Life's a Bitch
Pet groomer Sun Hu was jailed two weeks for using a clipper to hit a dog last month. The three-year-old Maltese terrier died of head injuries while still on the grooming table. A post-mortem by the Veterinary Pathology Branch of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) revealed that the dog had been hit on the head. The maximum punishment is a $10,000 fine and a year in jail.
The recent furore over a pet groomer’s mishandling of a dog that ultimately caused its death has pet lovers all over Singapore losing confidence in pet groomers islandwide. It seems the issue has brought to light many other concerns regarding pet grooming in our country. Pet forums are raging with disgust at the ineptitude of several pet groomers and are keen to have pet grooming licensed in an effort to maintain some standards.
While this issue is not isolated – the SPCA said it has received seven complaints of pets dying during grooming sessions in the past year – there are more cases of injuries than deaths sustained during pet grooming sessions. Owners of pets who have been injured during their grooming sessions are beginning to seek changes by insisting on regulation of the pet grooming industry.
The recent incident with the Maltese occurred at a shop, Strawberry Pet Shop, located in Jurong West. Already, the shop has gained negative publicity with patrons and many have never returned after their initial visit, citing bad service and injuries caused by the shop’s pet groomer.
Owner, Lawrence, has spoken to the media regarding these issues and claims he has compensated the owners of pets that have sustained some sort of injury while being groomed at his shop. However, he maintains that his groomer, Sun Hu, a Chinese National, is well qualified and adept at grooming pets. He exerts that he even trusts his own pets with Sun.
Although Sun Hu has been slapped with a two week sentence in jail, many pet owners are of the sentiment that it is not penalty enough for killing a dog. Many are adamant about the injustice at taking away a life that is punished by only two weeks in prison.
On a wider scale, pet owners are getting increasingly distrustful of pet groomers across the island as they feel that most do not possess the basic love for animals to be kind and patient with them while handling their pets. They also cite reasons such as shoddy workmanship and rude service toward both owner and pet. While some pet shops allow owners to watch while their pets are being groomed, the majority of pet shops are not this transparent.
Perhaps a remedy to this situation is for pet shops to allow for more transparency where pet grooming is concerned. Pet owners too can alleviate this state of affairs by monitoring their pets as they are being groomed – this not only allows them to witness the actual events, it might also help to ease the pet’s anxiety at being handled by strangers and being in an unfamiliar place.
