A distraught pet owner is calling for pet grooming to be professionally regulated after a healthy and beloved family pet died suddenly following a regular grooming session.

Bolt, a nine-year-old Yorkshire terrier, died last week after his owner, Miguel Buttigieg, dropped him off at the groomer’s for a regular session, only to have to rush it to an emergency vet just a few hours later due to a trachea injury.

“In just a matter of hours, the situation went from walking with a healthy dog to walking away with a lifeless body,” Buttigieg said.

“We lost our boy not because of old age, nor a disease. We lost Bolt due to negligence.

“It was supposed to be just another grooming session. We handed over Bolt full of life. So much so that the groomer told us they cannot believe he is almost nine years old.

“We picked up a wheezing dog, with whom we rushed to emergency vet care where we discovered that our dog had suffered a trachea injury. This led to his respiratory system collapsing.”

The sudden loss of their first pet has devastated Bolt’s owners, who hope no other dog will have to suffer such a fate.

“Bolt managed to fill all corners of our house with his larger than life spirit. He taught us how to enjoy the simple things in life, how not to worry and, most of all, how to love,” Buttigieg said.

He says the groomer used a cable grooming noose on his dog, which likely led to the injury. While all dogs can develop tracheal collapse, Yorkshire terriers, among other small dog breeds like chihuahuas and Pomeranians, are more affected by the phenomenon.

“This was an accident that could have been avoided. All that was needed was for the groomer to use appropriate equipment. A groomer should know the risk of using and proceeding with a noose even when the dog is distressed,” he said.

He is calling for the profession to be regulated, which is not the case now, and for groomers to be held to some sort of standard.

“Until there is legislation in place regulating this service, these avoidable accidents will keep on repeating. Nothing will take away our pain and nothing will fill in the void left behind but our Bolt’s tragic demise does not have to be in vain,” he said.

“Ours is not an isolated case. This is not a matter of simply avoiding this particular groomer. If you have pets you will be taking for grooming, ask to see the equipment. A simple online search, though not making you an expert of any sort, will give you knowledge of what is safe or not.

“Bolt could still be alive if the service was licensed with an expectation of providing a high standard service of care. Until that happens, until the relevant authorities take the necessary measures, we need to know better.”

Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina said she had finalised and submitted a report recommending the regularisation of pet groomers, sitters and trainers and it was now up to the authorities to enact them into law.

“These professionals are entrusted with our pets, often at times when their owners cannot be present, so they should be regularised,” Bezzina said.

For many people, it’s like leaving your kids, behind.

“Particularly in the case of training, which is also unregularised, bad training can lead to the dog developing aggressive tendencies and if a dog bites there are no second chances, they pay for the mistake with their lives.”

She says the same lacuna in legislation also applied to groomers.

“Although there are many dedicated, passionate and skilled groomers here, it has long been suspected that some use sedatives and questionable restraints whilst grooming,” Bezzina said.

“It is my recommendation that all these professions are tightly regulated, requiring minimum certification and experience and minimum standards for licensing. Regulation should be ongoing, requiring renewal every year,” she added.

“In addition, the venue where the activities are held should also be regulated and licensed as any other para-veterinary professions like pet shops and veterinary clinics. A minimum requirement should include the installation of CCTV cameras with recording functionality wherever animals are being kept.”