the disaster.

So, yesterday was a bit of a traumatic day for me. I'm still kicking myself for it. Yesterday, Nora got groomed. I wanted to get her groomed now so that when we move we won't have to find a groomer immediately and she will be decently grown out so that she'll stay warm. I don't know a groomer that I trust where I live right now. My mother trims her own dogs. When I trim my dog it ends in disaster. She looks like she was thrown into a tornado with random bits of hair left behind. Let's just say that it's no where near even and I get frustrated with the whole process. I guess I should get used to grooming her myself so that I don't have to spend that money while I'm in law school.

Anywho, this groomer is someone that I met at the shelter. She's young and compassionate. Kind enough to donate her time to the shelter to groom the shelter dogs. She told me that she had her own little grooming business on the side. Now, I think that just means that she grooms dogs and pockets the money. I doubt that she actually has a business that she puts the money to and then pays herself. That's one way to avoid taxes. I ask her if she would be interested in doing our 3 poodles (my Nora and my mom's two). She tells me a time and is going to come out to our place to do the grooming. Sweet.

She gets here and does pretty good on the top part of Nora's body. I told her that I wanted poms on Nora's legs. I should have known I was asking too much. The first time she starts trimming one of the legs, buuuzzzz right through down to the foot. So much for a pom. Now Nora wasn't going to have poms at all. Oh well. Then Nora won't be still when she continues to trim her legs so I walk away thinking maybe Nora will calm down if I'm not there. I continue watching it off and on through the kitchen window (they did the grooming outside). Then I see a classic mistake, one that truly pisses me off, she goes to trim Nora's ears. Any other groomer would ASK the owner before doing such a thing. And since she's incapable, she trimmed off about an inch or more! Nora's ears USED to be super cute and long and such a part of her personality. She moves her ears when you talk to her or when she perks up about something. I was fuming about this but once she started cutting, I couldn't tell her to stop cause now they'd be uneven. Ugh. I tell myself, she'll grow back and calm myself down.

Soon afterwards, she calls me to help hold Nora because Nora has just given up on being still at all. She thrashes towards me as I reach to pick her up like she's trying to get away from the boogy monster himself. I lift her up and notice that there's blood on her stomach. At this point, I point it out to the imbecile groomer. She gets out this blood clotting stuff and tries to put it on Nora. Now, this wasn't just any accidental nick. This was a frickin' CUT. It was a bit of a triangular shape and there was a flap of skin hanging. I barked at the broad when she tried to put the blood clotter on. I told her no, not to touch Nora and just finish the trimming the legs. That was the only time that I may have come across mean. I tried to collect myself as she finished trimming the legs. After all, I was just trying to help out the young groomer and give her some business. From now on, I'm sticking to old ladies--ones that have been in the business for years. No more young bimbos learning the ropes on my dog. She finishes the legs and asks me if she should do the face. She hadn't done any trimming on the face. In my head I think, "do the face? why so you can take one of her eyes out too?" But I say, "No thanks. And I'll give Nora a bath. Here's your money. Thanks." I don't think I was overly short but I was definitely dissatisfied. She felt bad though, I have to give her that.

She called later and asked about doing the other dogs the next day. Well, she actually said "Would you feel more comfortable if someone else did the other dogs?" I would feel more comfortable if you'd ask if you could trim my dog's ears and if you would have not fucking cut her. Of course, I say none of that. I told her I'd call back to tell her what my mother decided. As soon as my mother sees Nora's gash on her belly, she says that there's no way that the groomer is going to do her dogs. I call the girl back this morning and kindly leave a message, "My mother is trying to save money this month and will not be needing you to come trim her dogs." *Click*

I did cry about her cutting Nora. I'm now more annoyed by the fact that she trimmed Nora's ears than I probably would have been. I worry about Nora getting an infection and not being able to tell me that it hurts or itches or is seeping puss or whatever. It irks me that she hurt my little girl. Unfortunately, I will have to see her again when she comes to the shelter. I think I might give her one piece of advice--always ask before trimming a poodle's ears. Always. She's young and it's not her fault but it was the worst cut that I've ever seen from a groomer. I'm highly disappointed that I chose her. I couldn't have known though.

Now, Nora can't have any visitors for at least 2 weeks so she can heal and her hair can grow out a bit. Maybe I'll have to learn to groom her after all.