After Ollie, the Pug's Death, Lawmakers Will Mull Licenses for Groomers

PROVIDENCE, RI — Ollie's sad death at the Middletown Petco last week may lead to a new law aimed at protecting pets. The law would require dog groomers to be licensed and properly trained to work with animals.

Currently, there is no state oversight.

House Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) introduced the bill in 2013, but the legislation failed to pass the General Assembly.

On Friday, he reintroduced legislation (2017-H 6054) after hearing about "the recent tragedy of a five year-old pug named Ollie who suddenly died" while being groomed at a Petco in Middletown.

“Although the cause of Ollie’s death is still being investigated and no one has yet to be found at fault for this poor dog’s death, I believe this is an appropriate time to have this discussion once again for the sake of our pets’ protection and safety,” he said. “I am a dog owner and I can imagine the pain that is being felt by not only Ollie’s owners, but also the workers who were grooming Ollie that fateful day.

"By ensuring that our state’s pet groomers are properly trained and licensed, hopefully we can avoid similar tragic events in the future,” he added.

The legislation would call for an annual $100 license in order to perform any kind of pet grooming services. Individuals or operators who fail to become licensed and continue to administer pet grooming services would be fined $100 on the first offense and $1,000 for any subsequent offense.