CLAIM: HALF OF DOG’S EAR “FELL OFF.”
BOYNTON BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Boynton Beach resident Rene Palmer is suing a local dog grooming business, alleging that an employee badly cut her dog’s ear during a routine grooming appointment in March 2024 and then concealed the injury when she picked up the pet. The lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County alleges the groomer in Canyon Town Center operated with gross negligence that left the dog, Binky, permanently disfigured and suffering from serious ongoing health complications.
According to the complaint reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com and published below, the woman had taken Binky to “The Grateful Dog” near Lyons and Boynton Beach Boulevard for a six-month appointment. During the grooming session, an employee cut the dog’s ear so severely that half of it fell off, but the employee never told the owner about the injury. The woman discovered the wound a few days later when she found a piece of Binky’s ear underneath her bed.
What followed — according to the suit — was a need for emergency veterinary care. Binky’s airway collapsed from the trauma and stress, requiring emergency surgery at a local animal hospital. The dog needed a tracheal stent placed and has been prescribed seven different medications for ongoing treatment. The woman’s lawsuit alleges the groomer failed to disclose the nature and extent of the injury, breached its duty of reasonable care, and caused both the physical harm and severe emotional distress to the dog’s owner.
The lawsuit seeks damages for veterinary costs, the groomer’s negligence and gross negligence, violation of Florida’s animal cruelty statute, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and damage to personal property. The case is pending in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. We note that a civil lawsuit is merely an accusation. The Grateful Dog’s team has not filed a response to the suit as of Thursday afternoon.
