Regulation Redux

When I first sat down to write this article about regulating the grooming industry, I reread some of the material written by my journalistic peers in the industry.  There was a lot of research done, bills reviewed, phone calls made, and the issue had been covered thoroughly and in great detail.  Many of the voices of professional groomers that took up this issue with great passion and concern were quoted, and the argument was made regarding licensure and regulation from varying perspectives. 


So, what is my angle here, I asked myself?  What is the spin that can be helpful?  What can we do, if anything, to keep this conversation alive and vital, because in the end, I do believe, licensing is coming to a state near you; how it looks, feels and tastes to our professional palette is still open for discussion.  With no conversation, with no opinions being spoken, a silent voice from our ranks will allow individuals other than professional groomers to make decisions about our industry's future without us.  Silence will ultimately speak much louder than the voice of professionalism, a voice of concern, a voice of reason, a voice of knowing.  We must not be complacent, especially in a time when many segments of the pet world are being legislated and influenced by politicians and government. 

Current Legislation
Let us consider the proposed amendment in Georgia to raise all licensing fees for shelters, kennels, horse stables and pet dealers by 100 percent. Doesn't a 100-percent increase seem a little excessive?  Think of the animal shelters and how hard they have been hit by both the economy and the incredible increase in demand for their services.  As a proprietor of a professional grooming salon, I have to wonder how groomers stayed under the radar on this.  It is just a matter of time before grooming is added to the list, though, as local governments struggle with their own bottom line and the rallying cry of constituents who want accountability for all professional service providers that care for their four-legged family members.

As I write this article, the fate of Senate Bill 460 in North Carolina is still undecided.  This bill attempts to define what a 'commercial breeder' is and is focused on stopping animal cruelty and negligence.  The bill was originally scheduled for presentation in mid-June, but due to an overwhelming outcry by pet owners and breeders across North Carolina, it has been pushed back.  This bill had many vague definitions and provisions in its current form, leaving many unanswered questions regarding who is actually considered a breeder, and the bill sets up a governing body with absolutely no funding to oversee the investigations of breeders with complaints levied against them.  Ultimately, it could punish responsible pet owners and breeders because of unclear and vague language.  It is not the right bill.  With solid animal protection laws already in place in North Carolina, the provisions of Bill 460 are less effective than the laws already in existence and there is no budget to enforce them.

One last example of government involvement in a way that will significantly affect the professional pet care industry is an ordinance that will be heard in San Francisco, Calif., which will prohibit all sales of pets in the city's pet stores. Originally, the proposal was focused on cats and dogs, but it looks likely that the sale of all pets will be banned. 

A Dangerous Path
So, why do I bring up non-grooming bills and ordinances up in this grooming industry magazine?  It is only a matter of time before some state government actually begins regulating the grooming industry.  It is going to happen, and it will likely happen sooner, rather than later.  While the public's attitude about the rights of pets and their role as true members of the family is generally a good thing for the pet industry, when this emotion is expressed as a knee-jerk reaction to a bad thing happening to one person, and thus a law is created, it can be dangerous.

When Riva the greyhound died in Massachusetts in May of 2006-apparently suffering heat stroke in a drying cage--her owners were brokenhearted.  Riva had a body temperature of over 108 degrees by the time she arrived at the veterinarian's office, immediately after being picked up from a grooming salon.  Anyone would want answers, and anyone would want accountability. 

In the chambers of the Massachusetts state capitol, as professional groomers, one-by-one, addressed different aspects of a proposed grooming licensing bill and why it wouldn't work as written in the reality of day-to-day professional pet grooming, I was hyperaware of the chasm that lay between what these pet owners were looking for in terms of closure for their tragedy and the government's process of letting non-groomers create a bill for our industry. 

What started out as an issue over the dangers of hot, enclosed cage drying became a laundry list of proposals that would be nearly impossible to enforce in the real grooming world.  For example, the bill stated that, "Each pet shall be caged separately."  Try telling that to the owner with three shih tzu that insists that they must be together at all times.  "Pets shall not be left unattended."  Well, of course we won't walk away from a tethered dog on a table or in the tub, but define 'unattended.'  When we are finished grooming, and the dog is simply sitting in a safe cubby, tethered and certainly in sight, is that unattended?  The wording and definitions of many items in the Massachusetts bill were vague and confusing.  'Sanitary conditions shall be maintained at all times.'  That is great and we certainly do that at my store, but what defines sanitary?  I have been in many shops that I would not deem 'sanitary' in my own definition, but who am I? My point is that what began as a trouble-shooting exercise and a process to provide accountability and recourse for a pet owner turned into something completely different; and state-by-state, it has been this way time and time again.

I was standing in front of the state senators from Massachusetts with my friend Jessica when she turned to the family of Riva and said, "It sounds like no one has ever said they were sorry for the loss of your baby.  Well, I'm sorry, and every groomer in this room is sorry."  It was a sacred moment to me, because finally someone was giving voice to their pain and anguish.  I met with the family outside the capitol building after the hearing.  They were absolutely lovely and planned on adopting another greyhound soon.  I explained to them that I understood their suffering, but this bill wouldn't solve the problem that led to Riva's death.  They asked that we then write it properly so it would protect the dogs in the future.  That was three years ago.  There is still no bill in Massachusetts.  Currently, the Massachusetts bill is in 'study order,' and it may or may not ever make it out. Considering its content, that's not a bad thing.

Self Regulation
With the awareness that the government is getting more and more involved in legislating the world of pet care, including grooming, and with the understanding that bills like the one in Massachusetts are just not realistic when it comes right down to the real world of the grooming shop, what's next, professional groomers?  Where do we go from here?  When I asked Kathy Rose, one of the founders of the Groomer Licensing Founders Committee, she responded that she believed, "Vocational licensing will help bring professionalism and unification to our industry.  I also believe it is not a question of 'should' vocational licensing be implemented but 'when' and 'who' will be the driving force.  Let it be groomers." 

Vocational licensing, as opposed to state-sanctioned licensing, would be developed by professional groomers for professional groomers.  We would be creating our own occupational bar, if you will, as opposed to the state or local government. Rose sees this as a multi-faceted challenge.   It would include a variety of educational programs, focused on a variety of issues, including health and safety for pets and people, as well certification in the different breed standards.

The licensure created by groomers for the grooming industry will actually be words and rules that we can live by.  I cannot step into my state senator's office and assume to write a bill policing the daily realities of her office any more realistically than she can step into my grooming salon and whip up regulatory realities for my business.  Regulation will come, licensing will be a reality, but whether it improves our industry and makes our profession more respected, well, that is up to us.  I went out into the field again, and asked the grooming world to share some thoughts on the issue.  Thank you so much to everyone who responded.