Miami-Dade Dog Dies at Grooming Business; Cause Remains Unclear

Brandon Rivero discovered his 5-year-old Chinese Shar Pei, Ringo, dead on a grooming table after dropping the dog off for routine nail trimming and bathing on July 3 in Miami-Dade County. Rivero had left two other dogs, Prince and Diva, at the same establishment and informed staff that Ringo was nervous and reactive, requesting they contact him immediately if problems arose. He assisted the groomer in securing a tight leather muzzle on the 50-pound dog before departing.

Within 30 minutes, the grooming business called Rivero to report the dog was dying and demanded he arrive immediately. When Rivero urged them to contact a veterinarian, the groomer declined and again insisted he come at once, then hung up the phone. Rivero found Ringo dead, wrapped in blankets on the grooming table, and contacted police.

A Miami Springs police report documented the death as occurring “by unknown causes” during the grooming process. According to Miami-Dade Animal Services’ investigation, the groomer stated that Ringo collapsed suddenly while being bathed after resisting during nail trimming. The groomer’s legal representative claimed the dog suffered a cardiac event with no evidence of mistreatment.

Rivero paid for an independent necropsy performed by a board-certified veterinary pathologist. The four-page report attributed death to cardiac arrest but noted the underlying mechanism remained unclear, citing possible hemorrhage from the muzzle and pre-existing heart disease without reaching definitive conclusions. Rivero stated Ringo was a healthy dog and that only four nails had been trimmed, with one showing blood.