Distressed dog owner is taking Whiteley dog groomers Lush Dogs to court

Georgina Wilson, 46, has been left upset after her precious Pomeranian, Kiki, came home after her groom on February 22, 2022, with two lumps on her which later became infected.

She is now calling to change the levels of regulation within the industry to ensure that pet safety is at the forefront of every business.

The 46-year-old believes that it was from the dog grooming business, Lush Dogs, who had ‘accidentally’ cut her dog whilst giving her a trim.

Georgina did not notice the wounds until two days after her dog’s appointment but the irritation had caused Kiki to scratch it and make it infected, resulting in Georgina taking her to the vets, who confirmed that it may have happened at the salon.

The dog owner messaged the dog groomers to enquire about the injury and asked if someone new had trimmed Kiki’s coat – she originally sought acceptance of the cuts from the groomers and an apology – but things took a turn for the worse.

Georgina said that the owner denied using scissors to cut her dog’s coat and explained that they do not use scissors on that area of the dog, but after research Georgina responded to the groomer stating that they would have had to use scissors.

The Whiteley resident was also informed that the groomers had video footage of the groom and that they had referred back to the video which shows no-one using scissors, but that they did not want to release the video to Georgina.

The groomer watched the video for the second time and confirmed that they did use scissors, but Georgina wants to have access to the video for her own peace of mind.

She said: ‘I have gone to them a few times before and I never had a problem with them over the last few grooms but when she came out this time, the cut was shorter and I noticed she had two wounds on her neck.

‘I am not a horrible person, I just wanted them to be honest with me and say “this could have happened here”. She said she didn’t use scissors, she has a Pomeranian coat, it is a double coat so you have to use scissors.

‘She said she had a video of the groom which, firstly I have never given my permission to be filming my dog, and then they couldn’t release the video because of GDPR.

‘There is no regulation when it comes to animals and grooming. You can start up a groomers with a certificate and no experience. I just want them to say sorry to me but they have denied using scissors and they have denied me the right to view the video of my dog.

‘We have got to change the law. The fact that our animals are seen as nothing more than objects is awful. My main thing is that we need to have an independent regulatory body and we need to change the laws in relation to our pets because they are our babies.’

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The owner of Lush Dogs and her husband said: ‘Georgina Wilson has been a customer of Lush Dogs Ltd since 2020 and has never previously made any complaint about the grooming services provided to her dog.

‘Ms Wilson made no complaint when her dog, Kiki, was groomed on 22 February 2022. Kiki was returned to the care of Georgina Wilson without any injury. We are very disappointed that Ms Wilson has made a legal claim against Lush Dogs and we are defending the matter to trial.’

Originally, Georgina was going to claim on the business’s insurance to cover the cost of the vets, but it was denied as there was not a case. She went to Citizens Advice and found out that because she was a third party she was unable to raise a complaint.

The dispute between the groomers and Georgina has led to the dog owner taking legal action against the shop.

They will be going to the Southampton Combined Court in May and Georgina has put together pages of evidence which includes statements and literature from professionals in the industry, as well as regulation and customer clauses.

In papers served to the court Georgina has claimed that the business is in breach of the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 and the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, which outlines that animals should be protected from harm and that any service that is carried out should be done so with reasonable care.

She has collected witness statements from other groomers who have experience in the industry, and her main concern is the amount of regulation within the industry regarding animals and their welfare.

She said: ‘I said if they could give me the video, then I would have an explanation for this. I just want accountability. I lost 10 days of income – because of where the wounds were, she couldn’t have a cone so I had to watch her. It was so much stress for me and my dog.’

Georgina said the claim has not been about money and that if she is awarded any she will donate it to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

The owners of Lush Dogs added: ‘Lush Dogs is an active member of the Pet Industry Federation. Our grooming staff have been awarded externally moderated and recognised dog grooming qualifications, and have extensive grooming experience. All services rendered at the Lush Dogs salon are carried out with a significant level of care and skill and we always aim to provide an exceptional dog grooming service to our customers.’