A suburban dog groomer has been ordered to pay $7,500 after he was caught punching and throwing a small white dog as he attempted to wash and shave it.
CCTV shows the dog appearing to bark and struggle as the 31-year-old woman tries to keep it on the table. He then took the Maltese x Shih Tzu into another room and dumped it.
When Luffy was collected by his owner, he reported that the dog was shaking on his legs and had blood around his eye — this was documented by a vet and reported to the RSPCA.
Groomer’s behavior described as ‘breach of trust’
RSPCA Western Australia branded the dog groomer’s behavior south of Perth “a breach of trust”, and took the matter to court. The offender was convicted under the state’s animal welfare act and found to have been cruel to the dog and caused unnecessary harm.
The charity’s inspector manager Kylie Green said pet owners expected groomers to act professionally and kindly, but Luffy was clearly “horrified” by his treatment.
“Trained groomers must always use the correct equipment and approved grooming techniques to keep themselves and the dog safe,” he said. “An offender’s experience adjuster must know to stop a difficult appointment. There is no reason to get angry and hurt a defenseless animal.”
The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is $50,000 and five years in prison, but in this case the offender was given a spent sentence, fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs. He no longer works in a business where dogs are mistreated.
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