Pet sitting, trainers, grooming and daycares are BIG business. The pet-care industry makes over $594 million annually! Major chains such as Petsmart and Petco don’t just sell doggy apparel, treats and accessories; they often have dog boarding and grooming facilities in-house. These other services have a great responsibility in caring for your pet, but sometimes this duty of care is neglected.
An outbreak of hidden camera videos have been hitting social media; groomers hitting dogs with brushes and pet sitters physically abusing the animals in their care are prevalent. Sometimes, the people trusted to look after and love our precious pets are secret abusers, and they cannot get away with it.
Legally, Animals, despite their designation as property, are more often than not considered a part of the family. Many owners will pay over and above the fair market value of the animal during its lifetime for veterinary care, grooming, food, shelter, etc. When an animal is handed over to a third party for some sort of service, there is a duty of care imposed that can lead to liability if breached.
L. Turner Law, P.A. has several active cases against these wrongdoers. In one case, a pup in boarding after surgery developed an infection that cost him his life; he was 9 months old. In another case we are in settlement negotiations with, a Pet-store in house groomer, who was negligently hired and trained, cut off one of the pets toes. Both of these cases are worth over six figures; a professional breaching the duty of care owed to its customers is no small matter. Don’t be deceived or discounted. You and your pet deserve only the best, high quality service for all who you come into contact with.