Andrea Rosebrock 
I admit, I don’t take my babies to a groomer and wouldn’t, especially after some of the horror stories I’ve heard and written about but I know a lot of people do. Grooming is not necessarily an easy thing to do at home, especially if you don’t have the know-how or patience or tools. This story is just another warning about groomers. I know there are good ones out there but there are some that are not so good. If you take your precious furry family member to a groomer, be extra vigilant and don’t wound up like Jo Joshua of Stevenson Ranch who instead of having an adorable and well groomed furbaby for the holidays has had deal with the task of burying her baby.
Jo dropped her 5-year-old Teddy, short for Teddy Bear, a Bichon Frise, off at a local groomer so that he would be all fixed up and looking pretty for the holidays. When her son picked “Teddy” up later and brought him to Jo, she knew right off that it wasn’t her Teddy and called the groomer. Turned out there was a mix up with dogs and her Teddy was given to someone else about 20 miles away.
Now this might not have been a major problem or disastrous consequences but in this case it did. The person who picked up Teddy didn’t realize the mistake and when they got home set Teddy down and Teddy, obviously being scared being in a strange place, took off. In the meanwhile, Jo, some friends, family and even strangers were handing out “missing dog” fliers and the groomer even put up half the reward.
Sadly, just a few days later a metro worker found teddy laying by the train tracks, he’d been killed.
“I could just see his fluffy body and you know I broke down and I was crying,” Joshua said.
Now, this was an honest mistake but one that could have been avoided of the groomer had just tagged the dogs to make sure there was no mix-up and this honest mistake cost the life of an innocent little dog and the heartbreak of the dog’s owner.
The one thing that Jo hopes that people get from this sad story, is that groomers need to keep better track of their charges. Dogs aren’t “just dogs”… they are beloved furry family members.
“We really need to tag animals when they go get washed. I think this is probably every owner’s worst nightmare,” Jo said.
My friends, if you take your dog to a groomer, take care!! Know the groomer, know their reputation, don’t be afraid to wait for your dog rather than just drop them off. Too many stories… lost dogs, dogs mixed-up, staff not paying attention to equipment killing dogs. Grooming should be a painless and easy experience.
For myself, the only other hands I ever place my babies in are the hands of my trusted vet and even then I am on-hand unless there is no way possible. Jezz and Brut may be “just dogs” to some people but to me, they are my babies, my furry kids and people can tease me all they want but my babies are safe and sound and I will do what I can to make sure they stay that way… even be a “crazy dog lady”
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I have a wonderful groomer, who is also a friend. She took care of my Shorty for 15 years, wept right along with me when he went to the Bridge, and welcomed Sasha with her whole heart when she came along. She keeps her all day, takes her out and gives her treats while she eats her lunch, walks her, and gives her the special shampoos that help the allergies. All for a price I couldn’t do at home.
But I’m lucky. So many people will go to the big grooming salons or to strangers. While Sasha needs very little actual “grooming” since she’s a collie mix, she still makes her look gorgeous. I have followed Erin everywhere she has moved, because of these very horror stories. Sasha goes nuts when I ask her if she’s ready to go see Erin. She adores her. Since her hip dislocation she hasn’t been able to go, and has been incredibly sad.
There are really good ones out there. It just takes time and patience to find them.
This is very sad and was totally avoidable. Poor Teddy and Teddy’s family. I am deeply sorry for your loss.
Great warnng D. One either needs to locate and follow to the ends of the earth a trusted and loving groomer such as Bonnie has or like D, use a trusted vet and if one is lucky, with in house groomers. To many groomers, it is about money and time. It is not that most are intentionally cruel, but when bottom lines, overscheduling and eye on the clock become the main focuses, care, concern and safety precautions are apt to be forgotten.
Had a bad expereince with a highly referred vet when I first rescued and adopted the Lhasa Brothers, “The Boys”. Groomer was overbooked and her shampoooer wanted to leave early. Mistakenly used a caustivc of some kind instead of shampoo and it got into their eyes. Accidents do happen, but concern for profit (being sued or not geting paid) or who knows for what reason, did not call me. I was less than 5 minutesd away, but tried to treat it on their own and kept putting me off as to being backed up and that was why they were not ready yet. Finally told them, ready or not…..bring them out to me. Turned out whatever caustic was in whatever they used had burned their eyes and they had ulcerated corneas. Thank heavens a good opthamologist vet specialist was able to help them and they did not lose their sight. Now as D says, I have a vet and that vet has internal grooming service.
But also have to lay some blame on the part of the “pet parents”. Unless one had identical to a “T” twins…how could one not recognize at the groomers their own beloved pet and fmaily member. That goes for both sets as well as the son who picked up the dogs.
So sad. It’s a harsh reminder that with most groomers…boarding kennels, and sadly…too many vets…The bottom line is money.
It reminds me of an incident when I was a kid…around 1963 or ‘64. Our neighbors had a beautiful Collie girl who was the neighborhood pet. Everybody on the block loved Sable and she made her visitation rounds every day. They left her with a reputable boarder for their annual 4th of July beach trip, and when they returned…Sable was dead. Because she’d been creamated, there was no chance for a necropsy…so they just had to swallow it and go on. They never owned another dog.
Hey Tuff
Had a similar boarding incident happen approx same time…maybe ‘69. Lived in sub of Chicago and left our BELOVED collie, Sailor, with a highly reputable and expensive boarding kennel. As I always do went out to interview, and take full tour. We were going into Northern Canada, hiking and then taking ferry back to States so could not take him. Gave them neighbors contact with permission, our vet’s contact with his letter that any vet needs he would bill to us plus our intinerary and contact numbers. When we returned (in two weeks) he had lost more than 15 pounds, was so weak that he had to be carried to the car and could not even sit up in the car seat, nose encrusted with discharge, and wheezed when he breathed. Immediately took hime to vet, it was discovered that he had picked up a cold at the kennels,lying on the concrete floor with to much air conditioning and not eating (He had ALL his shots), had gotten ill, had gone into pneumonia and then had settled into his heart and was dying. Vet even wrote up a med report and eval. The kennel said they had NOT noticed anything other than he was not getting up or eating much!!!
Broke our hearts, but like all living things that we love and treasure, I think it is a dishonor never to go that route again. Sometimes the price of great love is the pain of great loss. I would never not have had that love, even when it meant that pain. That was almost 40 years ago and I still miss him and mourn his loss.
That’s why I think that the BEST thing to do is learn how to groom your own dog…..I groom my 2 Schnauzers……If you got the bucks to pay for a Groomer…every month9 sometimes 2 X per month) than you could easyly by grooming tools at a Pet Store or Catolog such as Pet Edge….and buy a book that teaches you step by step grooming…you can find a book like that on Pet Edge or even at your local Barnes and Noble.Knwoing how to groom your on dog is also a form of protecting him or her….I do NOT TRUST any one with my fur children….It has to be SUPER SPECIAL….like the one Bonnie has….
I worked as a groomer in a Petsmart….but I quit….did NOT want to be a witness of ALL that CRUELTY that goes behind the scenes( in the area that is not visible to the public…and even in this area…a whole lot of evil is done to ppl’s pets)
They cut the dogs with their big and sharp scissors…On PURPOSE!!! they bath them in extremely hot water,they crab senior dogs with such a violence….it’s very disturbing. I tried to defend the ones withot a voice….but all I got was a bunch of nasty,low life groomers cussing/attacking me….because they don’t want anyone to be up i their bussiness( that how they said it….extremely GUETTHO).And they have been doing things in this manner for so long….that they don’t wanto to be confronted with their behavior towards the defenseless dogs….
I ONLY WANTED YOU
They say memories are golden
Well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories.
I only wanted you.
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried,
If love alone could have saved you
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still,
In my heart you hold a special place
No one could ever fill.
If tears could build a stairway
And heartache make a lane,
I would walk the path to heaven
And bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken
And nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.
Rest in peace my special little Teddy Bear.
The Joshua family with love always.
Jo, that was a touching tribute to your little one. We’ve all felt the loss, and our collective hearts go out to you and your family. I know that…for me…it’s like the household is suddenly thrown out of balance, and there’s a gaping hole in the picture. It’s hard. I know. I know.
How could the other person NOT realize that Teddy wasn’t their dog?! That could have been easily avoidable if the person who was given Teddy looked closely to realize that this wasn’t their dog.
I’m not saying that the person who ended up with Teddy doesn’t feel horrible for their inadvertent hand in the mix up as well, but if they had looked closely, they would have been able to tell that wasn’t their dog.
Isn’t it partially the owners fault for not realizing it wasn’t her dog? I mean come on…
I am so sorry for your loss Joshua family. Especially during the holiday season, where our little ones are so much a part of the festivities.
I do have a thought/question. Most all dogs are chipped now. Why wouldn’t a groomer invest in a scanner, just to make sure the right dog is being taken home? This way, the dogs being groomed can be monitored also, where they get scanned prior to their bath, off to drying, where they would be scanned again, brushing/etc., have them scanned at each station, where it would also alert somone if a dog was in one station much too long.
Just a thought – preventing losses such as the one this family had to endure.