A dog was strangled while staff at a Shropshire grooming parlour battled to keep him under control during a routine trim, a court heard today.

Pamela White, 63, and Rebecca Haire, 20, were attempting to groom a Shih Tzu dog belonging to Alison King at Clippers and Dippers salon in Donnington Wood, Telford, when the tragedy occurred. Telford magistrates heard the pair were “deeply remorseful”.

Both were animal lovers with extensive experience grooming dogs.

The court heard the dog, called Rosco, became aggressive, started flipping over on the table and was “panting excessively” as the pair used two harnesses and their hands to try and hold him down.

Mr Roger Price, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the dog suddenly collapsed and attempts to revive him proved futile.

He said: “This is a case where the offence involves unnecessary suffering. It is more unnecessary when very early on in the process this dog was showing clear signs of distress but they persevered for a significant amount of time.

“It should have been obvious to any humane person that to have persevered would cause the dog unnecessary suffering.”

Two post-mortems revealed the dog died from a cardiac arrest after being strangled on August 18 last year.

White, of Queens Road, Donnington, Telford, and Haire, of Southfield, Sutton Hill, Telford, both admitted causing unnecessary suffering by unreasonably restraining the dog and blocking its airway.

Mr Julian Tutchener-Ellis, for White and Haire, said it was a “tragic case”, adding: “Miss Haire is deeply remorseful and Mrs White has worked for 19 years as a volunteer at the Telford dog pound.”

Presiding magistrate Mrs Sue Roberts sentenced the pair to 18-month conditional discharges. White and Haire were also ordered to pay £198 each in compensation to Mrs King and £500 each to the RSPCA as a contribution to costs.

After the case, Mrs King, of Little Dawley, said: “I’m glad they can go home and give their dogs a hug, because I can’t. My family is just devastated.”

By Jason Lavan