LARGO, Fla. — A routine grooming appointment for a 10-year-old Great Pyrenees ended in tragedy last year after the dog died while at a Largo grooming business, leading to a neglect citation and a continuing dispute over what happened inside the facility.
Neil Rubenstein brought his dog, Rilee, to Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas on Oct. 18, 2025, expecting a routine grooming visit.
According to Rubenstein, he returned less than an hour after dropping Rilee off and found her unresponsive on the grooming table.
The dog’s death led Pinellas Animal Services to cite the grooming business for “Neglect — failure to provide humane care.”
Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas later pleaded no contest to the charge. The business was adjudicated guilty and ordered to pay a $148 fine.
However, the business owner says the citation does not reflect what she believes actually happened to Rilee.
Grooming Business Maintains Its Innocence
Suzanne Obarr, owner of Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas, said the business maintains its innocence and believes factors related to Rilee’s health may have played a role in her death.
Obarr said Rilee was severely overweight and was also an older dog. She believes those factors could have contributed to a heart attack or another sudden medical emergency.
According to Obarr, the groomers attempted to comfort Rilee as her condition deteriorated.
“We did not perform CPR because she was still breathing. And it happened so fast and it’s tragic. But our groomers did everything they could to ease her and comfort her,” Obarr said.
The business owner also said surveillance footage exists showing Rilee’s time inside the facility. Obarr said the business has not released the video because county officials are reviewing the footage.
The footage has become an important point of disagreement as Rilee’s owner continues to question the circumstances surrounding the dog’s final moments.
Owner Questions Harness Used During Grooming
Rubenstein has raised concerns about the neck harness used on Rilee during the grooming appointment, saying he believes it may have been too tight.
He described the moment he discovered his dog on the grooming table as devastating.
“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.
The conflicting accounts have left questions about exactly what happened before Rilee died. Pinellas Animal Services said the case has been closed since April, and agency officials said they have not reopened the investigation.
At the same time, there is no definitive medical explanation for Rilee’s death.
Cause of Rilee’s Death Remains Unclear
One of the biggest unanswered questions is what actually caused Rilee to die.
No necropsy was performed after the dog’s death, meaning there is no definitive post-mortem determination establishing the cause.
That leaves the circumstances open to competing explanations.
The grooming business believes Rilee’s age and weight may have contributed to a sudden medical event, while her owner has raised concerns about the grooming equipment used during the appointment.
With no definitive cause of death established, the dispute continues to center on what happened during the short period Rilee was at the facility.
Grooming Procedures Changed After Dog’s Death
Despite maintaining that the business did nothing wrong, Obarr said Fluffy Puppies of Pinellas has reviewed its procedures and made changes since Rilee’s death.
Those changes include adding pet CPR and first-aid training for staff, along with additional emergency response procedures.
The goal, according to the business, is to make sure employees are better prepared if another animal experiences a medical emergency during grooming.
The case has also sparked a broader discussion about whether pet groomers in Florida should be required to receive emergency medical training.
‘Rilee’s Law’ Could Push for Grooming Changes
Elizabeth Olson, founder of the Animal Justice Task Force, says Florida currently does not require pet groomers to complete emergency medical training as part of becoming a pet groomer.
Olson wants to address what she considers a gap in the industry’s safety standards through proposed legislation known as “Rilee’s Law.”
The proposed effort is still in its early planning stages. The group has created a survey to collect public feedback and gauge interest in what potential legislation could include.
For Rilee’s owner and animal advocates, the case has become about more than one dog’s death. It has raised questions about pet safety, emergency preparedness and oversight within Florida’s grooming industry.
As officials keep the existing case closed and the cause of Rilee’s death remains uncertain, the push for possible new grooming requirements could bring further attention to what happened inside that Largo business.
What do you think about the proposed changes to Florida’s pet grooming rules? Share your thoughts in the comments.