Dogsey

The owner of a grooming salon and a groomer were both found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under the Animal Welfare act. This comes after a dog had to be put to sleep when it suffered "terrible” burns at a salon in Grays, Essex. Dusty, a 12-year-old Lhasa Apso, had been left unattended in a small crate under an industrial hairdryer by unqualified groomer Victoria Ellis, who went to answer the telephone, forgetting about Dusty.

Basildon Magistrates' Court heard how salon owner Jaqueline Ward, who was not at the salon at time of the incident, advised Dusty's owners to put some cream on the “small burn” but Dusty had to be taken to a vets and suffered shock from the burns. When his condition deteriorated, his owners had to take the decision to have him put to sleep. The vet said most of his body and sides were red, swollen and very warm. An expert vet said he would have suffered and could not escape from the heat.

Ward and Ellis, who were both unqualified dog groomers when Dusty was treated, were each fined £1000, given 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay £250 of compensation to Dusty's owners.

RSPCA inspector Lewis Taylor said: “This was a horrific case which could so easily have been prevented had Dusty not been left unattended. Although such cases aren't deliberate, owners entrust the care of their beloved animals to dog groomers and deserve to know they are leaving their pet in safe hands.

"Although Ward was not there when the incident happened, business owners do have a duty to ensure that animals do not suffer whilst in the care of their staff."

This is the fourth case of a dog being burned by a dryer at a grooming salon in two years and the RSPCA is calling for the grooming industry to be licensed.