In MI, a Pitbull mix named Gooch was suffocated and squashed to death by a man and woman who put a choke collar on the dog, muzzled him, then sat on him until he died. This was a “service” they were providing to the owner, who has MS, and wanted her dog’s nails trimmed by a groomer willing to make a house call. The dog suffered multiple internal injuries and, unable to breathe, died by the time the first nail was cut. All of this occurred while the owner, Laurie Crouch, watched in horror.
“I threw myself out of my wheelchair and dragged myself to where Gooch was to hold my dead dog,” Crouch said later.
Ms. Crouch called the police and filed a report but no charges were brought as police determined there weren’t any to bring. I guess this kind of reckless and negligent act is not a crime. Police suggested the owner file a lawsuit.
This story makes me sad because it’s yet another needless death of someone’s beloved pet. There is no dog in the world who needs to be muzzled and have 300 (I’m guessing) pounds laid on him in order to have a nail trim. Some dogs really hate having their nails cut and will struggle and snap. The muzzle takes care of the business end and the helper holds the dog on his side by the two legs touching the table (or floor). The dog will be physically unable to get up from that position and the groomer can then trim the nails as quickly as possible and release the dog. Any dog that can’t be managed thusly requires veterinary sedation to my mind. How could a dog groomer possibly think it was ok to handle a dog in this way?
After the story made the local papers, the community rallied in support of Ms. Crouch. A local business is giving her a Lab puppy next month, complete with vaccines, neuter surgery, obedience training and a month’s supply of food.
Thank you Clarice for the link.
I hope charges are brought up.
That poor women and her dog
How are these “groomers” not knowing that they’re killing the dog?
And…not a crime? How about animal abuse? How about destruction of property?
I hope she filed a police report anyway…and I hope she sues the pants off of those two.
Would they have refused to take a report if the dog had been placed under a 300 pound car axle to be restrained? What if a refrigerator was “humanely” set on top of the dog to keep it from wiggling and then you piled a couple of kids on top to hit 300 pounds? I do not understand how crushing a dog to death can not be considered cruelty.
Wow. I’ve had dogs that must be sedated to do certain work, and never have we ever SAT ON them to control them. I will admit to some light leaning to help with the really big dogs that struggle hard though. This kind of things just peeves me. It’s hard to believe there are no charges that can be filed, this is cruelty, plain and simple.
Ugh. This post, together with the last, will guarantee have nightmares for a week…
I’m speechless……for now!
Also speechless. I guess I don’t understand the owner’s inability to intervene, even vocally, while this was happening!?!
“Crouch yelled at the groomer to stop when she saw Gooch was struggling to breathe, but she said she was ignored.” “If I could have walked, I would have put my hands on her and pulled her off my dog and physically stopped her, but I can’t do that,” Crouch said.
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2010/10/27/lifestyles/petropolis/doc4cc81b2889ee3889963489.txt?viewmode=default
In the old days if you killed someones horse you could be hung, or at least shot by the horse owner. Ahh the good ol days
I took the time to call the prosecutor’s office today because I was so outraged. I would like the same act performed on those two groomers. They both need to serve time in jail to think about the consequences of their animal cruelty.
I am very sorry for the owner’s emotional pain and for Gooch’s cruel demise. I hope she can move past this eventually, but she does need closure. Only a jail sentence for those two idiots who called themselves groomers would help. There is no excuse for the groomers’ actions and had I been there they would have regretted it.