Pet Groomer Charged Over Death Of Pomeranian Pet Prince
Police have charged a pet groomer with mishandling Prince, a pet Pomeranian, in a manner that led to its death.
Alejandro José Molina Becerra, as well as his employer Soren Nygaard Anderson, were today charged with mishandling the pet, and are pleading not guilty, Times of Malta reported.
The courts heard that in September 2023, Keith and Nadia Caruana took their pet, Prince, to Petland for a grooming service, where he tragically passed away during the appointment.
An Animal Welfare investigation detailed CCTV footage showing the groomer placing Prince on a table with a tight noose around its neck.
While the dog was suspended by the noose, the groomer frequently turned his back, staying on his phone with headphones on.
The footage allegedly shows the groomer grabbing Prince by the ears, lifting him by the head, pushing him around, pulling his tail, roughly combing his fur, and blowing a hairdryer directly into his face.
According to the report, Prince displayed clear signs of distress, including difficulty breathing, gasping for air, excessive panting, occasional tongue discolouration, vomiting, lethargy, and visible attempts to free itself from the noose. Despite these symptoms, the groomer remained oblivious to the dog’s struggle.
After over an hour, the groomer placed Prince—still struggling to breathe—into a crate. The dog later walked out of the crate, collapsed, and hyperventilated. Around 15 minutes later, the shop called a vet, but by the time the vet arrived, Prince had succumbed to his injuries.
An autopsy report concluded that Prince died from internal bleeding while being examined by the vet.
The owner of Petland, through their lawyer, told Times of Malta that they had taken every possible measure to prevent such incidents.
Inspector Doriette Cuschieri is leading the prosecution. Defence lawyers Chris Vella and Maria Sarah Vella Gafà are representing the accused, while lawyers Jason Grima and Kirsty Muscat are acting as parte civile for Keith and Nadia Caruana.