On 4 Aug 2006 15:40:09 -0700 JaneinPA  whittled these   
   words:   
   > I just want to warn dog owners in the Philadelphia area NOT to take   
   > their pets to Groomingdale's in Wyndmoor, PA.  I am heartbroken over   
   > the "grooming" job they did to my pedigreed English Cocker Spaniel, a   
   > former show dog.   
      
   I'm sorry that you had an unhappy experience.  But if I were to play   
   "Judge Judy" *just* based on your story I'd find in favor of the groomer.   
      
   They did not "make" you sign the waiver.  If you didn't want to agree to   
   the terms you turn around and walk out.   
      
   The reason they have you sign a waiver is because (1) serious matting left   
   alone can cause sores and eventually more serious problems - so they don't   
   want to ignore the problem. (2) owners are very often simply WRONG about   
   the degree of matting.  And their belief that there is no matting comes   
   because the matting is so solid the comb slides right over it.  Owner   
   thinks they are getting to the skin and they are not.  The groomers have a   
   lot of experience with people having honestly held but still wrong   
   beliefs.   
      
   They did try to reach you.   
      
   They did what was best for the dog.   
      
   They get absolutely NO advantage over shaving a dog that doesn't need   
   shaving.  So what would their motive be to go against your wishes?  If   
   they make you happy, you come back.   
      
   They have no motive to lie to you. You, however, have good reason to   
   convince yourself that they have done wrong.  After all it is damned   
   embarassing to consider the possibility that the grooming had been more   
   neglected that you thought.   
      
   Do I *know* which party is right, and which is wrong?  No, of course not.   
   But as an outsider reading the story and considering the issues and the   
   motives - I think it would take a heck of lot of evidence to persuade me   
   that the groomers did something wrong.   
      
   Sorry, but that's just how I see it.   
      
   --   
    Diane Blackman   
            There is no moral victory in proclaiming to abhor violence   
            while preaching with violent words.   
   http://dog-play.com/    http://dogplayshops.com/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)