A proposal to clip pet groomers a bit

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SACRAMENTO, July 7 (UPI) -- A California state senator said it was time for a law to force pet groomers to initiate a volunteer certification program to keep pets safe.

"The pets are really the silent victims. They can't tell you what happens," said Sen. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from San Diego who has proposed the law to give pet owners "peace of mind," the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Vargas wants the folks who shampoo the pooch and give it a fur cut to set training standards to prevent injuries at the groomer's. Besides the more common lacerations, one pet reportedly died while in the care of a groomer, the Times said.

Although voluntary, Vargas has proposed 900 hours of training. The costs of the training and of the certificate are not yet determined, the Times reported.

Groomers are concerned that the volunteer program is the first step toward a mandatory certification program or license that will be costly and time consuming.

"I want the government out of my salon. It's just a money grab," said Johnny Ray, co-owner of the Dog House in North Hollywood.

The Reason Foundation, a libertarian-oriented think tank, said California leads the nation with the number of occupations that require a license -- 177 of them, compared with a national average of 92.

"One has to ask with a budget deficit of $17 billion why is the majority party focused on Fido's hair and nail clip," said Vargas' counterpart, Joel Anderson, also a state senator from San Diego, but a Republican.