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Florida Man Claims Mobile Groomer Left His Dog With a Severe Injury
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a man named Russ Horowitz says his small dog, Charlie, suffered a terrifying injury during what was supposed to be a simple grooming appointment. Russ, who typically trims his five-year-old Yorkie-poo himself, decided to try a mobile grooming service called Sassy’s Mobile Pet Grooming after seeing an appealing discount online. What happened next, he says, left him both heartbroken and outraged.
When the groomer returned Charlie, Russ immediately sensed something was wrong. The normally cheerful dog was trembling, hiding behind his legs, and acting unusually frightened. Concerned, Russ checked him over and discovered a deep, open wound on his lower abdomen. The injury was so severe that he could see inside the cut, and it appeared that someone had tried to cauterize it with silver nitrate. Horrified, he rushed Charlie to Victoria Park Animal Hospital for emergency care.
Veterinarians confirmed that Charlie’s wound was consistent with a grooming accident and that the discoloration around the injury suggested chemical treatment had been applied. The little dog required stitches, pain medication, and antibiotics, with medical bills exceeding $700. When Russ contacted the groomer to demand an explanation, he says they denied causing the injury and refused to take responsibility. “They told me he was already hurt before they started,” Russ said, “but I know my dog, and he was perfectly healthy when I handed him over.”

Russ’s frustration grew as he looked deeper into the company. What he found only raised more questions. The grooming service appeared to operate under several different names, including Tiger’s Pet Grooming, Cinderella’s Pet Grooming, and Isabella’s Pet Spa, all sharing the same phone number but lacking any verified business profiles or customer reviews. The repeated rebranding made it nearly impossible to track down reliable information about the business.

A family in Seattle dropped their dog, a black lab named Mitch, off at a local kennel one day, not expecting anything unusual to occur. But Mitch’s stay at the kennel ended with an employee brutally kicking and punching him – to the point of death.

After filing a report, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Animal Crimes Unit launched an investigation into possible animal cruelty and business fraud. Officers are working to determine whether Sassy’s and the other listed names are connected to a single operator. The groomer has continued to deny wrongdoing, claiming Charlie’s wound existed before the appointment and suggesting that Russ should have taken the dog to their own affiliated veterinarian.

Russ, however, insists that the injury occurred during grooming and says the experience has left him distrustful of mobile pet services. “Be very cautious about who you leave your pet with,” he said. “You trust them with your family, and that trust should never be broken.”
Charlie is now recovering at home, slowly regaining his confidence but still nervous around strangers. His story serves as a warning for pet owners to thoroughly vet any grooming service before scheduling an appointment. What began as a routine trim has become a painful lesson in vigilance, one Russ hopes will protect others from the same ordeal.
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