When our Golden Retriever Monte was alive, my wife and used to take her to a groomer whom we considered to be conscientious, caring and skillful. I know she used a hand-held dryer after washing Monte, but to my knowledge, she didn't use a drying cage.
In fact, I didn't even know what a drying cage was until I read the Huffington Post. Blogger Roseanne Colletti wrote about a dog that died from heat stroke in one of these cages when the groomer put the dog inside and apparently forgot about her.
Now the dog's owner, Thomas Bruckner of Point Lookout, N.Y., wants to have drying cages and crates banned. His Web site, Badgroomer.com, also explains his desire to promote legislation that would require groomers to be trained and licensed.
Groomers use the cages and crates, which have blow dryers attached to them, to dry dogs after they've been washed. This allows the groomer to work on another dog while the first dog is drying. But if the groomer is using hot air, it can cause a dog to overheat.
That's what happened to Bailey, Bruckner's 2-year-old Beagle mix. Bruckner won an out-of-court settlement of $1,000 from the groomer but wants to ensure that other owners don't go through the same trauma.
"Our goals are simple," he wrote on his site. "We do not want Bailey to have died in vain. If this terrible and tragic experience could ever have any good come from it, it would be to prevent the needless death of any more animals. "
I agree. If you live in New York, check out his site and offer your support.
