Waterford Township, MI - The unthinkable happened to Laurie Crouch on Oct. 14. What was meant to be a simple nail trim for her dog Gooch, turned into a tragic, unnecessary fatality.
Crouch hired a groomer to come to her home to trim her 3 yr-old dog's nails. According to Crouch, the groomer, Kathryn Tucker, cut Gooch's nails too short.
When the dog became agitated, the groomer, and her assistant, wrapped a leash around Gooch's muzzle, and proceeded to sit on him.
By Crouch's recount of the events, the pair continued to cut her dog's nails - sitting on him the entire time, even though she pleaded with them to stop. By the time they had finished, the dog had died.
A necropsy by the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine showed that Gooch died from ruptured organs caused by sudden, acute trauma.
Adding insult to tragedy - when the Waterford Township police were called, they came and filled out a report, but they did not file charges. Instead, the case was turned over to the Oakland County animal control.
Animal control stated that they did not have jurisdiction and advised Laurie Crouch to file a civil suit. Now, a petition has been started to urge Waterford County and Oakland County authorities to launch an in-depth investigation and to fully prosecute the individuals responsible for Gooch's death.
This story is pure tragedy from start to finish. An innocent dog lost his life as a result of incompetence and blatant cruelty.
Crouch lost more than her dog - she lost a friend, companion and service dog.
Crouch suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair - she relied on her dog, a Pit bull mix, to help her with a variety of duties. Her dog died a horrific death and nobody is being held accountable for that cruelty.
Please take a moment to sign the petition. Perhaps if the recipients of the petition realize that people do care when the life of an innocent animal is taken, they will take the appropriate action to right this terrible wrong.
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Comments
So disturbing on many different levels. I hope this grooming shop is gone by now..they have no business doing business! If a dog has that big of an issue with a nail trim, try a dremmel or go to the vet to have it done where he can get some "relaxing " medicine prior. This does not have to be and should not be a traumatic event! If it is done often enough and is made into a positive event with treats and praise, this doesn't happen. So very sad!
OMG! At the very least they should loses their license FOR LIFE! Never to be able to do that again. TG these people didn't start a DAY CARE!
OMG! At the very least they should loses their license FOR LIFE! Never to be able to do that again. TG these people didn't start a DAY CARE!
What was wrong with those people...once the dog is not pleased with either the clipping or the foot handling..you stupid asses you stop the procedure...tried clipping my Bin's nails once,cut one too short she yelped...i felt so bad that was it ..vet visit pedicure after that....these 2 humans(????) should not be allowed to handle any animals....if a lot of us wrote the laws they wouldn't....
One question I have is why the owner did not do anything when they wrapped a leash around her dogs muzzle ans went to sit on it. Why didn't she stop them? If someone even tryed that with one of my dogs I would stop them and kick them out of my house. What the groomer did was still wrong and they shoudl be charged but the story does sound a bit fishy. I mean if someone was abusing you pet in front of you woudl you just stand there and let i happen? I know I would not.
Mary, I was thinking the same thing. If someone was sitting on my dog in my house (or any other location for that matter) and they didn't move the FIRST time I told them to, I'd be attacking that person or persons. I would have been kicking the people or doing whatever it took to pull them off my dog. I don't care if I was charged w/assault as long as my dog survived. I can't believe these people were groomers. They obviously know NOTHING about calming an animal.
The owner has multiple sclerosis and is confined to a wheel chair. That is probably why she had to hire someone to trim the nails in the first place, and why she pleaded with them instead of kicking them and physically removing them from her dog.
I absolutely agree with Mary. Yes, those two so-called groomers should be in jail, but how could the dog's owner just stand by and let them do this? It boggles the mind.
The dog's owner is confined to a wheelchair - according to what she reports, she asked them to stop, but they continued. After her dog was dead, she crawled on the floor to his dead body and the groomer walked away....
I didn't catch the part about the owner being present...she is just as culpable for allowing their behavior. I can't imagine, and hope she is not allowed another service dog. Her education prior to being allowed Gooch was clearly lacking, as well as her common sense and compassion.
I agree, this owner - regardless of her ailment, should have DEMANDED they stop and leave her residence. IF this was an official service dog, it wouldn't have such issues with grooming, as that would have been part of the training. WHY wasn't the dog taken to a vet for this procedure anyway? Too many questions and we're all ready to chomp on the person who did those horrific things to the dog, BUT they shouldn't have been allowed to be there after obviously not knowing what they were doing.
Wow....self-righteous any? I HOPE you didn't manage to catch the part where the article states the owner is wheelchair bound with MS (which, in case you don't know, involves symptoms of muscle spasms, weakness, moving and balancing impairment) and that she pleaded with them to stop, but was ignored. Yes, indeed, I hope this terrible person is never allowed another service dog for her complete inability to overcome in a matter of minutes a severe, degenerative condition which has left her disabled since she was 16, and will eventually lead to an early death. Thank god those of us who have never experienced a painful, disabling condition can sit on the internet and judge others for not doing what we ourselves have never even had to contemplate.
To MyKinKStar,
Why didn't she take the dog to the vet for this "procedure?" Maybe because a nail trim isn't a "procedure" and doesn't require the knowledge of a professional with 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of medical school? Do you go to your MD to clip your nails? Many people trim their own pets nails - to take them to a groomer or a veterinarian is more a matter of convenience, physical inability, or fear of trimming them too short (which, btw, happens ALL the time at groomers and vet clinics. ALL the time. I worked at a vet clinic. It just happens.)
Wow - there are enough villains in this story without making the poor owner into one! I sincerely hope your conclusions are the result of a lack of reading skills and comprehension, rather than a genuine insensitivity for this young woman's situation.
Get your facts straight before peeling at the mouth, she is in a wheelchair and begged them to stop, she couldn't physically do anything - Num nuts!
Jeez!!!!!!what is wrong with people? those 2 should be held accountable! and i wonder too, why the owner didn't wrap the leash around them when they started that with her dog. I would've had them out of my house so fast it's not even funny. this poor dog died a horrible death. poor sweet baby
Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, it does. Candle lit for this sweet dog...bless you my little one.
First, I cannot imagine those two so-called groomers doing what they did. Second, neither can I imagine the owner doing or saying nothing. I realize she is at least somewhat incapacitated due to her MS, which is obviously very unfortunate, but she must have been present. How else would there be an account of what happened? Even if confined to a wheelchair, she would have been able to stop the horrific death of her dog. And the police not filing charges? What did you expect, based on the rash of police shootings of dogs? It's completely impossible for me to imagine what I would do if I witnessed someone treating one of my "kids" in that manner.
"By Crouch's recount of the events, the pair continued to cut her dog's nails - sitting on him the entire time, even though she pleaded with them to stop.
Maybe you're unfamiliar with MS - it causes muscle spasms and weakness, difficulty moving, and balance difficulties. How, exactly, do you propose this young woman should have stopped two non-disabled individuals ignoring her verbal pleas? Yeesh, people just love to judge!
as a Veterinary Technician I know how hard it is to trim some dogs nails, but have NEVER resorted to anything that would harm a dog! The names of the groomers should be released so no one ever lets these people touch their pets again!
Yes, it took 3 vet techs to handle my dog the first few times she got her 'toes' clipped. It was ALL Loving and no one sat on her to get it done! Now I'm able to do it each month, and have only had a few bad cuts on her couple of black toenails, which I now only cut the tips off of and not worry about the length. I'm sorry about the dog being KILLED, but the owner is responsible for allowing these fools to continue with their obvious ABUSE and their names should be advertised WIDELY to put them out of business.
OMG!!! these 2 need 2 b charged!!! made 2 pay for the murder of this dog. the owner has MS n is in a wheelchair. if ANYBODY did something like this 2 ANY of my dogs/cats.........i would hurt them. please, EVERYBODY, sign the petition.
Gooch, i'm so very sorry, precious boy, for the way u were treated. u must've been so scared. now it's over~run free. u will see Laurie when it's her turn 2 cross the Bridge...................
I have to ask why whoever witnessed this (obviously there was a witness) did not stop it while it was happening. They are just as guilty as the 2 that killed him. I would not allow someone to treat my dog like that. As soon as they had clipped his nails to short they would have been out the door.
"Crouch suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair [...]"
"By Crouch's recount of the events, the pair continued to cut her dog's nails - sitting on him the entire time, even though she pleaded with them to stop."
Read more carefully before judging. They took advantage of this young woman's physical disability.
How awful. Those people should be held accountable. Who trims a dog's nail by dog piling on it. The poor dog was suffocated. I hope that woman gets justice for her lose. They should never be aloud to have anything with animals.
This is a horrible tragedy! There is no way that the groomer can replace the beloved dog but the groomer should be responsible and pay the worth of the dog at the very least!!!! I have never heard of sitting on a dog to do anything! That is so ridiculous that groomer should lose their license! I hope the whole town is aware of this and that they will not go to this place again until the groomer is fired!!!
Sadly, part of the problem is that this state does not require groomers to be licensed - there's no license to pull ) : Nor will she be fired, as the guilty party OWNS the business. Ugh!
Hmmm, I had previously read that only one nail was ever trimmed before Gooch died.
I also think some of the negative comments towards the owner could be prevented by emphasizing that the owner is IN A WHEELCHAIR because of MS, and that her accounts stated that she BEGGED the groomer and assistant to stop, but they refused. It all happened very fast, and the young woman even states in interviews that were she not confined to a wheelchair, she would have been able to pull them off of her dog. As it is, interviews state that when the groomers got up, the girl left her wheelchair and crawled on the floor to her dead dog. The groomer then proceeded to take $15 cash that was left on the sofa to pay her, and leave.
Lay off the dog's poor owner. Geez. People are so quick to judge a situation they've never been in!
Yes Natasha , we have some second guessers here who do not read or maybe understand what they read before they start passing judgement. A person in a wheelchair ,cannot just jump up and push 2 able bodied people off of her dog ,that are trying to trim Gooche's nails , no matter what it takes , because they want the $ 15.00 dollars that was promised for the job. These so-called groomers ,probably knew nothing about dogs and really probably didn't care ,they just were focused on the money. And hell Yes I will sign this petition and hopefully those 2 nail trimming losers choked on their $ 15.00 dollars.
That is horrible! Why on earth didn't the police file charges? I feel for the owner since she tried to get the groomer to stop without success. My thoughts go out to this owner and I hope she takes this as far as she is financially able.
I have 3 pit bulls and one of them hated having her nails cut, I am a trainer but I also hate nail clipping! I found a local vet who was willing to be positive and help me change the experience for her. I took her to the vet weekly, even if there was no nail to trim, and we would walk her through the motions and she would get a high value reward at the end of the procedure...seriously high value, like a Mcdonalds hamburger (something she never gets) or some else that I would purchase the day before and hide it/hand it over to the vet tech and they would surprise her at the end of the session. She now loves getting her nails done. There are also ways to desensitize the dog to nail trimming using a dremel, nail file, or clippers.
It is so unfortunate that this groomer felt the need to use force to trim nails and IMO if the dog is this terrified then take the dog to the vet and they can sedate the dog to do the nails. This is animal cruelty and a person had to lose her best friend because like many people she probably (initially) assumed this person was a professional and knew what they were doing. My advice is to even the most novice pet owner, is to jump in if you feel even the slightest feeling of uncertainty about how a 'professional' is treating your pet. Even if you feel you don't have enough knowledge about something, gut feeling/instinct goes a long way!
Ok, and after reading Natasha's comment, this owner was even in a worse situation in that she could not do as much as a person who was more physically able is able to. A horrible situation and sad ending. If the groomer is not licensed, then I would be posting/blogging/yelping this groomers name all over the place! Word of mouth goes a long way!
I hope that these ladies can be sued for Pain and Suffering, And animal cruelty. What's with the police and animal control anyway. Shouldn't there be some charges in wake of that? Where's the petition I wanna sign it.
Even if they don't have a licensce can they post what business this was? The same is done when we don't like a dog day care or if we do. That way this story can get out there to other consumers
I didn't see the part about the owner being wheelchair bound until after I commented on Mary's reply above. I am so sorry for the owner's loss. It makes me sick that this happened to her dog. I would like to think even if I was incapacitated, I would have tried to run over them with my wheelchair or threatened to call 9-1-1 and then done it if they didn't stop. In any event, these people need to be charged and I will sign the petition.
This is so wrong!! No dog should die while in the hands of a groomer. The groomer needs to be charged and so should his/her assistant. Neither should be allowed to be groomers after this incident!! Why aren't they in jail? It was murder!!!
(let's not blame the owner, who by the way, has MS.....)
the oakland police are WAY to busy arresting LEGAL medicinal marijuna users to bother with dogs.....we dont live in nazi germany, police should leave us alone and worry about REAL criminals such as these people
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OMG, this is terrible, petition signed and link shared, they need the same done to them.
That's why it's so important to choose reputable pet professionals! Incompetent groomers, trainers, pet sitters and even vets can injure or kill our pets! Please check your pet professional's references and qualifications before you hire her/him!
you must do something this is a disgrace!!!!!
The cops are idiots so are the lack of laws to protect animals suck If the commenters who are damning the owner would explain how someone with MS-- in a wheelchair is supposed to tackle two able bodied people I will join the bad mouthing -----this reaction is as bad as the murdering duo ----Looks like they need to research MS before judging someone who suffers from it !
omg. all you people who are blaming the dog owner are sooo heartless. This poor woman is handicapped and confined to a wheelchair. How could she fight off 2 adults when she can't even walk????? Have a heart for gods sake.
This is an outrage, the two people who were doing the grooming and holding down of this poor dog should be charged to the fullest extent, plus loose their license to groom any and all animals in the future. It's criminal, not civil - they killed this poor ladies dog for no reason. If the dog was anxious about getting it's nails trimmed they should have stopped immediately, especially if the owner was insisting on it. I would make they pay for the loss of my dog.
I hope she sues the crap out of the groomer and she should lose her license...
THIS POOR WOMAN can't even move and is handicapped and is watching her frigging dog being tortured....UNBELIEVABLE, TELLING THEM TO STOP!!!! I would like to go sit on this B@^%% while I am strangling her, cops need to get a clue over there... this was a criminal issue. THEY should have arrested them RIGHT THERE!
I am a groomer with 22 years of experience, and I have NEVER heard of any qualified groomer perpetrating such an act of outright cruelty and ignorance...!!
There is NO excuse for such behavior, especially when committed by a pet care professional...!!
I truly hope that the so-called groomer(s) who did this will have to compensate that young lady for the loss of her service dog, and I also hope they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law..!!
HORRIBLE..!!
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