Lots of words, cliffs at bottom
I've been grooming dogs for a living for the past 2 and a half years (started in April 2005). As of last July, I've been in a two year contract that says if I quit, I have to pay $4000 in the first year, or $2000 in the second year, in repayment for my training.
I have just been let out of that contract.
Yesterday evening, I was working on a matted cocker spaniel that they wanted brushed out rather than shaved. Mind you, this is a very difficult task in and of itself. When you have the dog in question biting you, it makes just the more difficult.
While grooming him, he's on a grooming table, attached to it by a locking loop lead. When he tries to bite me, he doesn't realize he can't reach me, so he strains himself against the lead, thus choking himself. On one occasion, the owner comes into the salon to see him doing just that while I'm holding on to his foot (which he doesn't want touched), and demands that I give her her dog, which I do. She proceeds to yell at me that I was abusing and choking her dog. I tell her that she needs to brush her dog better, and we continue to argue what constitutes abuse. She leaves angrily.
Fast forward about 30 minutes. Her husband (Glenn Doughty, of 70s NFL fame) shows up, threatening me. "You got a fucking problem man? Why you hurtin my dog? You're lucky I wasn't here to see it, or else I would have shown you what abuse is." And continues to threaten me some more. He leaves and calls the cops on me. I give them my statement, and another customer gave them a statement in my defense. So that's at least one witness who says I didn't abuse the dog. And Doughty stands outside my store for 20 minutes after we close with the cops, effectively blocking me in. So I was a pussy and stayed in the store conversing with coworkers about what happened.
Today I go in and fill out a statement of what happened. I did say I may have been a little less gentle than I would normally have been, but I felt the dog needed a little firmer hand than I usually have. So I groom a few dogs, in the meantime, a corporate person has come in. About 4:00 rolls around, and I get called into the manager's office again. "Due to what you said, and what has happened, we feel we need to seperate." I told my managers to have a nice evening, and left.
So does anyone think I have a chance of approaching this legally as a case of wrongful firing?
Cliffs
Been grooming dogs for 2.5 years without incident.
Get accused of abusing a dog last night.
Have an impartial witness say I did nothing wrong.
Cops get called.
Owner, witness, and I all make separate statements.
I get fired.
I've been grooming dogs for a living for the past 2 and a half years (started in April 2005). As of last July, I've been in a two year contract that says if I quit, I have to pay $4000 in the first year, or $2000 in the second year, in repayment for my training.
I have just been let out of that contract.
Yesterday evening, I was working on a matted cocker spaniel that they wanted brushed out rather than shaved. Mind you, this is a very difficult task in and of itself. When you have the dog in question biting you, it makes just the more difficult.
While grooming him, he's on a grooming table, attached to it by a locking loop lead. When he tries to bite me, he doesn't realize he can't reach me, so he strains himself against the lead, thus choking himself. On one occasion, the owner comes into the salon to see him doing just that while I'm holding on to his foot (which he doesn't want touched), and demands that I give her her dog, which I do. She proceeds to yell at me that I was abusing and choking her dog. I tell her that she needs to brush her dog better, and we continue to argue what constitutes abuse. She leaves angrily.
Fast forward about 30 minutes. Her husband (Glenn Doughty, of 70s NFL fame) shows up, threatening me. "You got a fucking problem man? Why you hurtin my dog? You're lucky I wasn't here to see it, or else I would have shown you what abuse is." And continues to threaten me some more. He leaves and calls the cops on me. I give them my statement, and another customer gave them a statement in my defense. So that's at least one witness who says I didn't abuse the dog. And Doughty stands outside my store for 20 minutes after we close with the cops, effectively blocking me in. So I was a pussy and stayed in the store conversing with coworkers about what happened.
Today I go in and fill out a statement of what happened. I did say I may have been a little less gentle than I would normally have been, but I felt the dog needed a little firmer hand than I usually have. So I groom a few dogs, in the meantime, a corporate person has come in. About 4:00 rolls around, and I get called into the manager's office again. "Due to what you said, and what has happened, we feel we need to seperate." I told my managers to have a nice evening, and left.
So does anyone think I have a chance of approaching this legally as a case of wrongful firing?
Cliffs
Been grooming dogs for 2.5 years without incident.
Get accused of abusing a dog last night.
Have an impartial witness say I did nothing wrong.
Cops get called.
Owner, witness, and I all make separate statements.
I get fired.
Probably not worth it at this point, unless your out something other than a job and possibly a good rec on your next job. That is the real shame, that you might not be able to use this job as a reference when you go looking again. Sorry to hear.