VENICE, Fla. -- Another client of Happy Puppy Pet Spa has come forward, claiming the owner of the salon was responsible for her dog's broken jaw. This is the same spa of the viral Facebook video that showed the owner shaking a dog aggressively.
“I gave you a dog in good health and you give me a dog that has broken bones now," said Cynthia Crowe, dog owner and former client of Happy Puppy Pet Spa.
Crowe says she picked up her dog, Pumpkin, with blood all over his mouth and bruises all over his stomach. When she took him to the vet, it was determined that the Toy Doodle had a broken jaw and would need surgery to fix it. Dr. Gary Berkowitz, Pumpkin's Veterinarian, says the dog was healthy before the incident.
"The dog was doing fine, eating and drinking fine like normal, as soon as she gets home from the groomer, takes the dog from the groomer, the dog shows all these signs and has a fractured jaw," Berkowitz explained.
In the police report filed against Lucca for animal cruelty, she admitted to being responsible for the dog's bruising, stating "the suspect told me that she knows she is responsible for the injuries to Crowe's dog." However, when interviewed by Fox 4, she blamed her former co-worker, Briana Brady, who took the viral video.
"The only one that was in the room alone, with the dog, was Briana.”
Crowe says the cost to fix Pumpkin's jaw is nearly $5,000 and now has to be fed through a tube with no assurance of a full recovery.
“I will never take him back to any groomer again,” she said. “I want her place shut down.”
Crowe and Brady plan on filing a civil suit for animal abuse against Lucca.
