Nicola Peltz Beckham sues dog groomer for ‘malicious abuse’ after chihuahua’s death

Actor, who is married to Brooklyn Beckham, announced dog’s death on Instagram in June

Nicola Peltz Beckham has taken legal action against a dog groomer after the death of her chihuahua, Nala.

The 29-year-old actor, who is married to Brooklyn Beckham, filed a lawsuit against New York dog grooming company HoundSpa LLC on Tuesday, July 30, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Westchester County. According to the filing, obtained by People, Peltz Beckham claimed that Nala’s death was caused by groomer Jony Ceballos’ alleged “intentional and malicious abuse of dogs.”

The model also took action against HoundSpa owner Deborah “Deb” Gittleman for “reckless and malicious conduct,” after keeping Ceballos on staff despite an alleged “history of complaints” about his behavior toward animals.

In June, Peltz Beckham shared on Instagram that Nala suffered a medical emergency after visiting an unnamed groomer. She wrote in a post that the chihuahua was “perfectly healthy” but came back from the dog groomer “hyperventilating” and “couldn’t catch her breath,” before being rushed to an emergency vet where she died.

In the lawsuit, she claimed that Nala “passed away a mere two hours” after being groomed by Ceballos in a mobile van outside Peltz Beckham’s home on June 15 due to her “injuries and severe condition.”

The emergency vet reportedly observed that the chihuahua had “fluid in her lungs” and “suffered neurological damage.” The filing also detailed the “emotional distress” Peltz Beckham has allegedly experienced since witnessing Nala’s death.

“This case is about holding responsible those who abuse animals in their care and shedding light on the lack of protections for pet owners and their beloved dogs and pets,” the lawsuit read.

The Independent has contacted HoundSpa LLC for comment.

In a statement shared to People, the Lola star admitted she was “still in so much shock and pain” over the sudden death of her chihuahua. “I posted the experience on my Instagram to bring awareness, and was heartbroken to hear the horrifying stories from so many others who have experienced the same tragedy. I can’t bear it. I’m outraged to hear how common stories like Nala’s are,” she told the outlet.

“We need to do better and change the laws to better protect pets and the loving owners who care for them. Our pets are our chosen family,” Peltz Beckham continued. “I’ve dedicated most of my life to saving dogs and I can’t in good conscience let this horrifying act happen to more families. I will work for changes and laws to help make sure no one else ever has to experience this heartbreak.”

Last month, Peltz Beckham shared photos of Nala to Instagram as she detailed her “heartbreak” over the chihuahua’s death. “She was my beautiful queen and stayed by my side for nine years through everything,” she wrote in the caption. “Please be careful who you send your dogs to because you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.”

She also described herself as a “dog activist” in her Instagram bio.

This isn’t the first time Peltz Beckham has been involved in a legal battle. In February 2023, her father, billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, sued wedding planning firm Plan Design Events (PDE) following his daughter’s lavish $3m wedding in April 2022. He accused the company, run by Nicole Braghin and Arianna Grijalba, of failing to return a $159,000 deposit and not being able to handle the expectations of the VIP guestlist.

The wedding planners countersued, describing Nelson as a “billionaire bully” and were critical of the family for putting them through “wedding planning hell,” having hired them six weeks before the wedding.

The dispute was settled out of court in September 2023 for an undisclosed amount.