Pet groomers remain unlicensed, two years into new law

Pet groomers continue to operate without a professional licence or mandatory training as the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council (VSC) has yet to define the specific qualification criteria required to trigger the licensing law.

While the government introduced new standards for grooming establishments in 2024, the specific provision requiring a VSC-issued licence to the groomer remains legally inactive. This means that, although the building and equipment are regulated, the person holding the scissors is not. Any individual without training or experience can still legally work as a pet groomer.

The issue surfaced after a pet groomer was fined €5,000 last week when he was found guilty of causing the death of a Pomeranian in 2023. The court was told the dog had been roughly handled while being groomed, and suffered a hypovolemic shock resulting in an accelerated heartbeat and rapid breathing. It also sustained internal haemorrhage.

Then-Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina had recommended in a report from 2021 that the law be amended to require groomers to be licensed. Following the Pomeranian incident, efforts intensified and the new legal notice was approved in 2024.

Legal Notice 148 of 2024 was intended to professionalise the industry. It requires that “a person operating a pet grooming establishment and all personnel employed to carry out pet grooming activities shall be in possession of a groomer’s licence issued by the Veterinary Surgeon’s Council (VSC)”.

The person actually grooming your pet doesn’t need to prove they know what they are doing

It tasked the VSC with setting the specific criteria for the groomer’s licence, including the necessary professional qualifications and standards of competence.

However, since the council is yet to do that, the clause remains “not yet in force”. Until those criteria are finalised and approved, the law exists only on paper. There is a licence for the establishment owners and the equipment but not for the groomers themselves.

No timeline

Responding to questions from Times of Malta regarding the delay, the council pointed to the subsidiary legislation, stating simply that “the applicable article is not yet in force”.

It did not provide a timeline for when the standards would be finalised or how it responded to concerns that this delay endangers animal welfare.

There are already some established educational routes the council could take. The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) offers three separate courses in pet grooming, which industry sources suggest could easily serve as the baseline for a national licensing standard.

One industry source said the prevailing situation creates a false sense of security for pet owners. While the animal welfare directorate handles the registration of premises – ensuring a salon has the right floor drainage or table height, for instance – there is no oversight regarding the person handling the animal.

“The only thing being regulated right now are the bricks and mortar. The person actually grooming your pet doesn’t need to prove they know what they are doing,” he said.