Brussels, 23 April 2020 -

The Crisis Center decided in mid-March to close the animal grooming salons.
However, this poses real animal welfare problems.
Due to lack of care, some cats and dogs can develop illnesses or injure themselves.
“We are asking the government to urgently reopen the grooming salons. Especially since it is perfectly possible to keep the required social distance and to take all the necessary precautions, ”says Ann De Greef, director of GAIA.
This is a situation that borders on the absurd: while a series of non-essential economic sectors can resume their activities, the pet grooming salons remain closed.
It is impossible to have your long-haired cat or your cat too old or too sick to wash its coat.
This situation can also cause problems for dogs whose coat requires specific professional care.
"When the authorities decreed the closure of the grooming salons and the ban on home service, they made a bad comparison with the hairdressers.
Grooming is not a luxury service or a purely aesthetic profession.
They are frontline players who provide essential and necessary care to animals.
This is a real question of animal welfare, ”insists Ann De Greef, director of GAIA.
He insisted: "The profession of groomer cannot be improvised: for purely technical reasons and to avoid numerous injuries, illnesses or other complications, it is unacceptable that individuals should replace professionals. "

Sanitary risks

“In recent days, we have received dozens of testimonials from groomers.
They are particularly concerned for the well-being and even the health of the animals they usually care for, "says Ann De Greef.
Without proper care, animals are indeed confronted with many often painful problems: ingrown toenails, pyoderma, skin diseases, winter coat which comes off and becomes tangled in the longer hairs, dog and cat epiphora. .
GAIA requests a conditioned reopening of the grooming salons.
"If the security measures continue and the situation does not change, this will cause serious health problems for many animals," says Ann De Greef.
“This is why we are asking the government to urgently reopen the grooming salons.
Especially since it is perfectly possible to keep the required social distance there and take all the necessary precautions. Indeed, in normal times, grooming salons always use sterilizers after each treatment.
Most also claim to be equipped with gloves, mouth masks and safety glasses.