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You know those stories about hurt kids that make you want to hug your children? Prepare to hug your four-legged pal instead. Owners of a Pomeranian-Maltese mix puppy named Dodo claim his ear was cut off and then sloppily "glued" back on by dog groomers at a Hawaii Petco.
Show of hands: who's surprised Gladys Kapuwai has joined a lawsuit against the pet store chain? No one? Good. Because this one should make every pet owner throw up their arms in anger.
There are two types of stories that I cannot handle. The ones featuring kids who were hurt just edge out those about abused animals. The common thread between them, of course, is that they're both fragile, innocent, and unable to speak up for themselves.
What makes Kapuwai's allegations about what happened to her 3-year-old granddaughter Gilzale's furry little buddy so heinous isn't that Dodo's ear may have been clipped. Accidents happen, especially with a wriggling puppy. I have seen professional groomers who post disclaimers that explain dogs may come out with small nicks or cuts from the shaving process, especially when they're working through matted hair, and older dogs may show fatigue from extended time spent standing up and moving around to have their nails cut and their hair snipped.
No, what makes this so unspeakably disturbing are the grandma's allegations that groomers decided that it would be better to cover their tracks with some glue rather than tell the owners the truth. If what she says is true, it's as if these people who are supposed to care about animals figured that a dog could never tell on them, so hey, what the heck! And according to the lawsuit, which includes another dog owner who tells a similar tale of an animal hurt under care at the Petco on Oahu, this represents a pattern.
If people who actually choose to work with the voiceless would abuse the trust put into them, it's a scary day indeed.
Do you have a story about your animal being hurt that's really hit you in the guts?
Image via nxfiore/Flickr
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