Creative Styling Contest – PetQuest Grooming Competition has people talking. People are very vocal about the extreme grooming dog show.
Have you heard of the PetQuest Creative Grooming Show?
The very unique show, as detailed by Groomer to Groomer magazine, takes place in the summer and boasts a game show, prizes, and puppy yoga. The last show took place at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio on June 21-24th, 2018.
The dogs had been elaborately groomed and their fur dyed and cut into intricate designs – the process apparently takes several months to achieve the final look on the dogs. The dogs are used as a sort of living canvas for the groomers to present their skills and talent. The dogs are truly transformed into works of art, with themes artfully integrated onto the dog – some are unrecognizable as their breed of origin. One had a holiday theme with a jack o’lantern and Santa embedded into its body, while another had a jungle theme complete with a baboon and zebra crafted into its fur.
Views about the practice have been extremely polarized, with some admiring the artistic merit while others absolutely hate the idea and feel that the animals are being treated without the respect due to any living creature.
Some people are livid that the animals are forced to tolerate hours of grooming while standing under a grooming noose and finally being subjected to the unnatural look, while others assure the public that these dogs are well cared for and have no sense of their appearance and therefore cannot be bothered by it. They also state that the animals are not subjected to consecutive hours of grooming – the process is undertaken over months.
Regardless of your opinion, the show has people talking and many are fans and long time attendees, per their website:
“PetQuest is my favorite show of the year. The accommodations are very pet friendly. The hotel has potty pick-up stations stocked with bags and garbage cans outside, fenced in dog play yards and a bathing room for dogs with several tubs set up. The hotel staff is friendly. There are several fast food locations in walking distance. And the trade show is fantastic! Every year there are more vendors selling great products, yet the trade show still has a small-town community feel to it. I can’t say enough good things about PetQuest.” States Jill Pipino, a long time attendee
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