Owners say dogs injured after visiting Worcester groomer

Jaz Davies said she wanted stricter regulation for dog groomers

A number of dog owners have said their pets were injured after going to be groomed at a Worcester salon.

Some owners told BBC Hereford and Worcester their pets were left with uneven cuts, split nails or deep wounds after visiting Wags of Worcester.

They are calling for more to be done to regulate dog groomers.

Wags has denied the allegations and said it has complained to the police about untrue allegations, fake reviews and false viral content.

It said it had thousands of satisfied customers but acknowledged there have been isolated incidents in which dogs received cuts.

Megan Sumray from Worcester said she took her dog Coco in to the salon and when she picked her up, she was told he had suffered a little cut but that it was "nothing to worry about".

But she said: "I've looked down as I was stroking Coco and my hands were covered in blood."

She investigated further and said: "I've looked on her neck and there's a massive wound, it was like a really open wound."

Ms Sumray said Wags owner Marcus Davies was "quite rude" and laughed when she asked for a refund.

She said she later took her pet to a vet and had to pay £820 for stitches.

It was a lot of money for a 23-year-old to have to pay "because of a mistake that somebody's made", she added.

Coco had since healed but she said the incident had "left her with a lot of trauma" and she worried about how her dog would cope with being groomed again.

Megan Sumray said she had to pay a vet £820 to treat Coco

Jaz Davies from Worcester took her two dogs, Ivy and Bailey, to Wags of Worcester.

She said she "really trusted the staff who used to work there".

But when she picked her dogs up, she found both had suffered cuts.

She was told by Wags it was "nothing major" but Bailey later needed a visit to the vets after a split nail became infected which cost her £200.

"It's just heartbreaking to see how bad they actually were in the light when I got home," she said.

Ms Davies also said she knew some groomers were "really strict and they are really good about what they do and they have training and they're strict at their training level".

But after her recent experience, she said: "I would really like more regulation to be in place for dog groomers."

BBC Hereford and Worcester spoke to a number of dog owners and another man said his dog was left with a deep cut after a groom at Wags of Worcester.

He said he was offered a 50% refund which he accepted.

Company denies allegations

Online, the business is now listed as "permanently closed" on Google and the website appears to have been shut down.

The company, which is based on The Tything, told the BBC it denies the allegations and said Wags of Worcester had thousands of satisfied customers.

It said there have been one or two isolated incidents where a dog was cut and these incidents involved other groomers, not Marcus Davies, which led to some groomers being asked to leave the company.

Wags of Worcester also said the business was the subject of untrue allegations, fake reviews and false viral content which they have contacted the police about.

West Mercia Police confirmed it had received complaints from Wags but said it was taking no further action.