Protecting My Grooming Business

Written by Lynn Paolillo, CFMG, NCGI Certifier, Owner of Cat Naps Cattery

Recently, I met with a member of NJ Congress regarding one of the bills proposed to regulate groomers. To be honest, I was very disheartened to hear their thoughts, combined with similar sentiments I’ve heard through this whole process from multiple legislators. They honestly believe that grooming is a Wild West filled with “butchers” who are negligently injuring pets left and right. EVERY injury, illness, condition, accident, escape, death, etc. should count against a groomer, no matter the circumstances. When I tried to give examples of things that were out of our control, the main response I got was that groomers should “better manage expectations for the pet owner then.”

Now, I completely agree that groomers as a whole need to do a better job with educating our client. But poor customer service or inexperience with pet owners does not mean a groomer should be labeled “negligent” and be held liable for anything that happens, whether it is during or after a grooming appointment. One of the examples, I gave was a hot spot developing several days after mat removal because the pet was allowed to scratch itself. The member I met with recently, equated groomer injuries with “a doctor leaving metal tools behind in a patient during surgery.” (!)

I’m afraid that there will be little that groomers can do to change the minds of the current legislators behind these groomer bills. So, I want to share some steps we can all take to protect ourselves and our businesses, while continuing to promote our training, experience and safe handling of the pets in our care.

INSURANCE & WAIVERS AS TOOLS

You absolutely should have paperwork that covers the dangers involved in grooming and have clauses in your client release form(s) that protect your business. I’ll be covering some of this information in a Beach Retreat session this year that my lawyer/husband helped me put together. But, this is something you should discuss with a lawyer familiar with your local regulations and with your insurance company to make sure you have appropriate coverage. You are not able to waive your responsibility to prevent negligent or willful misconduct, but a paper trail will absolutely work in your favor whether deal with the court or the “court of public opinion.”

FILM YOUR GROOMS

No, I’m not joking. I would absolutely recommend filming and/or take pictures of your working space and grooms as often as you can, especially for new or high-risk grooms. Whether you set up a camera to record each groom, or have inexpensive security-type cameras that stream continuously, these will invaluable if a situation ever arises. I use Wyze cameras (https://amzn.to/3cGkeJz) set up to cover my grooming, boarding and lobby areas. I’ll probably add a few additional ones as well.

*As a tip - if you have a hard time taking pictures of a cat on the table, take a selfie. Hold the cat and try to have have them look at the camera (even while wearing the Air Muzzle/ecollar/Happy Hoodie) to show them alert and awake.

HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL VETS

HIPAA or similar confidentiality protections are different based on your area (check this link for details https://www.avma.org/advocacy/state-local-issues/confidentiality-veterinary-patient-records). Having great working relationships with the vets in your area will help avoid “he said, she said” client vs. groomer vs. vet miscommunications. It may also open up a direct line of communication in the case of something going wrong as well.

PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION TO THE CLIENT THAN YOU THINK

When we talk about educating clients, there isn’t such a thing as “overcommunication.” Articles or videos on your website, sections in your booking software, forms or hand-outs for the client, and final discussion in person. I tend to be a “worst case scenario” for new or high risk cats, which means if anything goes south I don’t have to spend time explaining that to the client. When 99% of the time everything is fine, then clients are appreciative of my caution and over the moon that everything went well.

HAVE BACK UP AND EMERGENCY PLANS READY TO GO

Make plans now for when something bad happens. Whether it’s a pet injury, escape, death, staff injury, natural disaster like fire, flood, power outage, etc. Take the time to have a simple game plan or check list so that you can take action even when emotions are running high. There are a number of great resources at www.ready.gov to help plan for all types of emergencies and natural disasters. Also, plan to take (or retake) a Pet CPR and First Aid class every few years to keep those skills fresh in your mind.

SET YOUR POLICIES AND KEEP GOOD DOCUMENTATION

All the forms, photos, videos, etc. mean nothing if you don’t have an organization system to store them and then find when needed. Cloud-based storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox are a great option, for physical copies you can use a fire-resistant box (for small or special documents/files), filing cabinet or external hard drive.

SAY NO

I mean it! If you have policies, I’m going to give you permission to say NO. We are all in this business because we love animals and we want to help them. But trust me when I say, that will mean very little if a situation goes south that you should have turned away in the first place. Require vaccines? Don’t budge if they can’t provide records. Require a vet visit within X time? Don’t let a new client squeak by because you want to get them in before they go on vacation. New cats booked on a certain day because you have an assistant? Sorry new client, I can’t do Saturday with your cat because that’s the best day for you. If your policies are set up to maximize efficiency while minimizing both stress and injuries, then stick.to.your.guns.

I hope none of you will need to use these tools because your business and livelihood are at risk of being lost. However, with the litigious and emotional nature of a few, I feel that we all need to protect ourselves. This includes groomers in states where legislation isn’t a hot button topic (for now). But NJ is going to pass something, there’s even a good chance it is this year. And once one state does it, then there are other states that are bound to follow.