10/16/2026
🐾 FROM A GROOMER’S PERSPECTIVE: THIS IS WHY COMMUNITY COLLABORATION MATTERS. ❤️
I want to take a moment to introduce myself
My Name is Breyana owner of Poshie Pets and Founder of POSHIE PETS CARES Pet Pantry
I am the groomer who provided grooming services to the white dog featured in the recent story about the dog chained to a porch here in St. Mary Parish.
His grooming service was provided FREE OF CHARGE through Poshie Pets Cares Pet Pantry because helping animals in our community has always meant more to me than just grooming. Sometimes, helping means recognizing when something isn't right and taking steps to make sure an animal gets the attention it needs.
I want to share my perspective, not to point fingers, place blame, or take credit away from anyone, but to open up a conversation about how we can work together as a community to create better outcomes for animals.
Because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: for animals to be safe, cared for, and protected. ❤️🐶
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🐶 WHAT I OBSERVED AS A GROOMER
During this dog's grooming appointment, I observed several concerning physical conditions:
🐾 He was covered in fleas.
🐾 His belly was swollen, which can have several causes, including a possible parasitic infection.
🐾 His nails were severely overgrown and curled.
🐾 There were visible marks around his neck consistent with something having been tightly wrapped around it.
These observations raised concerns about his well-being, and I did not feel they should go undocumented.
As groomers, we are often in a unique position to observe an animal's physical condition up close. While we cannot diagnose every condition or determine the full circumstances behind what we see, we can recognize concerning signs, document our observations, and communicate them to the appropriate people.
And that brings me to an important part of this situation.
📋 WHY A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED
I want to be very clear about this because I believe it is important for our community to understand my intentions.
a police report WAS FILED to HELP law enforcement law enforcement assess the situation and determine the appropriate course of action and be the DOGS VOICE 🐶
My goal was to document the physical conditions I observed and provide law enforcement with information that could assist their investigation.
When an animal enters a shelter as a stray, applicable procedures may provide an owner with an opportunity to reclaim that animal after a designated holding period. However, the situation may involve additional animal-welfare concerns that need to be investigated.
I did not want the concerns I observed during grooming to go undocumented. I wanted law enforcement to have that information and the opportunity to consider it alongside any other evidence when determining whether there were lawful grounds to prevent this dog from being returned to the previous owners.
(BECAUSE HE DID NOT NEED TO GO BACK!)
The purpose of my report was to help give the DOG A VOICE through documentation and to support the people responsible for investigating his circumstances.
❤️ A MESSAGE TO MY FELLOW GROOMERS AND ANIMAL-CARE PROFESSIONALS To my fellow groomers, especially those who work alongside rescues and shelters: please understand that documenting concerning findings and reporting reasonable suspicions can be an important part of protecting animals.
You do not have to investigate a situation yourself. You can document what you observe, preserve relevant records, and report your concerns to the appropriate authorities.
We each have a role to play. 🐾
🤝 THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING AGAINST ANYONE. IT'S ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER.
I want to emphasize this because I never want my advocacy to be mistaken for an attack on the people and organizations working to help animals.
❤️ I am NOT against law enforcement.
❤️ I am NOT against animal shelters.
❤️ I am NOT against rescues.
❤️ I am NOT against helping struggling pet owners.
I believe all of us have a place in the solution.
Law enforcement has a responsibility to investigate and enforce applicable laws. Shelters provide care and follow the procedures governing animals in their custody. Rescues help with placement, rehabilitation, and other needs. Groomers and veterinarians may identify health or welfare concerns. Community organizations can connect families with resources and help prevent problems from escalating.
These roles are different, but they can complement one another.
Imagine what could happen if we built stronger relationships between these groups, communicated more effectively, and worked proactively instead of waiting until an animal's situation became a crisis.
That is the kind of collaboration I want to see here in St. Mary Parish.
❤️ COMPASSION FOR PETS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM
There is another side to this conversation that is very important to me.
Not every family struggling to care for a pet is intentionally neglecting that animal.
Some families are struggling financially. Some may be unable to afford pet food, vaccinations, preventative care, or veterinary treatment. Others may not know where to turn for help.
Financial hardship does not automatically mean someone does not love their pet or should not have one.
At the same time, compassion does not mean ignoring an animal's suffering or overlooking dangerous conditions.
We can care about the circumstances of a family while still taking an animal's safety seriously.
Sometimes, what a family needs is access to food, supplies, education, or veterinary resources. When it is safe and appropriate, connecting them with that help may improve the animal's living conditions and prevent a situation from becoming worse.
When serious concerns persist, an animal is in immediate danger, or there is evidence of possible neglect or cruelty, those concerns should be reported to the appropriate authorities.
We need to learn to recognize the difference, respond responsibly, and avoid making assumptions before we understand the circumstances.
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🐾 WHY I STARTED POSHIE PETS CARES PET PANTRY
This is exactly why Poshie Pets Cares Pet Pantry was started.
Our mission is to provide pet essentials to families who need assistance, connect people with available resources, and help keep pets with the people who love them whenever it is safe and appropriate.
Sometimes, helping can look like providing a bag of dog food.
Sometimes, it means helping a family find affordable veterinary care.
Sometimes, it means educating a pet owner about the care their animal needs.
And sometimes, helping means documenting concerning conditions and reporting them so the proper authorities can intervene when necessary.
These efforts are not in competition with one another. They are all part of building a stronger system of support for animals.
Our shelters are overcrowded. Our rescues are overwhelmed. Our community needs more accessible pet-care resources.
We cannot expect shelters and rescues to carry the entire burden, and we cannot solve every animal-welfare concern by simply removing an animal from a home.
We need resources, prevention, education, responsible reporting, and collaboration.
My vision for Poshie Pets Cares is to help fill some of those gaps, one family and one animal at a time. ❤️
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📣 LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
The publicity surrounding this dog's situation helped bring attention to his circumstances and the need for intervention. People spoke up, information was shared, and members of our community came together around a common concern.
I believe that collective effort matters.
This is not about claiming that one person or organization did everything. It is about recognizing that awareness, documentation, advocacy, and cooperation can all contribute to helping an animal in need.
When our community comes together, we have a greater opportunity to make a difference.
I hope this situation encourages us to build stronger connections between community members, groomers, veterinarians, animal shelters, rescues, law enforcement, and organizations like Poshie Pets Cares.
Let's work toward a system where people know where to turn for help, professionals know how to report concerns, and the appropriate agencies have the information and support they need to respond.
Let's also remember that working together does not mean overlooking wrongdoing. It means addressing concerns through the proper channels while remaining open to solutions that protect animals and support responsible pet ownership.
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💛 MY HOPE FOR ST. MARY PARISH
I am not here to bash anyone. I am not here to compete with rescues, criticize law enforcement, or tell anyone that their work does not matter.
I am here because I care about animals, I care about the families in our community, and I believe we can do better when we work together.
I want to see more accessible veterinary resources. I want to see more education for pet owners. I want to see stronger partnerships between our community organizations, shelters, rescues, veterinarians, and law enforcement.
Most importantly, I want us to become a community that knows how to respond when an animal needs help.
We can offer resources without judgment. We can report concerns without hostility. We can support law enforcement without interfering with an investigation. We can support rescues and shelters without expecting them to do everything alone.
And we can hold people accountable for their responsibilities while still treating one another with compassion.
The goal is not to divide our community. The goal is to bring our community together. ❤️🐾
So I want to leave everyone with this question:
If we see an animal struggling, how can we work together to help that animal and prevent the situation from happening again?
That is the conversation I want to start.
That is the solution I want to help build.
And that is why Poshie Pets Cares Pet Pantry is here.
🐾 Education. Resources. Prevention. Accountability. Collaboration.
We can all work together toward the same goal: protecting animals while following the proper procedures. 🐶
This situation shows what can happen when a community comes together, raises awareness, shares information, and holds everyone involved accountable. ❤️🐾
