Legislation aimed at four-legged friends
You can leave your dog at a kennel overnight. You can leave him in daycare, too. What you can't do is get your pets groomed.
But a bill authored by House Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th, contests the closure of pet groomers, one of hundreds of fields deemed nonessential by Gov. Tom Wolf's COVID-19 orders.
“I do recognize the importance of animal care,” Mustello said. “It's true neglect by not letting these groomers be open.”
Mustello served as executive director for the Butler County Humane Society from 2008 to 2011, then as board president for the organization for six years.
She said lack of grooming for a dog can carry significant health risks.
“This is not all about fluffy hair and smelling good. It's about the health of our dogs.” Mustello said. “This needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.”
Before crafting the bill, Mustello received a call from Kristen Cully, owner of Whispering Winds Boarding Kennel in Connoquenessing Township.
Cully explained to the state representative, whose district covers eight Butler County Townships, that although she has been able to board dogs overnight and watch them in daycare, she has not been permitted to groom people's four-legged friends. She added her phone rings constantly — at least 290 people so far — with grooming requests.
“It's going to be physically impossible to get all these dogs groomed when we do get back up,” Cully said.
Mustello's bill was passed by the Agricultural Committee Monday and will need to pass both a House and Senate vote. Also, if the bill is amended by the Senate, it will need to pass another vote in the House before reaching Wolf's desk.
“I do hope folks across the state get in touch with their representative and express the importance of this,” Mustello said. “I do hope the governor recognizes the importance and we don't have to go through with the bill.”
Cully never expected grooming to be listed as nonessential because of the health aspects involved with grooming. Now the local business owner finds herself figuring out how she will accommodate a large number of customers with her regular staff of just two full-time and one part-time groomers.
“We're looking at dogs who needed groomed eight weeks ago,” Cully said. “Every place probably has a list that long, and everyone is going to want in right away.”
As groomers turn people away, some pet owners might begin turning to veterinarians for what are normally routine nail clippings and other needs usually handled by groomers.
Kayla Kuhns, a veterinary assistant at Muddy Creek Animal Clinic, said they have been trying to maintain social distancing throughout the pandemic. She said the clinic makes owners stay in their cars in the parking lot while staff go outside to bring the animals into the clinic. She added masks are also in constant use.
Kuhns said in addition to normal social distancing practices, the clinic prioritizes more serious issues and patients. However, she said a lot of people come to the clinic for routine nail trimmings as well.
“We're limiting that right now,” she said. “If they're already scheduled to come in, then we'll trim their nails or do other things.”
Kuhns agreed with Cully that allowing groomers to reopen could help handle the nail trimmings and coat cleaning.
Cully stressed how poor hygiene in animals can lead to infections. Untrimmed nails can curl back and poke into an animal's paw. Moreover, unkempt fur can twist into tight knots that pull on an animal's skin, hurt them and leave them with open wounds.
Cully said owners are sitting home and either trying to groom on their own or watching their pets' conditions worsen. She hopes this type of legislation will not only direct Wolf to consider reopening grooming statewide, but imply it should be considered as an essential service if this type of closure ever happens again.
“For them to have to deal with those kinds of things because we're closed,” Cully said. “I can't imagine the burden they're having.”
