Owner of dog maimed wants law for groomers

With a recent death in Virginia a local animal activist says it’s time for a change at dog groomers.

Lucy’s law came close to passing in California three years ago, now the people behind are trying again, asking for the public’s help.

Lucy was maimed at a Petsmart in Palm Springs by an inexperienced groomer.

Now nearly six years later, there is still no required training or certification for dog groomers in California or anywhere in the country.

“She was a great little dog,” said Lucy’s owner David Martin.

Martin took Lucy to a PetSmart grooming salon in 2009.

“I went to pick her up about four hours later, she could hardly walk she was limping really badly. When I questioned them they said, ‘Oh she was a sweetheart nothing is wrong.’ She was walking when I brought her in here,” said Martin.

After he took Lucy home, Martin noticed she was seriously hurt.

“She got up on the couch and rolled over so I could rub her stomach. I noticed that they had cut off five of her nipples with her clippers when they groomed her,” said Martin. “Her eye came out of it’s socket and they just pushed it back into her head and didn’t tell me about it.”

PetSmart paid for Lucy’s vet bills, but Martin wants to see change, change that he says has yet to happen across the industry.

“It shouldn’t even be an issue any more, but it happens every single day,” said Martin.

Martin teamed up with animal activist Jacqueline Mercier-Berman to create Lucy’s law. It’s a state bill requiring all groomers be certified. It’s since been modified to exempt those with at least five years experience.

“Anybody can become a dog groomer, anybody can buy a clipper and a shear and put up a shingle and murder a dog,” said Mercier-Berman.

The bill nearly became law in 2012 before it was set aside, now both say it’s time for something to be done.

“If they are short on groomers they will call a cashier off the register who has never done it before, so there is a lot of room for error,” said Martin.

So where can you take your dog? Mercier-Berman actually takes her dog to a big-box retailer.

“The only certified groomer I have met and it’s in our local Petco, so there you go. It’s not about Petco, it’s about the person you are dealing with with your animal,” said Mercier-Berman.

She says look for someone with at least five years experience.

“If they can’t give you five years take your dog and run. That is really serious. That is why dogs 1,200 a year in 2012, died because inexperienced people took the shears and clippers and strangled the dogs. That’s how it happens,” said Mercier-Berman.

“Watch your dog’s body language, that’s key thing I think. If your dog doesn’t want to go in there, it’s probably been hurt there before,” said Martin.

It took a year for Lucy to recover from her injuries. She passed away last year.

The next step for Lucy’s law is for state lawmakers to get involved to introduce the bill in Sacramento.

Mercier-Berman and Martin are asking for people to contact their local representatives and urge their support.

Senator Jeff Stone 28 the District Phone: (916) 651-4028

Assemblyman Jose Medina Phone: (916) 651-4028