‘I Obviously Lost It’: A Florida Man Dropped His Dog off at a Groomer, but Came Back to Find Her Dead, and the Groomer Was Fined Just $148
"I think there needs to be some sort of governing body."
A 10-year-old Great Pyrenees died during a grooming appointment in Florida, and the business responsible was fined just $148. According to Daily Mail, Neil Rubenstein had dropped off his dog, Rilee, at Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas in October 2025. Less than an hour later, he received a phone call telling him something had gone wrong. Rubenstein rushed to the groomer and found Rilee lying unresponsive on the table.
“Rilee was laying on her side on the grooming table with her tongue out, and she had already expired. So, I obviously lost it,” Rubenstein said. Rubenstein pulled surveillance footage from the store afterward and consulted a veterinarian, who believed the restraint around Rilee’s neck had been too tight. He said the footage appeared to show no attempt made to resuscitate her or provide first aid.
No necropsy has been conducted, so Rilee’s official cause of death has not been independently confirmed. Pinellas Animal Services still cited Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas for neglect and failing to provide humane care, and the business pleaded no contest, resulting in the $148 fine.
The fine ended up smaller than a routine grooming bill
Rilee’s death has now sparked a push for tougher rules governing pet groomers in Florida, with Rubenstein joining animal advocates in the effort. Elizabeth Olson, founder of the Animal Justice Task Force, said the state currently has no statewide licensing requirements for pet groomers and no requirement for them to receive emergency training.
Olson is pushing what’s being called “Rilee’s Law,” which would require groomers to undergo basic emergency training, though the proposal is still in its early stages. Jennifer Harmon, a longtime groomer who owns Pet Styles By Jennifer, said she supports the idea. “I think there should be requirements. I think there should be CPR training. There should be an emergency protocol that all staff should be aware of and be ready to enact,” she said.
Rubenstein agreed, adding: “I think there needs to be some sort of governing body that regulates them, that oversees them.” The small fine reflects a gap between what actually happened and what Florida law allows for. Under Florida Statute 828.12, animal cruelty involving neglect can be charged as a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to a $5,000 fine, and cases resulting in an animal’s cruel death can rise to a third-degree felony with penalties up to $10,000 and possible prison time.
The $148 penalty here came from a local county citation rather than a charge under that state statute, which is part of why the outcome landed so far below what state law technically permits. Daily Mail reached out to Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas for comment.
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