Regulation of Pet Groomers

That the Parliament notes with concern the reported lack of regulation of the pet grooming industry, with, it understands, pet groomers not requiring training or licences to operate; further understands that this has led to a discrepancy between pet groomers, with some voluntarily choosing to set up procedures and policies to safeguard themselves and the animals that they provide services for, but nothing in place to ensure that all pet groomers follow the same set of standards; acknowledges that people can reportedly only access private training to become a pet groomer as there are no state-funded courses available to people to pursue this career path; believes that this makes it harder for individuals to obtain appropriate training to become a pet groomer and, in light of the reported absence of formal regulation, it is easy for individuals to set up a pet grooming business with no experience or training in the role; notes reports that one in four people in Scotland are thought to be dog owners, and that pet care services in the UK are expected to grow by 34.3% to £991 million; further notes the view that, as the market for pet grooming services continues to grow, there is an increased need to consider providing state-funded training for those wishing to pursue a career in the industry and for formal regulation of pet groomers to be introduced; considers that pet grooming services are not just about cosmetic and pamper treatments for animals, but also involve services that protect the health and wellbeing of animals, such as regular nail clipping, ear cleaning and haircuts; notes the view that it is important for pet groomers to have animal first aid training and appropriate pet handling skills due to the holistic approach that it considers pet owners would expect from groomers, but believes that, due to the reported lack of regulation, there are no checks and balances in place to ensure pet grooming businesses possess these skills; considers that many pet owners may not realise that the pet grooming industry is, it understands, unregulated and that pet grooming businesses will therefore have varying levels of experience and training, and notes the view that introducing regulation would instil confidence in pet owners, including those in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency, who make use of pet grooming services.