An East Village groomer allegedly killed a Chow Chow by “frying” its brain with a hot blow dryer and letting it overheat, according to the dog’s devastated owners.
Anthony Russo and Miguel Manzi are suing Unleashed Spa Pet Grooming for $3 million, saying their lives have been “irrevocably” changed and they have been left with “psychological scars” following their dog’s horrifying death.
“The once vibrant household filled with love and joy was now overshadowed by loss, sadness, guilt, and anger,” the two said in their lawsuit.
Manzi, 51, arrived at the Avenue B groomer on May 18 to pick up Panda, a 6-year-old purebred, from her first appointment with the groomer.
The owner, Kim Gallagher, told Manzi the pup was sleeping, and charged his debit card for $380 for the services, which include nail clipping, fur cutting, shampooing and a blowout, according to the filing.
Fearful something was wrong and disbelieving that the dog would conk out at the groomer’s, Manzi rushed in and found Panda unresponsive on the floor, barely breathing and with her tongue hanging out, the couple stated in the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit filed Monday.
“You killed my dog!” he yelled. “She’s dying! You need to rush her to the vet.”
He raced Panda to an emergency vet but she died from hyperthermia and brain damage, her temperature having reached “well over” 106 degrees, the couple said in court papers.
“Having such a high temperature for so long fried her brain,” the dog dads were allegedly told by the vet.
The Kips Bay couple claimed they discussed with the groomer how the breed, which has a dense, double coat of fur, is susceptible to overheating and insisted Panda could only be blow dried on a cool setting.
The self-proclaimed “helicopter parents” to Panda and Panda’s mother, Ember, say they were repeatedly reassured by the staff that they had several Chow Chow clients and were familiar with their needs.
Staff promised that Panda would be kept comfortable with central air conditioning, that only cool dryers would be used, and that they would call them if she showed any signs of distress, according to the suit.
Russo and Manzi claim the groomer’s negligence and failure to provide adequate cooling measures led to the “unnecessary and avoidable death.” They say they were not even refunded the $380 grooming charge.
Panda’s death has “left a void that nothing could fill,” they said in the suit, and the “devastating” emotional toll has left them “shattered.”
Both men suffer from medical conditions, according to the filing, and their dogs gave them “a vital source of emotional support and companionship.”
And they’re not the only ones suffering, according to the filing.
“Ember’s sorrow was so intense that she had to be taken to BluePearl Pet Hospital, where it was confirmed she was suffering from a broken heart,” they said in the suit.
Panda came from champion bloodlines believed to be of the same lineage as Martha Stewart’s prized Chow Chows. The purebred breeds can fetch over $5,000 each.
“I watched you being born and unfortunately, I saw you when you went to heaven,” Russo, 49, wrote in a recent Instagram tribute to Panda. “I tried to be the best daddy I could be but I feel like I failed you.”
Manzi would bottle feed the pooch milk every night, Russo added in the post.
“Panda’s tragic and avoidable death due to the negligence of Unleashed Spa has caused immense emotional suffering and pain — the pain of a parent suffering from their child’s death,” said the couple’s attorney, Peggy Collen.
“This case exemplifies the need for the law to adapt and recognize the true status of companion animals in the lives of their human families,” she added.
Unleashed Spa did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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