Pet groomer under probe after client's dog escapes and dies in road accident

A home-based pet grooming business that lost a client's dog, which was later killed in a traffic accident, is under investigation.

- Vihanya Rakshika

The National Parks Board (NParks) is conducting a probe into the case involving a three-year-old cavalier poodle named Emma under the charge of pet groomer Awesome Pawsome.

Emma's owner, Ms Janet Tan, 56, had taken her dog to Awesome Pawsome in Ghim Moh Link on the evening of April 29 after she found knots in her fur.

Awesome Pawsome was not Ms Tan's usual groomer, but she decided to take Emma there anyway because it was a short distance from her home and had more than 200 positive reviews on Google.

When she turned up at the groomer's premises for her 5.30pm appointment that day, she found it unusual that it was located in a Housing Board flat, she told The Sunday Times.

Running a pet grooming service from an HDB residential unit is prohibited, but Ms Tan did not know that.

There was only a maid present in the flat, and Ms Tan said she was concerned about leaving Emma with her. She relented only after she called the groomer and was told a female staff member would be arriving shortly. She added that the groomer agreed to her request to send over photos of Emma periodically during the session.