There is no licensing or certification requirement in the state of Michigan, or anywhere in the country for that matter, for an individual to become a pet groomer. Anyone, without any formal training or education, can open a shop and say they are a professional pet groomer. Why is this dangerous? Because this is how animals get hurt, and even die.

There has been an alarming increase in the rate of animal injuries and deaths at grooming facilities across the country. These are not happening due to neglect, but due to the lack of training and education offered in the industry. Big Box stores offer "on the job training" that is lacking the time and structure necessary to properly train new groomers. Even worse, online programs are popping up all over, promising to train you to become a "certified pet groomer" just by watching their videos and taking an online test. A facility in South Carolina trains people to become a "Master Certified Cat Groomer" in just two weeks. This has to stop. We need structured training programs to properly teach individuals how to recognize different breeds, health conditions, animal behavior, and most importantly safety practices to keep animals safe while being groomed.

We don't want to regulate a groomers style and creativity. We just want the state to recognize that in this rapid growing industry, proper training and education is vital to the safety of pets and groomers.