SEOUL — A recent report has shed light on critical public health vulnerabilities within pet grooming academies, revealing that nearly 8 out of 10 practice dogs originate from commercial breeding farms, largely operating without standardized health monitoring or infectious disease screening systems.

According to a report released in September by the animal welfare organization Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), titled "A Study on Canine Brucellosis Infection Risks of Practice Dogs in Pet Grooming Academies and Blind Spots in Public Health Management," 77.0% of surveyed pet grooming academy trainees (47 out of 61 respondents) identified breeding farms as the primary source of their practice animals.

The online survey was conducted between December 23 of last year and January 7 of this year.

Welfaric Concerns and Operational Hazards

The report highlights multiple systemic concerns regarding the welfare and safety of both animals and trainees during practical sessions:

Safety Incidents: 72.1% of respondents reported experiencing or witnessing safety accidents during practice.
Pregnant Animals: 42.6% witnessed pregnant dogs being used for grooming practice.
Exhausting Hours: For 85.2% of respondents, a single practice session lasted over two hours, with the largest group (49.2%) reporting sessions lasting "3 hours or more."
Poor Sanitation: In waiting areas, 61.5% of respondents "very frequently" or "frequently" encountered waste such as feces or feed residues, and 71.4% frequently experienced strong odors.

KARA analyzed that the close, prolonged contact between trainees and dogs sourced from breeding farms—combined with open wounds sustained during practice and poor sanitary conditions—significantly increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

The Threat of Canine Brucellosis

Canine brucellosis is caused by the bacterium Brucella canis. It can spread to humans through direct contact with infected reproductive secretions or blood via skin abrasions or mucous membranes.

While infected dogs often suffer from miscarriages or infertility, infected humans typically experience non-specific symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, and muscle aches. Furthermore, the bacteria can persist in a dog's body even after treatment, making effective management exceptionally difficult.

The report cited high-risk precedents, noting that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) discovered a 40.4% positive rate for brucellosis among 260 dogs rescued from a breeding farm in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, last August. Additionally, in September of the same year, KARA rescued 53 dogs used for grooming practice and breeding at a pet grooming academy in Sejong City.

Regulatory Gray Areas and Recommendations

A major regulatory hurdle is that pet grooming academies are classified under the Lifelong Education Act as vocational training institutions rather than animal grooming businesses under the Animal Protection Act. Consequently, there are no specific regulations governing the origin, health status, or disease screening histories of practice dogs.

In May, an information disclosure request filed by KARA revealed that the Ministry of Education does not hold or manage official data on the nationwide status of pet grooming academies.

To mitigate these risks, KARA has called for robust institutional measures, including:

Mandating regular infectious disease screenings for practice dogs and pre-screening dogs sourced from breeding farms.
Legalizing tracking systems for the origin and movement history of practice animals.
Incorporating zoonotic disease safety education into the standard curriculum for trainees.
Enforcing the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and establishing clear emergency response protocols for injuries sustained during practice.
While noting that no human cases of canine brucellosis linked to pet grooming academies have been officially confirmed yet—emphasizing that the study serves as a preventive warning based on structural vulnerabilities—KARA stressed the urgent need for follow-up research to measure actual infection rates through direct diagnostic testing of both practice dogs and trainees.

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