Nicola Peltz Beckham Sues Dog Groomer for Allegedly Killing Her Chihuahua

Nicola Peltz Beckham has been wracked with grief since the death of her beloved dog, Nala. The actress and activist announced the death of her Chihuahua in June 2024, blaming the groomer for the pup's sudden end in a somber Instagram post. Since then, Nicola Peltz Beckham has decided to take action against the groomer, filing a lawsuit in the state of New York.

Here's everything you need to know about the pending legal action, including who Peltz Beckham says ultimately caused Nala's untimely death.

In court documents obtained by People magazine, Peltz Beckham accuses Deborah "Deb" Gittleman, Jony Ceballos, and HoundSpa LLC of being responsible for Nala's death, claiming that Ceballos, the groomer, is guilty of animal abuse. The document also accuses Gittleman of being culpable as the owner of HoundSpa, because she kept the groomer on after repeated complaints about his behavior and tactics.

The lawsuit claims that Nala was perfectly healthy before getting into a mobile grooming van that was parked in front of the Peltz Beckham residence. But, once she was done with the grooming session, she was clearly in intense distress which included a pulsating chest and trouble breathing. The actress was so worried about her dog's condition that she then drove her straight to an emergency vet, where the vet observed fluid in her lungs, neurological damage, and a blue tongue, according to the lawsuit.

Sadly, Nala died that day as a result of her condition, something Peltz Beckham says never should've happened. As such, she's seeking to hold those named in the lawsuit accountable, not only for Nala's death, but also so that no other dog parents every have to endure the emotional distress and damages that Peltz Beckham did.

She spoke directly to People magazine about her decision, explaining how she still remains "in so much shock and pain over [her] baby Nala suddenly passing last month following what should have been a routine grooming session." Peltz Beckham also added that in sharing her experience on Instagram, she's managed to not only bring awareness, but to connect with others who have had similar things happen.

"I’m outraged to hear how common stories like Nala's are," she wrote.

People magazine reached out to HoundSpa to comment on the lawsuit, but as of the time the story went to press the company had yet to respond.

Peltz Beckham's love of dogs has been well documented on both her and her husband Brooklyn Peltz Beckham's Instagram accounts, which feature plenty of pictures of them loving up on pooches. The actress has even tried to turn that passion for pups into a way to help those in need by co-founding Yogi's House, a rescue that focuses on helping dogs in shelters around Los Angeles come off the euthanasia list. Once a dogs is placed with a foster, the organization then gets to work to find the dog a forever home.

Hopefully helping those pups in need brings Peltz Beckham some kind of peace. Even grieving the loss of a senior dog who has had a long and wonderful life can be hard, but it has to be unimaginable trying to process a pet's death when their life was cut so terribly short.