Here’s Everything There Is To Know About Nicola Peltz Beckham’s Pet Dog’s Death And The Subsequent Lawsuit

In an Instagram post shared last month, Nicola wrote that Nala was “perfectly healthy when she went to the groomers but came out hyperventilating and couldn’t catch her breath" before dying two hours later.

By
Stephanie Soteriou
by Stephanie Soteriou

BuzzFeed Staff

Last month, Nicola Peltz Beckham took to her Instagram page to share her grief over the sudden death of her beloved chihuahua Nala.

Nicola Peltz Beckham in a black tank top and a New York Yankees cap holds a small white Chihuahua in an outdoor garden.
Instagram @nicolaannepeltzbeckham / Via instagram.com

Alongside a series of pictures of her pet, Nicola said that Nala died following a visit to a groomer.


She wrote: “This has been the hardest month of my life. i can’t even find the words to describe my heartbreak on so many levels. nala was perfectly healthy when she went to the groomers yesterday but came out hyperventilating and couldn’t catch her breath.”

“We rushed her to the vet and she passed hours later,” she added. “I’m sharing this in hopes that it might prevent this from happening to other dogs. her life was taken away from her way too soon. she was my beautiful queen and stayed by my side for 9 years through everything.”

“Please be careful who you send your dogs to because you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors,” Nicola then warned followers.  

In a separate post that was shared on the same day, Nicola added: “My brain can’t comprehend where you went 💔 i just feel so much pain.”

Now, it has been revealed that Nicola is taking legal action against the groomer who worked on Nala the day that she died.

Nicola Peltz poses on a neutral backdrop, wearing a sleeveless, scoop-neck top with subtle makeup and a simple hairband
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

According to People, the actor filed a lawsuit against HoundSpa LLC, its owner, Deborah "Deb" Gittleman, and Nala’s groomer, Jony Ceballos, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, on Tuesday.


In the filing, which has been obtained by People, Nicola claims that Ceballos’s alleged “intentional and malicious abuse of dogs” caused Nala’s death. 


She also accuses Gittleman and HoundSpa of "reckless and malicious conduct" for keeping Ceballos as an employee despite an alleged “history of complaints” about him “repeatedly” mistreating animals.


The lawsuit alleges that Nala died just two hours after Ceballos worked on her in a mobile grooming van outside of Nicola’s home on June 15. 

"Nala went into the grooming van, a happy, healthy dog, but returned injured and in severe physical distress— breathing heavily and wheezing, with her chest pulsating," the documents claim, per People.

Nicola Peltz in a buttoned-up leather jacket with geometric gold earrings
Karwai Tang / WireImage

Nicola alleges in the filing that when she rushed Nala to a vet, the vet said that "Nala’s tongue was blue, she had fluid in her lungs, and she suffered neurological damage."


"Nala was put on oxygen and cared for as Nicola distressingly and emotionally witnessed her dog suffer," the lawsuit adds, with Nicola said to have experienced “damages and emotional distress” after watching her pet die. 


In a statement that was shared with People after the lawsuit was filed, Nicola said that she is still "in so much shock and pain over my baby Nala suddenly passing last month following what should have been a routine grooming session."


"I posted the experience on my Instagram to bring awareness, and was heartbroken to hear the horrifying stories from so many others who have experienced the same tragedy. I can't bear it. I’m outraged to hear how common stories like Nala's are," she continued. "I've dedicated most of my life to saving dogs and I can't in good conscience let this horrifying act happen to more families.”


BuzzFeed has contacted HoundSpa for comment.

Topics in this article

Comments
Skip to footer