcbp.com/
Additional Resources:
Behavioral Animal Rehabilitative Curriculum: Rehabilitating Animal Abusers Through the Use of Technology: https://barceducation.org/about-barc/rehabilitating-animal-abusers-technology/

Humane Society Of The United States: What you can do to help stop animal abuse: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/report-animal-cruelty

American Humane Association: Animal Abuse Fact Sheet: https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/animal-abuse/

Four Paws USA: Ten Tips To Prevent Animal Cruelty And Abuse: https://www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/topics/companion-animals/preventcrueltytoanimals/ways-to-prevent-cruelty-to-animals

Mayo Clinic: Ten Tips To Tame Your Temper: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/anger-management/art-20045434

Psych Central: Seven Proven Ways To Avoid Losing Your Temper At Work: https://psychcentral.com/health/avoid-losing-temper-at-work

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