California Professional Pet Groomers Association, Inc.

General Recommendations for all grooming locations:

• Before making the appointment, ask clients how they are feeling, if they

  have been out of their homes recently or if anyone sheltering in place with

  them is sick or has been hospitalized.

• Practice good social distancing in and out of the salon.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after dealing with a client.

• Spray or wipe clothing/aprons with a disinfectant immediately after taking

  a pet from the owner.

• While face masks are not mandatory in all situations, it would be beneficial

  for groomers to wear them and to request their clients do the same.

• Triage the pets, giving priority to the pets in the most need (pets with

  chronic skin and/or health issues, high-maintenance pets, pets at risk for

  developing health problems due to the lack of grooming).

• Refuse service to pets that require two people to groom, as this

  compromises social distancing practices.

• Refuse new clients and/or walk in clients, even for simple procedures like

  nail trimming. All clients must make appointments, giving groomers the

  opportunity to properly sanitize between pets.

• Place pets directly into the tub and bathe prior to grooming.

• Consider pick-up and delivery service, practicing excellent sanitation in

  between clients.

• Allow enough time between appointments to thoroughly clean and

  disinfect between pets and clients.

• Use no-touch payment systems. If not possible, provide zip lock bags for

  clients to place their cash/checks in and set them aside for a minimum of

  two days before opening.

• Clean and wipe down pens, keyboards, touchscreens, tables, counters and

  door handles.

• Pay attention to leads and collars. If the client has a collar and lead, place it

  in a zip-lock bag and return it to the client upon retrieval of the pet. Use

  kennel leads and disinfect them between pets.

• In a defensive measure, take extra precautions and assume that a client’s

sanitation methods are not as diligent as they claim.

There are several different location scenarios for professional pet grooming; Salon, mobile, private home-based salon and house-call grooming. Each situation may require different protocol that can be easily clarified if allowed.

In addition to following the General Recommendations above, please follow the safety procedure for your particular situation;

Salon:

• Work by appointment only. We recommend one pet per worker to keep

  crowding to a minimum and allow sufficient time to disinfect between

  clients.

• Lock the salon door and place a sign at your entrance. Have clients call

  when they arrive so the groomer can unlock the door to retrieve the pet either by handing off at the door or curb-side service.

  Mobile:

• Have the client meet the groomer outside the mobile unit and handoff the

  pet there, practicing good protocol with leads and collars. Do not allow the

  owner to enter the unit.

• Keep proper restraint of the pet and safety in mind at all times.

• One person in the mobile unit at a time to practice good social distancing.

• Properly dispose of any waste water.

  Private Home-Based Salon:

• Like Mobile, meet the client and pet outside the home entry and hand off

  the pet there or, offer curb-side service practicing good protocol with leads

  and collars. Do not allow the owner to enter the salon.

• Do not allow the client to linger within your home or personal space.

House Call:
Because of the unique nature of House Call grooming, where the professional brings all of their own equipment and grooms the pet within the confines of the home, House Call grooming comes with its own set of intrinsic risks. With these risks in mind, it is recommended that House Call groomers refrain from practicing unless they can strictly adhere to the following safety protocol.
In addition to following as many of the General Recommendations stated above;

• Do not groom the pet in the house.

• Refrain from even entering the home.

• While grooming outside, follow all security procedures to assure the safety

  of the pet.

• Perform all grooming procedures outside, including bathing and drying.

• If the safety and comfort of the pet, the groomer or the client cannot be

  assured, please do not practice.

  Additional considerations;

• If you are considering pick-up and delivery or curbside service, check with

  your insurance company to assure you have coverage for this additional

  service within your business.

• If you have been designated as a “no grooming” area, be aware that you

  may be conducting business under a legal stop-work order and your insurance, professional liability or otherwise, may be void and any claims may be disallowed.

• National, state, county and city mandates can change with little notice. Please be aware of what is allowed in your immediate area.