They Took Their Dog To An NJ Groomer. She Was Dead Within 2 Hours

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County family is demanding answers after their five-year-old bulldog died at a pet grooming business this week.

Brittany Mignone’s bulldog, Margaret, was taken to Big Moose Grooming in Pequannock on Tuesday. About an hour and a half later, Mignone got the phone call that Margaret had died under the groomer’s care.

“My dog was healthy when she went in there,” Mignone told Patch. “I can’t even believe it.”

Mignone said she was told that Margaret was in a cage after her bath, and when the groomer returned with nail clippers after a brief moment, Margaret wasn’t breathing.

After attempting CPR on Margaret for 15 minutes, Big Moose Grooming employees called Mignone to tell her the news, she says. She added that Big Moose Grooming did not call an animal hospital, or Margaret’s veterinarian's office, which was “a mile up the road.”

Mignone said she asked Big Moose Grooming if they would pay for an autopsy of Margaret to find out what really happened, and did not receive a response.

Instead, Mignone and her family turned to the community for financial help with the $1,800 procedure, launching a GoFundMe.

The money for Margaret’s autopsy was raised in less than 24 hours.

“I am forever grateful… When we posted this, and everybody came together… I felt such love for my community. I felt that people really cared about Margaret,” Mignone said. “We don’t want this to happen to another dog, we don’t want this to happen to someone else’s family. If anyone has ever had a dog, they know that these are like your children… The community, like never before, was unified over my baby.”

Mignone suspects that Margaret may have been dried by forced air, which can be hazardous to bulldogs’ respiratory systems. However, it won’t be clear what happened to her until the autopsy results come in over the coming days. She added she's spoken with police and is considering litigation.

Patch has reached out to Big Moose Grooming for comment, but has not received a response.

However, the day after Margaret died, Big Moose Grooming owner Joy LaScala published the following statement on social media:

"My name is Joy LaScala and I am the owner of Big Moose Grooming. Yesterday we had a tragic event happen at our shop; without question the most horrific thing that has happened in our 30+ years in business. Yesterday we lost one of our beloved furry clients, a 5 year old bull dog named Margaret. We've known Margaret since she was just a puppy and while we love all our dogs Margaret was always a stand out. We are heartbroken and we are devastated. Nothing could prepare us for a nightmare such as this. Our love of dogs led us to making this work our life's passion. We are a small business that has grown in the same location for over 30 years solely on our reputation for care and concern of dogs. The comfort care and concern of our furry clients is and has always been our number one priority and will always be our North Star. Our grief and pain over the loss of Margarete cannot be understated and we share that grief with Margaret's owners."