RISPCA wants lawmakers to take another look at dog grooming bill

In the aftermath of a disturbing case of animal cruelty at a North Smithfield grooming shop and boarding facility, the Rhode Island SPCA wants lawmakers to take another look at a bill that died in committee two years ago.

On Thursday, authorities arrested John Froais, the owner of Doggy Styles Pet Spa on multiple charges including cruelty to animals and unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine.

The bill was introduced in 2018 and while it only had to do with dog groomers specifically,  officials believe that any tool on the table can be used to stop things like this from happening again.

As it stands now, in Rhode Island anybody with a business license can legally groom someone’s pet for money without any certification, or formal training.

Joe Warzycha, President of the RISPCA, hopes Thursday’s case will shed some light on an industry that is highly unregulated.

“I would imagine in light of yesterday’s incident it’s bringing attention back on the fact that groomers really go unregulated in the State of Rhode Island,” Warzycha said. “One tool that could potentially allow the state to revoke a license if something happens or you’re not abiding by proper protocols.”

Warzycha said there are darker sides in the industry, and unless cases in grooming shops step into the realms of animal cruelty, there’s not much the agency can do.

“It boggles my mind that there is no oversight or regulation in that. So I think any little bit can help prevent things like this from happening,” he said. ” Requiring groomers to be licensed. But more importantly, getting a license is one thing but getting the proper training and certification is another thing.”

Some groomers including Cheron Wolverton, owner of Diva Dogg Grooming in Providence, agree with Warzycha.

“Anybody can hang a dog on their door and say ‘hey I can cut your dog’s hair,'” she said. “People don’t really understand what goes into grooming.”

Wolverton is certified on a national level through the American Kennel Club, and she would like to see more groomers do the same to prevent something bad from happening.

“The shop itself is an AKC certified safe grooming shop. And these classes, yes, they are expensive but they are worth it,” she said.

Warzycha would also like to see tighter regulations and oversight for dog trainers, another largely unregulated industry in the state.