[News] Video of Dog Abuse Goes Viral, Texas Petsmart Groomer Fired

[fasteddie]

A pet groomer at a PetSmart in Katy, Texas was fired after a video of her went viral for mishandling a small dog on Friday.

The video shows a PetSmart associate jerking the head of a Shih Tzu, pulling the dog’s ear as Terah Leder, a customer at the store, horrified by the incident, grabbed her cell phone to record the mistreatment of the pup.

"I was getting upset and I wanted to have proof, so I could take action and show somebody that this is happening," Leder told Fox 26 Houston.

Leder reportedly approached the owner, Brooke Vowers, when she went to the PetSmart on Katy Freeway to pick up her dog Thursday.

“As I’m walking out, this lady comes up to me and said she’s been waiting for an hour to see who’s dog this was because of how mean the groomer was to her,” Vowers told the Fox News affiliate.

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PetSmart, Inc. recently terminated an employee after a video went viral of a groomer abusing a dog.
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Vowers posted the video to her personal Facebook page and currently has over 400,000 views and over 20,000 shares from social media users.

“Just took my dog to get groomed and as I’m walking out this lady comes up to me and said she’s been waiting for an hour to see who’s dog this was because of how mean the groomer was to her and that she called corporate. She sent me this video I am sick to my stomach about it and will not be going back!” Vowers wrote.

Social media users were shocked and horrified by the incident and called on for the employee to be fired.

“My fur babies are my children!! It breaks my heart to think someone would mistreat them in ANY way,” said Facebook user Diane Ford.

“I’m a groomer and I treat my dogs like my own. This is horrendous,” said Facebook user Lucy Owens.

After learning about the video, PetSmart said they immediately terminated the employee just a few short hours after the incident.


“We became aware of a grooming video tonight. This treatment is completely unacceptable. The associate is no longer with PetSmart,” the corporation posted on their Facebook.

Video of Dog Abuse Goes Viral, Texas PetSmart Groomer Fired

[fasteddie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEegh2O8M_4&app=desktop

You Tube

[Wylie's Mom]

Omg, horrible !!

And this is *exactly* why I do not ever take my own babies to groomers!!! Your babies are 100% defenseless and in a stranger's hands. SO scary!

[Shatzies Poppa]

I always stay and make sure my dogs are handled the way I would handle them. If you drop them off chances are this could happen.

[Lovetodream88]

This is why it is sooooo important to trust your groomer. If you have a gut feeling then go with it. I’m super lucky to love and trust my mobile groomer.

[maxdog]

horrible

[JMuedog]

Glad I decided to groom my own dogs.

[pokidee]

The poor dog could have trust issues after with people and groomers. So glad this person was caught. This gives good awareness.

[Furmom]

This video is very heartbreaking and sad to watch. I think every animal owner who wants their dog groomed should at least attempt to watch videos or read a book on how to groom their dog ourselves, just in case of anything. There isn't enough trust in the world for me to think my babies are safe with strangers.

[Furmom]

Originally Posted by pokidee

The poor dog could have trust issues after with people and groomers. So glad this person was caught. This gives good awareness.

I agree. There isn't enough "trust" in the world. Some groomers will put on the best act but you never know what's going on once you turn your back.

[pink66]

Just think about how many customers would have just walked away saying it's not their problem. I'm glad there was someone there who made the effort to do the right thing!

[canana]

I didn't watch the video after reading everyone's response. I don't think I can handle it. But this is the exact reason why I learned slowly bit by bit to groom my babies myself.

[CaponeTheYorkie]

The terror in that poor dog’s eyes just broke my heart. I stopped taking my dog to the groomer years ago for this very reason. There are too many horror stories for me to trust a complete stranger with my baby. That clip was truly heart wrenching and my heart goes out to the owner and her dog.

[yavenay]

It's getting to the point where even groomers will need cameras in the grooming area.

[yorkietalkjilly]

HORRIBLE! No need to treat a helpless, scared little dog that way especially when it just makes the dog even harder to handle, so she's perpetuating her problem! Drum her out of the business I say. She does that to one this time, she'll do worse next time. No telling what dogs truly suffer at the hands of so-called "professionals" when we're not there to see. Tibbe just got cut back very short last week after my hip surgery while I was still in SNF and another time after I had colon surgery but I always groom him myself otherwise just for fear of this kind of abuse. Scary and disgraceful! Hope she never works again around dogs and that poor baby gets daily doses of extra extra extra TLC from his person to help restore his faith in humans again - poor little thing. Can only imagine what that baby went through and wonder how it's coping.