Pet owners concerned about their dogs can still get them clipped and groomed.
But visiting a pet grooming salon is not one of the permitted reasons to leave the house and all canine grooming salons have been closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
However, dog groomers with the correct insurance, are permitted to collect dogs from owners’ homes and either take them back to their salon for grooming before returning them home again if they can do it without risking infection, or groom them in a mobile salon. They are subject to all the usual insurance requirements.
USPCA Chief Executive Brendan Mullan said: “These are extraordinary times and most high street or home based dog groomers have closed for the moment.
“Mobile groomers are still able to work with strict advice on infection control.
“Our advice for now is if you cannot have your dog groomed please try to groom them at home. Keep dogs which are normally stripped or clipped in the shade and walk them after sun down. “
The grooming of pets advice given to groomers during Coronavirus is intended for animals which need clipped rather than simply washed.
And the decision on whether to operate is solely the decision made by individual groomers.
During the Coronavirus pandemic they are advised if they open and are insured to transport animals, that only pets from one household are permitted to be transported at a time. Vehicles must be given a thorough disinfection between collecting canine clients.
Mobile dog groomers are still permitted to operate, subject to public health rules being maintained including social distancing and their mobile units must be disinfected after each groom.
Most dog grooming salons in Northern Ireland remain closed, including the USPCA grooming unit.
