Dog Groomers Guidance Under New Covid Restrictions
Dog Groomers
We have received numerous requests for advice on if residents can take their dogs to be groomed and if dog groomers are allowed to continue trading under current restrictions.
The Government guidelines are as follows:
“An owner may take a pet to be groomed by appointment if the grooming is necessary for welfare purposes - not for aesthetic reasons only.” See link below for full details:
Dog grooming for purely beauty purposes, must be postponed.
If treatments are for the health, comfort and happiness of the dog go ahead. The dog does not need to be unhealthy state to do the treatment.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals#grooming
Currently there are no specific government guidelines but the following information from the Canine and Feline Sector Group and Pet Industry Federation is useful.
https://www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/
If you are a dog grooming business please also consider the following:
- Carry out a risk assessment. Where are the risks of transmission of the virus? Drop off and pick up - touch points, use of leads, use of face coverings, social distancing arrangements, and use contactless payments. Consider each of these areas, and take appropriate measures, for example use of own leads, hand sanitisers, posters with instructions to clients, markings on the floor for social distancing for clients and staff, disinfecting all surfaces and equipment between dogs. Keep dogs separate if from separate households.
- Check with your insurance company you are still insured during this period.
- Check with owner the condition of the pet? Is the owner concerned about the welfare of their pet if it does not attend the appointment? Record the conversation.
- Ask the owner if the pet is from a household where there is a positive case of coronavirus – record this. You may still carry out the groom but bear in mind the aim of the lockdown is to reduce the transmission of the virus and unnecessary journeys should be avoided. Is the groom really necessary? Rearrange the appointment for a later date. If not ensure that the pet from that household is kept separate from other pets and always sanitise all equipment and work areas between pets – change the appointment to end of the day.
- The business handover protocol set out by CFSG should be followed and should take place in an outdoor space large enough for the client and staff to maintain their social distance.
- If dogs are brought to site owners should remain in their vehicles until staff are ready to accept their dog. The reverse procedure should be used for return.
- Groomers can collect dogs from client's homes - always disinfect vehicle between collections. Pets from infected or self-isolating households should be collected separately from other dogs in different journeys and after pets from other non-infected households.
- Home groomers may operate providing they can maintain social distancing rules and following the Government guidance on those working in other people's homes. Groomers must not visit an infected or self-isolating household.
Finally please always remember that pet groomers have a duty of care to ensure that trade waste, e.g. cleaning materials, sterilisers, shampoo containers and animal fur is safely disposed of. For disposal of any clinical waste which includes animal faeces as well as swabs or dressings please contact your local authority or a specialist clinical collection service.
Please note this information is subject to any additional government guidance so please keep an eye out for any updates.
