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A former Calgary dog groomer has been charged months after a video taken at a pet grooming salon showing a worker abusing a dog surfaced.
After a lengthy investigation by the Calgary Humane Society, Mariko Dormer, who worked at Fur Kids Daycare and Grooming, faces eight animal cruelty-related charges.
“We appreciate the public’s patience with this case," said Brad Nichols, manager of animal cruelty investigations at the society.
"Due to the public nature of this case, we had a large volume of evidence to sift through and we wanted to be very thorough."
The video was submitted by an apprentice groomer who alleged she witnessed the fellow groomer striking a dog in her care several times.
Trina Riel says she quit her job because the incident bothered her so much.
She says she recorded the unnamed groomer's actions so that she could have proof of the incident.
The video depicts a groomer hitting a dog and apparently using a vacuum cleaner to force one out of a kennel.
Sonja Miles, the owner of Fur Kids, believed the incident was a one-time thing.
"We respect, or believe, that it should never have happened but mistakes happen, right? And there's times we all may do something we are not the proudest of."
One of the grooming facility's supporters, Pound Rescue, said it wouldn't work with the salon anymore after the video surfaced.
R.J. Bailot says as soon as he viewed the video, he severed ties with the business.
"It's quite horrific. The dog is just standing on the table. I mean, no animal, regardless of the situation, should be treated that way. No animal should be treated that way."
Dormer, who was fired shortly after the video became public, is scheduled to appear in court in October.
With files from The Canadian Press
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