Kelley Carpenter Shaved Him Completely Bald.
One of the things I have learned as a parent is how to follow my gut. So it surprised me when I recently got suddenly stupid.
Lately I’ve been concerned about my dog’s fur. Loki is a doodle with curly hair. Every day, I comb him with a strong, steel comb – the weapon of doodle owners everywhere – so that I can keep him tangle-free. His head, ears and entire body are gorgeous, soft, white curls.
Like many businesses now, our regular groomer is closed. So I bought special scissors to cut out Loki’s unwanted mats. I stayed diligent – but Loki’s legs got matted in spite of me.
I finally broke down and found a groomer on Craigslist to take care of Loki’s legs.
Kelley Carpenter said she was great with anxious dogs, and would be happy to help. She sent me pictures of cute dogs who went from long hair to short hair. She seemed to have experience with dog grooming.
But something about our conversation bothered me – nothing specific; it was just a feeling.
For two days, I had that nagging sensation. My gut whispered that I shouldn’t go through with my grooming appointment. So that morning, I looked up Kelley Carpenter online.
Immediately I found a story of a pit bull that attacked a boy in Michigan. The owner of the dog went to jail and got a hefty fine.
The owner’s name? Kelley Carpenter.
That’s so sad! I thought. And: Maybe it wasn’t her fault.
I also found was a listing for “Happy Canines” dog walking service – with the “groomer’s” name and phone number.
I don’t know why I kept pushing forward.
When I arrived, Kelley Carpenter seemed more anxious than me. That should have been my final clue.
Two hours later, I got my doodle back – only he didn’t have those gorgeous curls anymore. Kelley Carpenter shaved him completely bald.
Loki had no fur. His skin was cold, brown and pink, and his tail and ears were the only thing left with with any tufts at all.
My dog looks like a naked mole rat.
The worst thing about getting something from Craigslist is that if it goes badly, there is no way to complain. I can’t review Kelley Carpenter anywhere. I can’t report her to the Better Business Bureau.
So I texted her and complained.
She retorted that Loki was the problem. “He was an unmedicated, aggressive, matted dog” – so she had no choice but to mutilate him.
Unmedicated. Kelley Carpenter preferred that I drug my dog so that he could be “properly” groomed…?
Obviously my complaints fell on deaf ears.
I considered walking up and down her block, every day for months, parading my nude dog in front of her house so that potential customers would see what kind of grooming she does.
But why would I want to waste all that time being angry?
So there’s very little I can do. But…
I can list her phone number for all the world to see: Kelley Carpenter, 301-503-2377. If anyone googles the number or her name, this post should appear. (Kelley lives in Maryland; not to be confused with Kelly Carpenter, a fine groomer in New Jersey.)
And I can connect her email to this post, so people know that she turns dogs into mole rats. No dog – or human – deserves this kind of treatment.
So today – this is what I’m doing with my blog. I’m pleading with the world to stay away from this horrible dog groomer.
And personally, I will follow my gut the next time it speaks.
