A dog groomer has been fined after she was caught on camera slapping and throwing a small dog.
The 31-year-old woman was ordered by Perth’s Armadale Magistrates Court to pay $7,500 for the abhorrent act of cruelty towards the Maltese shih tzu named Luffy, which took place in September 2021 while she was washing and shaving the dog.
CCTV provided to the RSPCA showed the woman cornering Luffy before slapping him on the head with an open hand and lifting him off the grooming table by his ears.
He also threw it into the bathtub forcefully, pinning the helpless animal with his body weight and lifting it by the leash around its neck, before throwing it into a cage.
It all came to light after Luffy’s owner said after the appointment that the dog was shaking and there was blood around his eye, which a veterinary exam confirmed was an eye injury.
The 31-year-old woman was ordered by Perth’s Armadale Magistrates Court to pay $7,500 for the abhorrent act of cruelty towards the Maltese shih tzu named Luffy, which took place in September 2021 while she was washing and shaving the dog.
WA RSPCA inspector manager Kylie Green said the offense was a breach of trust.
“Pet owners have faith that the person they pay to groom their dog will act professionally and treat their dog with kindness and care,” he said.
‘Your dog can’t come home and tell you how his appointment went, so you have to trust that the groomer has done the right thing.
“Looking at the CCTV video, you can see that Luffy was terrified.”
Green said trained groomers should always use the correct equipment and approved grooming techniques to keep themselves and the dog safe.
‘A hairdresser with the offender’s experience should know how to avoid a difficult appointment.
“There is no excuse for attacking and injuring a defenseless animal,” he said.
Security cameras supplied to the RSPCA showed the woman cornering Luffy before slapping him on the head with an open hand and lifting him off the grooming table by his ears.
The woman He was found to have been cruel to an animal in his care during a dog grooming session by mistreating and restraining it in a way that was likely to cause unnecessary harm.
The offender was given a served sentence and she said she would complete an online grooming behavior course.
He was fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs.
The woman no longer works at the business where Luffy was mistreated.
The maximum penalty for an animal cruelty charge is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
