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Bad haircuts can happen to anyone, but when they happen to fluffy dogs, it can be especially devastating. According to The Sun, Snieguole Ghuman brought her German Shepherd to groomers for a wash, and returned to find the dog fully shaved.
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The distraught Ghuman said that she brought her pooch, Simba, to the groomers to get the mats worked out of his fur. Instead of rejuvenating Simba's coat, the groomer decided to shave everything off.
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Now Simba has a real lion look, sporting only a mane of fur around his face. The groomer, Gemma Barnett, is claiming that her daring choice was in the dog's best interest and was approved by the RSPCA.
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Barnett claims that Simba's mats were so severe she called the RSPCA for advice and they told her the best option was to shave off the problem areas.
"I had to remove as much fur as I did because it was that badly matted," Barnett told The Sun. "His skin was blood red because the knots were pulling it so badly. I do what is best for the dog and their welfare and happiness." -
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Ghuman believes the Barnett went too far, claiming there were only mats on the dog's legs and belly. Now, she says her dog gets ridiculed in the streets and has lost his upbeat demeanor.
Unfortunately, this is a situation that only time will fix. Don't worry Simba, you'll get back to your furry self soon enough!
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290 Comments
typo...meant 1 plus inch coat for German Shepherd
January 16 2013 at 1:29 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhat kinda matting can a German Shepherd get with his 21plus inch coat. Having a dog shaved should be the decision of the owner.
January 16 2013 at 1:27 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI've worked as a groomer and there were several cases where a dog was so matted that brushing the poor thing caused extreme pain for the animal. This can honestly put the groomer in danger as the dogs would often try to bite or fight back, simply in retaliation to the pulling of the de-matting brushes (and take into account that the dog in this case was a LARGE German Shepherd... would any of you want to take that chance?).
December 06 2012 at 9:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAlso, it's honestly very difficult to bathe a dog that's covered in matts... the hair doesn't dry, the matts get worse and there is a chance the dog can get skin irritation or even an infection from the soap, since a lot of it cannot be washed out. The infection can become pretty extreme if an owner bathes the dog or its been outside in the rain for any period of time...we even had a couple cases where the dog had maggots in areas where the dog's skin was rotting away.
In this case, the groomer was in the right. They should've called and told the owner about the issue and the need to shave the animal. But people please take care of your dogs and cats... It was always sad to see the animals come in that just weren't taken care of correctly and you could see just how uncomfortable and unhappy they were.
yea buddy
January 02 2013 at 4:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySorry Alana, the groomer was wrong, if for no other reason than you do not shave a client's dog without their permission.
January 15 2013 at 5:22 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyI have been a groomer for 40+ years. In the old days everything you said might have been true, but not any longer. With modern products and equipment, this dogs coat could have been saved. First a bath...yes, you bathe first. Bathing does not cause mats to become worse, drying does. So into the bath, apply a good shampoo, and use a coat rake or "Zoom Groom" to work it in. Then turn your HV dryer on the dog, and blow the shampoo out. Lots of mats come out with it. Rinse and repeat, rinse and apply a heavy conditioner and HV again. Rinse, fluff dry while brushing the coat. Voila! The dog is clean and mat free.
The only reason people usually opt for a shave with their matted dogs in my salon? I tell 'em how much all of that is going to cost. I don't do it for cheap!
I think your grooming techniques are out dated! Yes some matted dogs that come in their coats can be saved. Agreed. Have you seen the pictures of this coat coming off at the salon?? It was pretty bad but never the less as a RESPONSIBLE groomer you have a duty of care to the animal. The dog isn't bothered that its bald. Hair grows back for gods sake and if the owner doesn't like it then tough titty she should learn to brush her animal then! A few months ago I had to groom a long haired Japanese Akita who was 9 and lived outside for the past 3 years and the owner said she never brushed him. As a groomer you will know what I am talking about when I tell you that my 30 blade barely got through it. The matts themselves weighed around half a stone each which were hanging from his elbows chest and bottom. He couldn't even go to the loo because his bum was covered with old dried faeces. His matts on his legs and chest were that heavy that they have him stretch marks.
February 03 2013 at 6:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate downNOW you tell me in your 40+ years experience that "a little shampoo and blast" would sort something like that out.
People need to get a grip the dog is bald. I agree with the lass the dog is not ashamed it is a dog it is probably feeling a lot more comfortable. Anything for a quick buck. It infuriates me when people jump to conclusion and blame the groomer instead of looking in the mirror
And another thing. If you had a dog where the coat simply could not be saved and you called the owner who told you no. Not to shave the coat. Would you just send that dog back to her on its merry way in a neglectful state?
February 03 2013 at 6:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate downBecause I would be the first on the phone to the RSPCA
i ve seen this (matted hair) before. come on people brush your dogs hair. It took me 4 days to brush the mats out of my neighbors dogs hair. No groomer will do that. they will shave the dog. dont ignore your dogs hair then expect the groomer to work a miracle for $40. the groomer who shaved the dog did the best she could with those mats. had the owner brushed the dogs hair even 3 times a week it would not have happened. this is the owners fault, dont blame the groomer. Take better care of your dog lady!!!!
November 23 2012 at 10:12 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyHaving worked at a grooming salon I can understand both sides of this (somewhat stupid) argument.
November 17 2012 at 8:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply1) If the dog is extremely matted there is no more humane solution than to shave it, to brush out the mats is extremely painful, the dog has more of a chance of getting injured and most dogs don't tolerate dematting well. To leave the matts causes the dog discomfort and skin irritations- the skin can not breathe and can fester [some groomers have even seen cases of maggot infestations underneath severely matted dogs.]
2) even if the above is true the owner should be contacted and should give approval for the shave.
3) all of this said there is always going to be those neglectful owners who don't brush their dogs out and come in every 6 months expecting the groomer to be able to "fix" it.
The bottom line?
Either the owner needs to brush their dog as they need or they need to pay up and have their dog groomed more often. OWNERS FAULT
also that happens whit my 4 ****.zu's dogs, and the grooming teams don't said anything, .even sorry o something like that.
November 08 2012 at 11:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOf course never ever go back over there whit my little ones,.
thats horrible if that happened to my dog sombody would have a lawsuit on thier hands
November 12 2012 at 3:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIf you allow your dog to get into that condition, YOU should be the one in court...for animal neglect and cruelty.
January 15 2013 at 5:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate downIf you can't take care of them, don't get a dog with long coat!
That happened to me too, with my Miniature Schnauzer... I went to PetCo and told them I wanted her bathed and give her the Schnauzer cut... OMG, when they brought her to me, I said, 'that's not my dog', and the guy said, 'yes it is'... I said 'that better NOT be my dog!;.. I went straight to the manager and pitched the biggest bitch you ever heard! Of course I didn't pay for it either, and I've never been back there for grooming.
November 08 2012 at 6:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replywow thats horrible
November 12 2012 at 3:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNo, it's not horrible. It's inconvenient. It's hair. It'll grow back. I've seen it happen.
January 15 2013 at 5:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate downDid you explain to them what "schnauzer cut" you were talking about? Did you (or they) have pictures to describe it? Because that's like going into a hairdresser, saying "just a little off the ends" and being upset when they hairdresser cuts off 3 inches, when you only wanted 1. Best option is to treat grooming like you would your own haircuts; go in with pictures of what you want, and actually TALK to the groomer. I worked for a groomer, and every week we would have people come in with a poodle and say "I want a poodle cut for her". Our groomer would pull out a book with 15 different "poodle cuts" and say "which poodle cut"? Everyone had a different idea of what a "poodle cut" really was, and without pictures it would have been impossible for her to figure out what they really wanted ... which a lot of the time was very similar to a puppy cut with clean face/feet.
November 23 2012 at 1:40 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyIts still not the shops place to shave the dog, whether they were right or wrong about the matted dog, its always .......always up to the owner an she should have been contacted and the situation explained in great detail as to why the animal needed to be shaved.
November 08 2012 at 6:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIf the women cares so much about her dog she should have brushed him! That poor dogs coat came off like a rug he was so matted! She should be happy her dog can now move comfortably and still has her dog, allowing a dog to become so matted is animal cruelty!
November 08 2012 at 6:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI would call Judge Judy!
November 08 2012 at 6:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyhaha i probably would to after shaving her hair off. Just kidding id never do that but i would be really really mad.
November 12 2012 at 3:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply