WATE has a followup on the sad death of a pet while at a local groomer. Apparently it's not the first time this has happened at this particular groomer. The report suggests there may have been a problem with a "drying cage."

I had never heard of drying cages, so I googled it up and found this:

Cage Drying

Anyone doing more than five dogs a day or anyone who grooms large dogs or cats NEEDS a cage drying bank.

It allows you to focus your time and energy on the jobs which need your attention while pets dry all the way or finish drying what is still wet after force drying.

There are a lot of tricks to drying dogs using cage dryers and I am going to try to help you realize that cage drying is not cheating, it is in fact an economical and easier way to dry dogs with less stress on both the groomer and the pet.

A way to "focus your time and energy" on other things? Not cheating? While leaving a pet at risk of being baked alive? Doesn't sound prudent. But at least this groomer adds the following caveat:

NEVER LEAVE DOGS Unattended even while in cages. Always keep them in your line of sight. As with all aspects of this job, be sure to maintain a close eye on the pets in your charge while they are drying. They are YOUR responsibility while they are in your shop and it is YOUR JOB to ensure they return home safely.

It sounds to me like these things out to be outlawed. Oh, wait. Somebody already thought of that:

Massachusetts could be the first state in the Union to license pet groomers and ban drying cages like the one alleged to have killed a Rockport greyhound in Gloucester last year if a bill filed by a state senator becomes law.

The Senate bill, introduced earlier this year by Republican Sen. Richard Tisei, R-Wakefield, at the behest of a constituent unrelated to the Gloucester incident, would create a five-member licensing board, four of whom would be groomers with at least five years of experience. It would also ban so-called drying boxes, which are used to dry animals after they are bathed.

[..]

The bill would also ban the use of drying cages, which are enclosed devices that use forced hot air to speed up drying.

One groomer in Gloucester, the Barking Lot on Main Street, is being sued in Gloucester District Court following the death of a Rockport couple's pet greyhound, Riva, last May after being in a drying cage. The suit alleges that Rosey Lourenco, owner of the Barking Lot, put Riva in a drying box and forgot her.

A similar ban is being considered in New York. Ed. note: It appears there is a difference between "drying boxes" and "drying cages", which allow more air circulation. They both sound like bad ideas, though.