Cranford Groomer Facing Charges After Dog's Death: SPCA

A Cranford pet groomer is facing charges after authorities from the New Jersey State SPCA say a dog was paralyzed there during a grooming appointment last month. The dog was later euthanized due to the extent of his injuries, according to the SPCA.

The New Jersey State SPCA Humane Police have issued summonses against Furever Friends Grooming on North Avenue, NJ.com reported.

The charges include causing the death of a living animal and failure to provide necessary care to a living animal, the SPCA said.

According to information from the SPCA, Ozzie, a 6-year-old terrier, was taken to a grooming appointment on May 13 around 9 a.m. “Hours later, the groomer called Ozzie’s owner and said he was all done and set to go home,” the SPCA said in a statement on Facebook.

The pet’s owner paid for the services and a staff member carried the dog to the car. At that point, Ozzie’s owner asked why the dog was being carried, the SPCA said. The staff responded that Ozzie had injured his back or broke his leg, according tot the SPCA.

The owner immediately took him to a vet. Upon examination, Ozzie was “acutely paralyzed,” the SPCA said. He was humanely euthanized as a result of his injuries, the SPCA said.

Prior to that appointment, Ozzie’s regular veterinarian said he was in “excellent” health and had no history of medical issues before this incident, the SPCA said.

The grooming business and their attorney are not commenting on who groomed Ozzie, the SPCA said.

The summonses are scheduled to be heard in Cranford Municipal Court on July 20.

The penalties carry up to $7,000 in fines, the SPCA said.