Nicola Peltz Beckham has accused the groomers who allegedly killed her beloved chihuahua of potentially harming ‘several’ other pets – as she demands the business hand over its client records.
In court documents filed last week and obtained by the Daily Mail, the actress, 30, seeks to uncover whether her pooch Nala’s death is part of a wider pattern of abuse by Westchester-based HoundSpa, who she claims is now refusing to provide its customer list.
Lawyers for Peltz say both parties are now at an ‘impasse’ after the company has failed to comply with her initial request and their meeting to resolve the matter outside of court in October.
Nicola, who is married to British-born Brooklyn Beckham, 26, filed her original lawsuit against HoundSpa, its owner Deborah Gittleman, and dog groomer Jonny Ceballos in 2024.
The Bates Motel star claimed that ‘healthy, happy dog’ Nala returned from a session at the mobile dog groomers in ‘severe physical distress’ and died hours later.
Veterinary records revealed the eight-year-old dog suffered from fluid in her lungs, neurological issues and a dangerously rapid heart rate before her untimely death.
Nicola was left in distress over the incident and claims Nala’s death was due to ‘intentional and malicious abuse’.
In the new filing, Nicola’s lawyers Alicia Talbe and Daniella Vincent said that HoundSpa is refusing to hand over the customer list, claiming that the demand is too broad.
‘Several other HoundSpa customers have reported that their dogs, like Plaintiff’s dog, were injured by defendants,’ the documents state.
‘Plaintiff, therefore, has a good faith basis to believe that HoundSpa’s customer list includes other customers, who are yet to be identified and whose dogs were similarly injured.
‘The customer list could lead to the discovery of other individuals whose dogs were injured by defendants, which is relevant to plaintiff’s claims regarding defendants’ intent and knowledge.’
The filing states that after a conference between lawyers on November 18th, the parties were ‘at an impasse’ and so asked the judge to resolve it.
The document does not mention any customers by name, however HoundSpa has mixed Google reviews with some customers complaining about poor treatment of their animals.
Overall the company has a three star rating out of five.
In a review from seven months ago, Lauren Krasne gave the company one star out of five and wrote: ‘Hound Spa was by far the worst grooming job my dogs have ever gotten.
‘My younger dog came back to me with cuts from the razor on her chest and stomach and the groomer did not say anything about it. Do not put your dogs in a dangerous situation and use them’.
Carmen Santos also gave one star and wrote an even more scathing review, which was liked by 37 people.
She wrote: ‘DO NOT USE HOUND SPA if you love your animals’.
Santos said she got her German Shepherd and Shiba / Husky mix groomed by Ceballos but got a ‘bad vibe’ because he ‘wasn’t friendly’.
When Santos tried to speak to Gittleman she would ‘brush over’ her concerns, Santos claimed.
Another woman called Gigi Perry gave one star in her review and said she had a ‘horrible experience’ with HoundSpa.
She claimed her dog had been left ‘traumatized’ and that after every grooming her dog got diarrhea from stress.
Perry wrote: ‘This absolute last visit… Jonny came in the home, mishandled the puppy (in front of several witnesses) in such a horrific manner the pup peed as he grabbed them!
‘LAST TIME. NEVER AGAIN!’
HoundSpa’s website touts its mobile dog grooming service which is ‘crate free / stress free’ way to groom your pet where the animal never leaves their home.
But even its Facebook page – where it posts pictures of groomed dogs – has been marked by comments from Nicola’s supporters.
Next to a picture of a woman standing outside the grooming van one user wrote: ‘Need cameras inside the van. Rip Nala’.
Gittleman’s lawyer Tony Siano said in an email: ‘My client and I will conduct this litigation in court, not by social media posts’.
He dismissed the filing as just an ‘argument’ from Nicola’s side.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Ceballos’ lawyer and a representative for Nicola for comment.
