Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Healthy Spot for Animal Abuse
Prominent Southern California pet store chain Healthy Spot was sued today in Los Angeles Superior Court for animal abuse. The lawsuit focuses on Healthy Spot’s grooming operations where multiple dogs have been killed and injured during supposedly routine grooming incidents. The abuse has been captured on Healthy Spot’s own video surveillance cameras. Dogs have been hanged, punched, and injured by Healthy Spot staff, and one dog had its tail amputated in what was supposed to be routine grooming. The lawsuit alleges that Healthy Spot’s uniform grooming practices have resulted in wide-spread abuse. The lawsuit is filed as a Class Action, led by Class Representatives Tamara Margolis and Aimee Tully.
Plaintiff Tamara Margolis said,
“We dropped Charlie off at Healthy Spot joyful and full of energy. He was dead a couple hours later and we miss him every day. I hope this lawsuit brings about some change and that Healthy Spot changes its grooming practices so this never happens to another family.”
Attorney Gary Praglin of the nationally recognized law firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, said of the lawsuit,
“This is shocking animal abuse - caught on Healthy Spot’s own surveillance video. Dog grooming should not be deadly as innocent dogs are being injured and killed, and Healthy Spot knows it. This is a classic case of putting profits before the safety of animals. These animals deserve our respect and protection. Humane treatment of animals cuts across all society as they are part of our family. Healthy Spot’s corporate culture of pushing groomers’ productivity to boost profits at the expense of safety needs to change. We have handled many animal-abuse cases but the video of these abuses to animals is the most shocking and horrifying yet” as alleged in the complaint.
Plaintiff Aimee Tully, whose dog Noel suffered grooming trauma to her tail, resulting in amputation, said,
“Noel has been a joyful, sweet dog since the day I rescued her. There was absolutely no reason for the way she was abused at Healthy Spot. She will never be the same and I hope this lawsuit leads to oversight and policy changes to ensure this never happens again.”
Attorney Theresa Vitale of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP said,
“Healthy Spot has repeatedly broken its promise of safe grooming” as alleged in the complaint. “Dogs are groomed in a hurry by untrained personnel using unsafe practices. The focus needs to be on safety and not grooming production quotas. Putting business profits over safety is killing innocent animals.”
The Plaintiffs are represented by Gary Praglin, Theresa Vitale and Bethany Hill of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP. The case is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Margolis et al. v. Healthy Spot LLC - Case No. 21STCV25347