08/30/2026
This is exactly why me as the owner and my other groomer took CPR Classes you never know the situation and I am not putting judgment on the salon but I am saying I want any customer, size, age, breed to be cared for with the upmost respect and given the best care in our facility.
The death of a 10-year-old Great Pyrenees during a grooming appointment in Florida is raising questions about whether the pet grooming industry needs greater oversight.
Neil Rubenstein brought his dog, Rilee, to Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas in Largo on October 18, 2025, for a routine grooming appointment. He said he returned less than an hour after dropping her off and found her unresponsive on the grooming table.
Pinellas Animal Services later cited the business for “Neglect — failure to provide humane care.” Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas pleaded no contest and was adjudicated guilty, resulting in a $148 fine.
However, the business maintains its innocence. Owner Suzanne Obarr said Rilee was severely overweight and older, factors she believes may have contributed to a heart attack.
“We did not perform CPR because she was still breathing. And it happened so fast and it's tragic. But our groomers did everything they could to ease her and comfort her,” Obarr said.
Rubenstein believes the neck harness used during the appointment may have been too tight. He recalled the moment he found his dog: “Rilee was laying on her side on the grooming table with her tongue out and she had already expired. So I obviously lost it.”
There was no definitive cause of death established, and no necropsy was performed. Obarr also said surveillance footage from Rilee’s time at the facility exists and has been reviewed by the business, but has not been released because county officials are reviewing it.
Since the incident, Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas says it has changed its procedures, including adding pet CPR and first-aid training and implementing additional emergency response protocols.
Pinellas Animal Services said the case has been closed since April and that the agency has not reopened its investigation.
But Rilee’s death has also sparked a larger conversation about the pet grooming industry in Florida.
Animal advocate Elizabeth Olson, founder of the Rescue Pink Animal Justice Task Force, says Florida does not currently require pet groomers to have emergency medical training to become groomers. She is now exploring proposed legislation called Rilee’s Law, which could address that gap. The effort is still in its early stages, and Olson has launched a survey to gather feedback and gauge support.
Pet groomer Jennifer Harmon, who has 46 years of experience in the industry, supports requiring emergency training. She thinks there should be requirements such as CPR training along with an emergency protocol that all staff should be aware of and ready to enact.
Rubenstein too believes there needs to be broader oversight of the industry. “I think there needs to be some sort of governing body that regulates them, that oversees them,” he said.
Rubenstein now has another Great Pyrenees, Sophie, and says he takes extra precautions when she is groomed, including staying with her and helping with the process.
Rilee’s death cannot be undone, but her family hopes her story can lead to greater protections for other dogs.
Should pet grooming businesses be subject to mandatory emergency training and some form of regulatory oversight?
Sources: Yahoo News, Fox13
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