Pet groomers across Ontario can reopen to provide certain services, the province said Thursday as it clarified its pandemic regulations surrounding animal care.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones' office said groomers can reopen to provide services necessary to prevent "foreseeable and reasonably imminent" veterinary care.
Groomers can also provide services if an order has been issued to a pet owner under the province's animal welfare act.
The services must be by appointment only, through curbside pickup, and groomers are only permitted to take one animal at a time.
Lindsay Buccella, a pet groomer in Stouffville, Ont., said Thursday's announcement was welcome, although she added that the government needed to specify what type of care might be necessary to prevent a vet visit.
"Every groom is for the welfare of an animal and if they don’t get groomed on a regular basis, they could end up at the vet," she said.
"This is good news but if they’re going to put these restrictions, they need to specify what they consider an emergency."
Buccella said she already had clients booked for nail trimming appointments after the government updated its rules. Long dog nails, she noted, can cause permanent skeletal damage if not trimmed.
Judith Cragg, a pet owner in Markham, Ont., said her dog has needed to get his nails trimmed and she plans to book an appointment soon.
"I know people who have pets that were really affected by this because it's become a heath hazard," said Cragg.
Pet grooming businesses were ordered closed when a provincial lockdown took effect in late December.
The province had said, however, that pet grooming was allowed when required for an animal's health and said a vet could provide those services.
Some cities said that the province's rules led to confusion for businesses and pet owners.
Earlier this week, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton-area mayors and chairs asked the government to clarify the rules.
Mississauga, Ont., Mayor Bonnie Crombie had said her city would not issue fines or take other enforcement action against pet grooming businesses that operate using a curbside pickup system. She had called on the province to amend the rules to clearly permit the services.
Pet groomers had said their businesses help keep animals healthy and noted that vets may not be able to take animals for grooming-related needs because of limited capacity during lockdown.
The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association said some vet clinics have longer wait times for appointments due to a backlog of cases from earlier in the pandemic and COVID-19 safety protocols.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Denise Paglinawan, The Canadian Press
