Why is Nicola Peltz Beckham suing Westchester-based dog groomer? Lawsuit explored as actress reveals her chihuahua’s death

Transformers: Age of Extinction star Nicola Peltz Beckham is suing the dog groomer who treated her pet Chihuahua Nala before her death. On Tuesday, July 30, the actress issued a lawsuit against the Westchester-based grooming company HoundSpa LLC, the company's owner Deborah "Deb" Gittleman, and dog groomer Jony Ceballos.

In the court filing, the 29-year-old actress alleged that Nala's death was caused by Jony Ceballos' "intentional and malicious" abuse of dogs. She also accused HoundSpa and its owner Deb of keeping Ceballos employed despite repeated complaints of animal abuse against the groomer. Nicola and her husband Brooklyn Beckham announced their beloved dog's death back on June 16 through Instagram.

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Nicola Peltz Beckham's dog Nala passed away 2 hours after her grooming session

On Tuesday, July 30, Nicola Peltz Beckham filed a lawsuit against grooming company HoundSpa LLC, its owner Deborah "Deb" Gittleman, and employee Jony Ceballos at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester. In the court documents, Nicola alleged that Ceballos had a history of "intentional and malicious abuse of dogs".

As per the lawsuit, the actress also accused HoundSpa and Deborah Gittleman of "reckless and malicious conduct" after the company kept Ceballos employed despite what the actress claims is a "history of complaints" against the groomer for continuously mistreating canines.

According to the filing, Ceballos had groomed Nala on June 15 in a mobile grooming van outside the actress' house and the dog passed away just 2 hours after the session. The filing read:

"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."

Nicola Peltz immediately took Nala to the vet, who was 15 minutes away, and noticed that her beloved companion's tongue was blue. She further noticed that her dog's lungs had fluid in them and that she was suffering from "neurological damage". Nicola watched Nala suffer as the canine was put on oxygen. According to the lawsuit, the actress allegedly went through "damages and emotional distress".

The lawsuit stated that the case was about holding responsible, the people who abuse animals while in their care and bringing to light, the lack of protections for pet owners and their beloved companions.

Nicola Peltz further issued a statement to People magazine in an article published on July 31, in which she revealed she was still in shock after Nala's passing. She posted her heartbreaking experience on Instagram to bring awareness and was further heartbroken and outraged after hearing stories from others who experienced the same tragedy.

Nicola promised to work towards changing laws to ensure that no one goes through such an experience again. She told the media outlet:

"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."

The day after Nala's death, Nicola Peltz posted a carousel of pictures on Instagram showcasing a plethora of precious moments she shared with her beloved companion of 9 years. She wrote in the post's caption that this was the hardest month of her life. She said:

"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 was sharing her experience to prevent such situations from happening to others. She added:

"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."

Nicola Peltz requested her followers to be careful about who they send their dogs to as they don't know what goes on behind closed doors. She also noted how one day without her Nala felt like "an eternity" and prayed that Nala was with her recently departed grandmother, Gina, who she called "Naunni".