Why Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola have gone to war on the dog groomers whose 'abuse' they say killed their chihuahua - and why every pet owner in Britain should be cheering them on...

For nan discerning New York canine owner, mobile groomer HoundSpa offers a scope of luxurious canine treatments, each of them conveniently disposable from nan comfortableness of their homes.

Aside from regular teeth brushing, nail cutting and grinding — not to mention 'de-skunking' for pets who person rolled successful thing unsavoury — there's a luxurious blueberry facial connected offer, on pinch heavy conditioning treatments pinch lush spa products and, to decorativeness off, a soothing blow-dry.

So it was that nan HoundSpa 'Dirty Dog' van pulled up connected nan driveway of nan multi-million lb Westchester County location of Nicola and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham connected June 15 this year, fresh to groom 1 of nan astir precious and making out pooches successful nan world.

Nala, 1 of nan personage couple's 5 beloved dogs, was carried retired to nan customised van successful nan arms of Nicola's individual adjunct and handed complete for what should person been a regular 25-minute process — a bath and blow-dry, a nail trim, teeth brushing and receptor cleaning.

But erstwhile nan nine-year-old, fawn and achromatic chihuahua was returned, according to a suit revenge this week, she was successful terrible beingness distress, breathing heavy and wheezing, while her thorax was pulsating.

Mrs Peltz Beckham, according to documents revenge astatine nan Supreme Court of New York County of Westchester, rushed her pet to a veterinary surgery, a 15-minute thrust away. Nala was put connected oxygen but passed away.

Nicola claims that nan decease of nan animal, which weighed only 2lb, was caused by 'intentional and malicious abuse'.

An bonzer societal media station this week laid bare nan couple's condolences alongside a photograph of a achromatic coffin, surrounded by roses — an image truthful haunting that it near immoderate fans fearing that a quality loved 1 had died.

And a root adjacent to nan Peltz Beckhams has exclusively told nan Mail that 29-year-old Nicola is turning to nan US courts, not for financial gain, but because having discovered that cases for illustration hers are not uncommon, she wants to spot nan regulations astir canine grooming tightened.

'It's a past edifice for her,' nan root told me. 'Nicola's devoted a batch of her life to redeeming rescue dogs. She's not nan type of personification that tin conscionable fto this spell without having answers. She had to watch her canine suffer and walk conscionable 2 hours aft it was groomed.

'It is devastating. She wants to cognize what happened. She wants to raise consciousness astir really lacklustre nan regulations are astir canine grooming. Many group cannot beryllium judge of nan information of their animal erstwhile they manus them complete to beryllium groomed.'

Nicola's personage status, some arsenic nan character and exemplary girl of billionaire investor Nelson Peltz and nan daughter-in-law of David and Victoria Beckham has ensured that Nala's decease has received world attention.

The couple, who joined successful April 2022, respect their canine family arsenic their children. In 2022, Nicola launched Yogis House, a Los Angeles-based refuge for rescue dogs astatine consequence of being put down.

This lawsuit besides raises wide-ranging questions astir really definite pet owners tin beryllium that their dogs are safe erstwhile they manus them complete to groomers, fixed that nan manufacture is unregulated successful some nan US and nan UK.

There is nary strategy for licensing groomers successful nan US, though respective states connection certification from bodies specified arsenic nan National Dog Groomers Association of America.

The business is akin successful nan UK wherever location is nary licensing strategy for a 'buyer beware' market, which successful 2021 was said to beryllium worthy £900 cardinal and booming acknowledgment to nan inclination for posing photos of pets connected societal media.

UK Groomers are not required to clasp immoderate master qualifications, though nan RSCPA advises owners to find personification who has undertaken, for example, a City and Guilds training course, and is besides a personnel of nan British Dog Groomers Association.

But, arsenic nan Mail discovered this week, a increasing number of high-profile tragedies some present and successful nan US intends location are calls for nan business to change.

'The extremity end for Nicola is to bring consciousness and tighten regulation,' nan root added.

'She's devoted to animals and alert that nan rule does not support them and really communal this rumor is. She feels she has a work to usage her sound to effort to get nan rule changed.'

So what did spell connected wrong nan HoundsSpa mobile van connected June 15 aft it parked connected nan driveway, astir 100ft from Nicola and Brooklyn's beforehand door? Nicola claims that nan groomer sent to thin to Nala and 4 different dogs belonging to nan Peltz Beckhams was personification her family had antecedently complained about.

She claims HoundSpa proprietor Debra Gittleman was contacted successful 2022 aft Nicola's relative and his girlfriend's canine allegedly suffered a 'horrendous antagonistic experience' astatine nan hands of nan aforesaid groomer, named successful nan documents arsenic Jony Ceballos. 

According to nan documents: 'Nicola reasonably believed that Gittleman would not nonstop Ceballos arsenic a groomer to Nicola aliases her family and would region Ceballos arsenic a HoundSpa groomer.'

She claims that location person been 'multiple customer complaints' astir Ceballos and that by continuing to employment him and failing to show him, Gittleman 'knowingly and maliciously, aliases recklessly put each canine that was groomed by HoundSpa astatine consequence of being harmed'.

Two of Nicola's different dogs were groomed earlier Nala. Both, she claims, went connected to show clear 'signs of distress'.

According to her claim, 1 of nan dogs, three-legged Angel, 'was severely traumatised that day' and has since developed a fearfulness of being near successful a room alone.

'She starts to shingle and shriek (not bark, but scream) successful evident terror,' tribunal papers state.

Nala was nan 3rd canine to spell into nan HoundSpa van. According to Nicola's account, she was 'a happy, healthy' canine but returned 'injured and successful terrible beingness distress'.

By nan clip she received aesculapian treatment, it is alleged, her lingua was said to person turned blue, she had fluid successful her lungs and she had suffered neurological damage. 

'All Nicola could do was effort to supply Nala comfortableness done her ain heartache and pain, arsenic she watched Nala suffer done debilitating injuries and die,' authorities nan tribunal documents, which continue: 'HoundSpa ended Nala's life.'

Another Instagram photograph, apparently taken astatine nan vet's room successful nan moments aft Nala's death, showed Nicola being comforted by Brooklyn, 25, an aspiring chef.

'My encephalon can't comprehend wherever you went,' she wrote connected Instagram, alongside a bid of images of Nala pinch nan couple.

'I conscionable consciousness truthful overmuch pain. Her life was taken distant from her measurement excessively soon. She was my beautiful queen and stayed by my broadside for 9 years done everything.'

Hinting astatine nan ineligible conflict which lies ahead, she added: 'Please beryllium observant who you nonstop your dogs to because you don't cognize what goes connected down closed doors.'

This week, aft news collapsed that she was taking ineligible action, Nicola went into much detail. 'I americium genuinely still successful truthful overmuch daze and symptom complete my babe Nala abruptly passing past period pursuing what should person been a regular grooming session,' she wrote connected Instagram connected Wednesday.

'I posted nan acquisition connected my Instagram to bring consciousness and was heartbroken to perceive nan horrifying stories from truthful galore others who person knowledgeable nan aforesaid tragedy. I can't carnivore it. I'm outraged to perceive really communal stories for illustration Nala's are.'

According to animal kindness Peta, incidents pinch groomers are not uncommon successful nan US, pinch galore caused by dogs overheating successful crate dryers — cages pinch a typical hairsbreadth drying instrumentality attached.

Some states person campaigns and bills successful advancement that would require groomers to beryllium licensed but nary person yet go law.

A run for Bijou's Law, calling for each canine groomers to beryllium authorities licensed, was launched successful New Jersey aft nan decease successful 2012 of a six-year-old Shih Tzu astatine a PetSmart grooming salon and is now making its measurement done nan authorities senate.

Stories of grooming salon deaths successful nan UK person besides emerged successful caller years.

In 2010, a six-month-old Shih Tzu puppy named Daisy died astatine Pets At Home, nan largest retailer of pet supplies successful nan UK, aft allegedly being near successful a drying cage. The store, which has 457 outlets, suspended members of unit and launched an investigation.

Last year, a Scottish female claimed that her three-year-old pedigree Chow Chow Bonnie died from heatstroke astatine Glasgow grooming salon Dogs R Divas wherever she had gone for a lavation and trim. She had to beryllium put down aft suffering encephalon harm and organ failure.

An investigation was launched by nan Scottish SPCA.

In caller years respective petitions person been launched successful nan UK calling for nan canine grooming manufacture to beryllium regulated, peculiarly astir nan usage of dryer cages and different forms of heating.

One, successful 2012, was launched pursuing nan decease of a 12-year-old Lhasa Apso called Dusty who had to beryllium put down aft suffering 'horrific' burns astatine nan KayJac Clippers salon successful Grays, Essex.

The canine had been near nether a dryer erstwhile a groomer went disconnected to return a telephone call. The salon proprietor and nan groomer were ordered to salary £1,000, do 120 hours of organization work and salary £250 successful compensation to Dusty's proprietor by Basildon magistrates. The tribunal heard that neither female had immoderate qualifications.

Earlier this year, a UK parliamentary petition was launched calling for regularisation and authorities arsenic good arsenic a minimum modular for qualifications and a ineligible request for security but was closed early because of nan General Election.

An RSPCA spokesperson told nan Mail: 'We would for illustration to spot nan manufacture regulated to amended protect animals . . . it's important to do investigation and find a reputable groomer.'

HoundSpa proprietor Debra Gittleman, who besides owns a canine training company, did not respond to requests for remark this week.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she studied French lit and equine studies successful Marseilles and besides spent a twelvemonth studying English astatine nan University of Cambridge. She states that she is simply a committee personnel of nan Westchester Society for nan Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and has complete 35 years acquisition successful canine grooming, training and daycare.

Given nan high-profile position of nan Peltz Beckhams, this lawsuit is apt to person plentifulness of media attraction successful nan months ahead.

'This case,' opportunity Nicola's lawyers successful documents revenge this week, 'is astir holding responsible those who maltreatment animals successful their attraction and shedding ray connected nan deficiency of protections for pet owners and their beloved dogs and pets.'

Any ineligible damages received successful nan aftermath of Nala's decease will besides beryllium fixed to charity, said nan root who said to nan Mail.

'It's not astir money,' they added. 'This is astir highlighting nan failings successful nan strategy and making judge that different animals don't suffer and die.'