Indiana: Viral Facebook Post Claims Animal Abuse, Groomer Responds

INDIANA -- An Evansville dog owner is claiming abuse – and her photo on Facebook has gone viral, being shared nearly 15,000 times. The pictures of a 13-year-old collie has swept the nation and animal lovers are claiming cruelty. But the groomer says she was doing the dog a favor.

“We can't just bathe and brush this dog,” says Evansville Pet Grooming Owner, Mary Miller. That's what dog owner Kathryn Penland says she wanted for her collie, Sierra. “You can't get through this matting. It's going to have to be cut,” adds Miller.

What Penland wanted simply couldn't be done.

Miller says Penland left her dog at the groomer after signing off to have Sierra shaved to remove its matted hair. “There are a lot of times people bring dogs in, and we can't do what they want because the coat won't let us,” she says.

Veterinarian at Greebrier Animal Hospital, Dr. Rick Lawson says this isn't an uncommon thing, “An older collie, one that's 13, I would say that's pretty normal. As they get older they tend not to groom themselves as much.”

Animal lovers on Facebook are claiming abuse. Since the picture was posted, the groomer says she has gotten calls from as far away as California talking about what she did to the dog. But the vet says the haircut might be doing the dog a favor. 

“It relieves the animal a lot of any type of itching or uncomfortableness,” says Lawson, “Frees up the hair and free up the skin to try to prevent any type of disease formation.”

Sierra's owner's Facebook page is quite clear – she claims abuse of her 13-year-old collie – however the owner declined to speak to Eyewitness News.

The groomer claims the owner gave permission for everything that was done and that the dog is probably better off because of it. “To de-mat a dog like this, a 13-year-old dog, it would be pure torture, if it could even be done, which in our opinion, no.”

It seems to be a case of misunderstanding and misinformation; the owner going in expecting a bath but the dog just not able to get one.

The groomer says it's surprising how many dog owners don't keep their long-haired dogs combed all the way down to the skin. An important lesson to prevent matting.

(Tri State Homepage - Dec 3, 2014)