04/27/2025
❗IMPORTANT OFFICIAL STATEMENT❗
TL;DR: Blissful Pet Grooming was accused on a large Facebook group that we were responsible for the death of a great dane after a nail trim appointment. After a thorough investigation and based on the evidence obtained so far, we have determined that Blissful Pet Grooming and the employee involved had no part in the passing of the Great Dane and that the timing of the sweet, gentle giant’s death was an unfortunate coincidence that occurred days later, but remains unrelated to the business or its handling techniques. In the spirit of transparency and honesty, you may read below for the full story that we have collected together and draw your own independent conclusion. Be prepared, it is a long statement with a lot of info, but I wanted to share everything we had available to us.
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Hello everyone, it's Cici;
This is an official statement addressing claims made against Blissful Pet Grooming regarding the death of a four-legged friend. I have always valued transparency and honesty above all else, and as this matter was taken to social media before it could be resolved privately, I feel that it is necessary to make a public post addressing this situation, not only for everyone to get a well-rounded view of the claims made against us and the evidence regarding the incident, but to protect myself, my staff, and my business from any future accusations that may or may not be levied against Blissful Pet Grooming by the same individual(s) involved. This post is not intended to cause further drama or be read as accusational or confrontational, and is strictly being used to list the facts as we have obtained them.
Recently on April 23rd, 2025 a distressing Facebook post was made that accused Blissful Pet Grooming of being directly responsible for the death of Great Dane after a nail trim appointment. The individual making the claim did email our business regarding this issue on April 23rd at 12:18pm, however the email landed in our spam folder and therefore we never saw it. Approximately 1.5 hours later, the individual took to social media with their claims in a neighborhood page with a relatively large number of people as members. On said post and in their email there was no actual evidence provided to support their claims, but regardless they were made.
I happened upon their post while at an appointment, although I was just taking a few minutes as a mental rest as I was at an appointment with another employee in which we service a large number of dogs on the same street, meaning back to back appointments with no normal breaks or drive time for most of the day. At this point, it was about 1:45pm in the afternoon on April 23rd and I had caught the post just as it was put up. I was blindsided by the post and had no idea an email had been sent, nor was the company contacted before April 23rd about any issues with the Great Dane in question. I then left a comment advising it was the first I was hearing of it and encouraged the individual to contact me directly so we could discuss the matter. I then approached the admins of that same page and requested the post be taken down, provided proof I had not been made aware of the situation prior to the Facebook post, and asked that I try to resolve this personally first and should the findings support this individuals claims, I'd accept if they reinstated that post. The admins did move forward with taking it down, and the individual reached out to me afterwards.
Per Exhibit D: in the public Facebook post, the invidiual advised that the great dane sustained severe neck trauma. They also advised that the only possible cause was physical trauma.
In Exhibit C: it was advised x-rays confirmed severe trauma to the neck consistent with forceful handling.
However, per Exhibit 2: the invidiual now was advising that trauma was simply “high on the list".
Exhibit J.1, which is the official veterinary report from the emergency vet clinic in which the great Dane was treated, it showed no skin lesions or loss of hair that would have possibly been apparent should there have been enough force used in the neck area from a grooming loop (such as from ‘rope burn’)
Exhibit J.2: showed no swelling in the lymph nodes, another symptom that would have indicated forceful handling in the neck
Exhibit J.3: showed that the trachea, large caliber airways, esophagus, and mediastinum were normal. All of these are located within the neck area, whether at the base, middle, or top of the neck area. If physical force that would later lead to a fatality was used, at least one of these areas would have shown swelling, bruising, significant pain, etc. But they are printed in the official vet report as normal
Exhibit J.3 also shows that there was mild flattening of the diaphragm. This is not noted as severe or indicated to be related to any sort of violence. A mild flattening of the diaphragm can be caused by several factors, most commonly related to changes in lung volume and pressure. Trauma is never mentioned to the diaphragm.
Exhibit J.4: advises there was no skeletal and superficial soft tissue damage, which would have been consistent with the use of extreme/violent force that the individual claimed had been used.
Exhibit J.4 mentions tension pneumothorax. Research on this term is provided in Exhibit H, which indicates this would be the result of a possible blunt or penetrating chest injury. Again, nothing is mentioned about the neck area. Considering that the amount of plural gas was also bilaterally symmetrical, if there was violent force used against the Great Danes’ chest, bilaterally symmetrical gas in the lungs would be unlikely as trauma would have only collapsed one lung or affected one lung more than the other, as any sort of blunt force trauma to the chest would have most likely occurred on one particular side if caused by a human. If the Great Dane somehow fell, causing the significant blunt force trauma needed to collapse both lungs, he would have needed to fall from the grooming table from a significant height. The Great Dane would have not been raised more than about 1 to 1 and 1/2 ft from the ground during his nail trim, which would not provide enough of a fall to result in significant blunt force trauma to the chest. An array of probabilities exists as to why lungs collapse in Great Danes, to include due to general excitement, heat stroke, or even it occurring at home, such as dogs colliding head on while running full force.
Exhibit J.4 also gives a clear, unequivocal statement of the vets' findings: that there was no cause for the pneumothorax that was apparent. This is a direct contradiction to the invidiuals original, (then later amended) claim that the vet confirmed that physical trauma caused, or was “high on the list", of what caused the Great Danes death. In fact, in Exhibit J.4 the vet specifically addressed it as “spontaneous pneumothorax” and that they recommended a CT scan to get a better understanding of what possibly could have happened to the great dane, which was declined. A necropsy was never performed, and X-rays are not normally used to show muscle damage or tears in the muscle; Exhibit E-E.3 advises they are used for issues within the bones or more solid objects. It is unlikely an X-ray alone would have provided guaranteed evidence of trauma to the neck that is indicated to be muscular or tissue related damage as the individual claimed.
I researched further to find out what else could have possibly occurred and in exhibit G.1 - G.3, it appears a tracheal collapse could have occurred but again, this can be triggered by a multitude of issues and I ended up ruling this out due to the vet report stating nothing was wrong with the Great Danes trachea
I have also attached employees written statement regarding the appointment. The employee later then spoke to me over the phone and advised that the handling the individuals other dog, a Belgian malinois, that individual was concerned about in their private message to me on Facebook, was actually a training technique I taught them as has been witnessed with many of our clients. It's a commonly used technique In the dog training world, in which if a dog tries to pull or drag the person possessing the leash, one is to stop, shorten the leash, bring the dog to their side and wait for the dog to calm down before proceeding forward. If the dog pulls again, the handler repeats the technique. This is to eventually teach the dog that forceful pulling is not rewarded and calm walking is. The employee did recommend that they couldn't remember if a ring camera was present or not at the door when they arrived to do the nail trims, but if there was a ring camera, the employee encouraged that the footage be reviewed and provided/published as they truly believe their technique to try to minimize the Belgian Malinois’ excessive and forceful pulling when walking to the van was done correctly and non-violently, and that the video will provide full transparency on their handling (if such a video exists). Screenshots 1, 2, 3, and 4 are their written statement, unprompted by me and given in ignorance of the accusations made against them to avoid any defensive bias on their part.
There remained a concerning amount of inconsistencies that I feel are vital to address and at this time, I have been provided no evidence that there was any trauma to the Great Danes neck, and no evidence that the great Danes passing had anything to do with their nail trim on Easter Sunday.
There is also the question of the timeline of Great Dane's symptoms and eventual visit to the vet.
Per Exhibit 2, it was stated that the Great Dane began exhibiting symptoms Monday morning.
Exhibit C indicates “shortly after" The nail trim appointment and does not provide a clear timeline when the great dane began exhibiting symptoms, however it does state within 24 hours the dog was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic. As the appointment was Easter Sunday at 6:30pm, 24 hours would have been Monday evening in which the great Dane went to the vet.
Yet Exhibit J.1 States that the Great Dane did not start exhibiting symptoms until Monday evening and exhibit 2 clearly states that they weren't taken to the vet until Tuesday morning. This is confirmed in exhibit J.1 in which it states the appointment occurred on Tuesday, April 22nd, at 9:00 a.m. Based on this information, it took about 36 hours before the great Dane was taken to the vet although it was alleged the great Dane was taken to the vet within 24 hours of the nail trim appointment. The Dane was later taken home against medical advice.
Between April 20th and the morning of April 23rd, My company received no communication that anything happened to the great Dane. Per exhibit O, the owner of the great Dane (who is the partner of the individual who made the post) even reached out to us to update the invoice on Monday morning, to which we responded Monday afternoon that it was updated, and they paid at 2:02 in the afternoon, per exhibit F. However, there was no other communication, no questions if anything occurred during the grooming process, no clarifications if the Great Dane had been in any distress while getting their nails done, nothing that was brought to our attention as being concerning for nearly 3 days after the nail trim.
Based on the severity of the trauma indicated by the individual, it is unlikely it would have taken 24 hours for the great Dane to start exhibiting symptoms. An eventually-fatal neck would have shown symptoms of pain most likely within the first 12 hours. The timeline being unclear but indicating there was a significant amount of time between the grooming appointment and the onset of the dogs’ symptoms supports the likelier conclusion that the great Danes symptoms were unrelated to their nail trim appointment.
As shown in exhibit L, the email the individual sent never made it to my inbox, and instead was filtered into my spam folder (Exhibit K). It was sent at 12:18 p.m. on April 23rd. In the email it specified that I had five business days to respond against the accusations, yet approximately an hour and a half later the individual made a public Facebook post outwardly and undeniably accusing my company of being responsible for the Great Danes passing, with the beginning statement of that post requesting that the post be shared. I had not been given any opportunity to investigate the matter or provide any defense beforehand.
Another concern is that my company had these severe and serious accusations levied against it with no proof. In the initial email that I received from the individual, there were no attachments, no vet bill, no breakdown of the charges, no photos, no x-ray copies, and in fact the vet hadn't even finished their findings. In a comment thread the individual indicated that they had proof to back their claims, but yet never provided it as far as I saw and others before the post was taken down.
As a result of the evidence provided so far, at this time Blissful Pet Grooming will be denying any liability in relation to the Great Danes’ death. This is not done lightly and certainly not done maliciously; I simply have not been provided anything that undoubtedly shows my company or the actions of my employee are responsible. The veterinary report absolves the accusations against my company that we were the direct cause of the pets’ passing. And once more, nothing in the report ever indicates an issue or significantly severe trauma in the neck area. I cannot speak for what the veterinarian may have said in person during the appointment, but I must go off their written statement and written findings. Considering the Great Dane was taken home against medical advice, we will never know if they could have survived their collapsed lungs based on the recommendations of the veterinarian’s treatment options, and since a necropsy wasn't done, we may never know an official cause of death.
I understand that this statement will probably do nothing for the grief regarding their furry family members’ passing for the family involved. In fact, I understand if it makes it worse. It is not my intention, and I would never purposefully cause further turmoil while they are already going through so much. As I personally just had to put down one of my pets a couple weeks ago, I understand that loss and grief can really damage our capabilities of emotional regulation and handling day to day. I bear no ill will towards the individual who made the post or their partner, and hope they are eventually able to heal and move forward. I am not seeking retribution, nor legal avenues against the claims because everyone handles grief differently and I can understand this may have just been poor judgement clouded by sorrow. I just ask that in the future if there are going to be significantly damaging accusations levied against a small business that there is ample opportunity to resolve it privately and factually and done with respect and kindness.
As a courtesy as well, I did let the individual(s) involved know ahead of time that I will be making a public statement on Facebook that includes all of the evidence provided, however all of the information will be redacted to protect the privacy of the family and my employee, as I am not interested in a witch hunt or to have the individual(s) harassed. I am leaving only the breeds unredacted as a point of reference, as I feel it is a significant detail in this issue. The only reason I am making a public statement is because the individual decided it was necessary to bring it to social media by posting it on a page that holds 5,000 members and as a result I had several inquiries of people concerned about the situation. I now feel this is necessary to salvage my business and my personal reputation. I hope everyone understands my position.
Above all else, I wish kindness and healing on the family, and I continue to extend my deepest condolences and sympathies during their time of mourning. I hope this post serves as a reminder that there are two sides to every story, and that judgements should not be made until the facts are obtained and reviewed.
If anyone has any questions about Blissful Pet Grooming, their handling techniques, or business practices, I encourage them to contact us directly so that we can exchange dialogue to address it.
We have never had anything to hide and I've always valued transparency and honesty above all else, no matter how it makes us look. And this will continue to be a priority.
Thank you,
And blessings and belly rubs ❤️
