Bill may require dog groomers to be licensed

A Bergen County woman who lost a beloved pet is fighting for a law she hopes will prevent anyone else from losing their pets. Rosemary Marchetto took her dog Bijou to the groomers in 2012. Within the

News 12 Staff

May 7, 2015, 5:14 AM

Updated 3,276 days ago

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Bill may require dog groomers to be licensed
A Bergen County woman who lost a beloved pet is fighting for a law she hopes will prevent anyone else from losing their pets.
Rosemary Marchetto took her dog Bijou to the groomers in 2012. Within the hour, the dog had died without any clear explanation about what had happened. "I brought him to the dog groomer healthy and happy and within 45 minutes they called me and told me he was dead," says Marchetto.
Marchetto is now fighting for legislation that would require groomers to be licensed.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle is hoping to do just that. Bijou's Bill was introduced to the New Jersey Legislature recently and would require dog groomers to take a written and practical test and apply for a state license.
Some dog groomers agree more oversight is needed. Carol Shull of The Spotted Dog in Oakland says sometimes inexperienced groomers can put the animals at risk.
"Some don't like to be groomed and perhaps [some groomers] don't know the proper methods to restrain the dogs or calm them down," she says.
Bijou's bill is making its way through the state legislature and could come up for a vote soon.
It also requires dog groomers to be at least 18 years old, and apply for a license renewal every two years.


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