Nicola Peltz Beckham has filed a lawsuit against her dog's groomer, claiming negligence led to the tragic death of her beloved pet.
As per PEOPLE, on Tuesday, July 30, the Lola actress filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, against Jony Ceballos, Deborah "Deb" Gittleman, and HoundSpa LLC.
In an acquired document by an outlet, Nicola claimed that groomer Ceballos' alleged "intentional and malicious abuse of dogs" was the reason behind Nala's death, which she and her husband, Brooklyn Beckham, announced on Instagram.
The Holidate star accused Gittleman, the owner of the grooming business HoundSpa, and his staff of "reckless and malicious conduct" for having kept Ceballos on staff despite a purported "history of complaints" about him "repeatedly" mistreating and torturing animals.
Nala "passed away a mere two hours" on June 15th, the lawsuit claimed, adding, "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.”
After a 15-minute journey, Nicola mentioned she took Nala to the veterinarian, noting that "Nala’s tongue was blue, she had fluid in her lungs, and she suffered neurological damage."
"This case is about holding responsible those who abuse animals in their care and shedding light on the lack of protections for pet owners and their beloved dogs and pets," the complaint stated
Nicola told PEOPLE in a statement she released following the lawsuit filing 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."
