WARNING: Videos contained in this story are graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.
“The video was sent to me by a friend so I didn’t even know there was a video out there," says Brieanna Leal, dog owner.
Leal has been taking her pomeranian-poodle mix, named Lulu, to Critter Corral Pet Grooming since March of 2021.
“I would never have ever taken my dog somewhere where she would be unsafe. So yeah, that’s very disturbing," says Leal.
Former employees of the business shared videos with ABC15 last week, claiming the owner has been mistreating animals.
Leal says she received a text message from the owner at that time, saying: "I had an ex-employee try to threaten and then blast me with an old video where I was burnt out and got upset with a dog while grooming it."
“I just feel, more so, she was trying to cover her tracks and her image instead of, more so, being empathetic and apologetic to what she has done," says Leal.
Leal reached out to ABC15 today thinking her dog was the one in the video being slammed on a table.
“Immediately just text her, asking her: 'is this my dog?' and she didn’t respond at all," says Leal.
ABC15 contacted the employee who recorded the owner’s actions. She says Lulu was not one of the dogs in the videos and has already reached out to those impacted. Leal is relieved but still has concerns.
“She would be very quiet for hours and then she wouldn’t eat for days afterwards. There’s been times when I found her downstairs like hiding in the corner shaking," says Leal.
ABC15 is not naming the owner of Critter Corral Pet Grooming because no criminal charges have been filed. For now, Leal is focused on giving Lulu as much love as possible.
“I'm going to proceed with, you know, making sure that she does not do this to anybody else’s animal ever again," says Leal.
Phoenix police confirmed last week that they were looking into at least one report of mistreatment. The Arizona Humane Society says they had received reports made against the business as well. ABC15 has since followed up with both but has not heard back.
ABC15 also received an email last Thursday from someone claiming to be the owner of Critter Corral Pet Grooming, stating: "I already have the shop closed down as me and the other girls who work there are absolutely terrified and all of us at the shop are being put into a dangerous situation and receiving death threats.”
