Even Dogs Have A Nanny In CA
Katy Grimes: A California state Senator has authored a bill which would regulate pet grooming and require dog groomers to pay a whopping $350 for a state-issued license.
As if the state Legislature’s attempt to require helmuts for skiers and snowboarders, licensing hair braiders, and and imposing child-car seats restrictions just isn’t enough – California now wants to monitor and regulate the bathing and clipping of Bowser and Fluffy.
Will legislators be creating a new state agency to do this?
Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, who is also running for Congress, apparently decided that injuries to pets by unlicensed groomers is a serious enough issue to warrant a new law.
Vargas said he proposed SB 969, also known as “Lucy’s Law,” named for the Yorkshire terrier mix injured by a groomer, because he wants to see more regulation to protect dogs from inexperienced groomers. “I’ve introduced legislation SB 969 which would require pet groomers to be licensed,” said Senator Vargas. “The status quo is causing animals to have their nipples shaved off, part of their paws taken off and they’re injuring these animals in horrible ways.”
Ouch. If a groomer did that to my dog, I would never return, and I’d tell all of my dog-loving friends. If the injuries were serious enough, I’d make the groomer pay the vet bill, or sue the business in small claims court. It might be a hassle, but there already are remedies.
However, nanny Vargas said, “A routine trip to the pet groomer should never result in serious injuries to your pet or the loss of your pet’s life! Our State can make a difference by professionalizing the pet grooming industry to ensure that groomers are properly trained and pets are protected from harm.”
Vargas will also put many small groomers out of business. Why should anyone be forced to apply to the state, and pay $350 for a license, to wash and clip a dog?
Violators of SB969 would be fined $500 to $2,000, and could include 30 days to one year in jail.
Doesn’t California have a serious deficit, debt and credit problem? Isn’t the state’s unemployment the highest in history? Aren’t public school children suffering from some of the lowest math and English test scores in the country? Isn’t the state’s welfare system supporting more than 30 percent of all of the nation’s welfare recipients?
What would possess a state Senator to pursue such a ridiculous piece of legislation?
On the other hand, with this idiotic bill, Sen. Juan Vargas just offered his support of Assemblywoman Shannon Grove’s Part Time Legislature ballot initiative. SB 969 is just one more reason why everyone in the state should vote to make the state Legislature part time – Bowser and Fluffy agree.
FEB. 21, 2012
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Yikes!
I can buy 7 haircuts for myself for what it costs to get my dog a trim and a nail clip down at the local groomers. If they force licenses on these people it will cost a Benjamin Franklin just to get my dog a damn hair cut. The groomers aren’t stupid. They’ll just pass those licensing fees onto you, the consumer! That’s why we bought a dog grooming kit and now I trim him myself. The first time it was a little uneven but now it looks practically like a pro did it. I recommend all to do the same. Hell, dogs don’t give a damn what they look like! Go Galt!
And it’s only going to get worse, folks. They will do anything to fill the deficit hole rather than cut spending. We got 12% of the nation’s population and 33% of the nation’s welfare recipients. Somebody has to buy the housing, food and medical care for those people. And those pension hogs need their $150k annual trough feed. Whatever you own you’d better nail it down otherwise Jerry Clown’s coming after it!
A groomer can groom two or three dogs in one day.
Do the math. The price per dog would not go up by more than a dollar or two per groomer over the first 100 days of the year after the $350 fee.
That’s a small price to pay and if grooming prices were capped so that groomers who take the required course can’t start charging $10 or $20 more, it would be fine with everyone.
The ones that are good don’t need to be regulated and the ones that are bad can’t be. That’s the short story. Here’s the long one:
Today I groomed a labradoodle that was 14 months old and had never been to a groomer. I sat at the door and held a dog in my lap that weighs as much as I do while we watched mom drive off. As she realized she’d been left, she released her bladder into my lap. Did I punish her for pottying inside? No. I sat in my urine soaked pants and talked gently while I stroked her back for 10 minutes. Then I led her to a top-of-the-line crate with a blanket and secured her.
The dog immediately went to the back of her crate, bared her teeth and began a low chest growl; head down, tail tucked, body tense. Did I yell at her? Beat on the crate to show her who was boss? Punish her in any way? Nope. I turned the lights down low, and left her to adjust. Periodically over the next hour, I stopped by to talk gently to her and offer her a holistic treat.
After 2 hours she accepted a treat placed on the floor of the crate. However she still was growling and plastered to the back of the crate. I didn’t yank her out by her leash. I didn’t try to use a rabies pole. I took apart the crate. In the middle of a busy day I dismantled my expensive equipment to avoid further frightening a terrified dog. Then it was bath time.
Groomer’s tubs are set at waist height to avoid constantly bending over. That puts me face to face with a dog who is protecting herself from what must seem like a nightmare. I own my business so Workman’s Comp isn’t paying to have my faced sewed back on if she decides to rip it off.
With one eye on my bathing, I am taking this dog’s emotional temperature second by second. I’m asking her to allow me to touch parts of her that probably haven’t been touched by those she loves most. When is the last time you checked your dog’s feet for mats between her toes? Or scrubbed her ass? Or turned her ears over and examined them? Dug the crud out of the corners of her eyes? Expressed her glands? I take in dogs every day that I can’t believe are actually allowed in the house, much less on the furniture. All part of the service, Ma’am.
My charge could only tolerate a minimum of handling before her body language (something I spent 25 years learning to interpret) told me I needed to give her a few minutes. And while she’s taking those needed minutes, I’m expected to keep her from flinging herself from the tub or getting so panicked that she or I get hurt. It would be so much faster to slap a muzzle on that bitch and sling her around the tub as fast as possible to get it over with. Faster for me=a nightmare for this girl. A 15 minute bath lasted 45 minutes. She exited the tub clean, calm and slightly more trusting. I put her in a crate better suited for a frightened dog and gave her a while to hang out while I dealt with everything I had neglected in order to do right by this one dog.
That was the bath. I won’t describe how the haircut went. Suffice to say she went out clean, fragrant, adorable looking and NOT HARMED.
EVERYTHING that poor baby went through today was the direct fault of an owner who didn’t want to “waste” her money to take her dog to visit a groomer before absolutely necessary. I charged an extra $10 for behavior. I would have been justified in charging a lot more. I would have felt justified in sending her home before her mom got out of sight. Ain’t nobody got time for this. Why didn’t I? Because I’d like to see the dog again. I’m booked out two solid months but I don’t want that problem to go somewhere cheaper because they might not show her the compassion she needs to make it through a haircut whole in body and spirit. I WANT to do this again. I want to help fix her mother’s mistake in not socializing her puppy to grooming visits. I am already looking forward to the day she is straining at the leash to come and visit her friends at the groomer.; something most of my clients do. My name is a magic word to a whole lot of other people’s’ pets. Because I care.
But I’m just a groomer and deserve to have a CAP placed at on my earnings so you don’t get overcharged? Lady, you can’t buy what I’m giving away.
Jesssie,
First off,most groomers handle anywhere from 5 to 8 dogs per day.
2ed: it takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours per groom depending on the size an condition of the dog
3rd: How would you feel if the government stepped in and said that you would now be working for less than minimum wage?
4th: This law would prevent a groomer from making decisions based upon the dogs or cats specific needs
5th: The people writing this bill have NO experience in grooming
6th You try grooming a 150 pound malamute that is packed down with undercoat and then come back and retract your statement on price capping.
from a groomer with 35 years of experience
**ah-men!!**
It’s funny how our job is “easy”, until they stay and watch what actually happens. Do they not realize that I have spent over $200 in JUST trial shampoos these last 2 weeks? I’m Testing out new lines to see if I want to even use them in my shop?? It’s not cheap at all! I could go cheap, but for some unknown reason, I want to be better and help with skin issues, infections and bug infestations; those all brought to us, In hopes that we can do what a vet should be doing, for no extra charge. Because remember.. we are just vets that could not pass the veterinary exam…. ?
They agriculture department out here in Colorado has already did this move and all it has created was a few jobs for few (selected) people. I have paid this price for the last 9 yrs and have gained nothing. I was grooming in Colorado before licensing was even required. You see I agree with Jessssie and always have stuck to the rule that handling razor sharp scissors and live animal should only be for those who has chosen this as a career. In the 18 years of my grooming I have had no complaints that would require any law enforcement to step in and I know dozens of grooming shops that are the same. There are only 2 inspectors for the whole state of Colorado and there is no way they can ever do a through out job as there are to many groomers in the state. I find illegal groomers advertising in the Craigs List all the time and when I make a complaint to the State Ag Department the just respond it is not their job to hunt these people down. The bottom line is it is just a scam….. No one has to pass a test just send the money and we will show you the hoops to jump through. Now for all the people who have dogs and take them to a groomer be sure to get to know the place and people their. Most all the groomers I know are animal loving people and would give the best of care when handling your pet. Talk to your groomer and see how hour pet does in the grooming session and see how both you and the groomer can make things better. Remember even the pet that has been groomed their whole life gets nervous to have to go and stay anywhere with out the owner. Also accidents can happen (refer back to sharp scissor live animal rule), I have had some myself over the years but none serious. Also as a groomer I offered to pay for any bills that occurred from injury and I am sure your groomer would do the same. Also the problem with the state and their 350 dollar fee is that if a pet ever died in my care, by law I am only responsible for the original cost of the purchase of the pet and that is it. So have good communication with your groomer and if you do not like the situation find another, there is a groomer out there for your situation. As far as this state licensing fee goes now is the time for groomers to band together and say no to this unwarranted fee. In these hard times the people need to keep as much money as they can to help their own family. If you do not stop this bill now it will turn into a gigantic money monster and will not be stopped…. Our fees have gone up consistently but we can not charge any more for fear of being under cut by the next groomer or the people just simply do not have the money for the service.
Rod
Heads and Tails Mobile Pet Grooming in Colorado Springs.
ps I may be looking for work in the Palmdale area in Aug….. any leads?
Thanks
A few other things not only will they include the grooming but every thing from breeders, pet shop, trainers, kennels and anything else that has to do with animal care. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Agriculture-Main/CDAG/1183672553959 there is the link to the program in Colorado and still only 2 inspectors….. So everyone in these industries need to step up and voice their vote…. or pay the price because this is what they told me when I asked when and where was the voting for this…. (was kept very low in the public media) and they said only a hand full of people came to vote and they all wanted the bill….. I just received a letter saying pay or quite! Did not get to vote.
I have said for years this is coming we had batter get involved in the process and involved in the making of the laws or we’re going to I’ll be out money for nothing you’ll still be bad people out there grooming dogs still be illegal people grooming dogs I’ve said for years we need to wake up .This is just stupid
I bet this has more to do with big corporations, like Petsmart, trying to protect their turf, than it is about protecting Fido and Fifi. It is just a way to eliminate the small grooming business. California is a bunch of communist nut jobs.