New Mexico dog groomer faces animal cruelty charges
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – Another dog groomer in New Mexico has been charged with animal cruelty; Sheila Baca, a groomer at Pet Paradise near 528 and Northern, was arrested after allegedly hitting a dog she was grooming.
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Police were initially called by Baca herself, who claimed her manager had elbowed her in the face. However, upon reviewing security footage, officers found no evidence of the manager’s alleged assault. Instead, the video revealed Baca striking a Husky she was grooming. Following this discovery, Baca’s manager terminated her employment.
In addition to the alleged abuse, police noted that the dog was not properly secured to the grooming table, causing it to fall off repeatedly.
This incident is not Baca’s first brush with the law concerning animal treatment. Court records indicate she was charged twice before, in 2019 in Bernalillo County and 2022 in Valencia County, for failing to care for her dogs. Both previous cases were dismissed pending further investigation.
This comes just a few months after a Santa Fe dog groomer, Onan Sanchez, was charged with animal cruelty, accused of beating several dogs in his care. His case is still pending.
Pet Paradise sent this statement:
As pet owners ourselves, we are devastated that this incident occurred. Pets are precious family members, and their safety has been our top priority for more than 20 years.
As soon as this incident was reported by one of our staff members, we terminated the employee responsible. We are also fully cooperating with the local police department.
Kristen Majdanics, VP, Marketing and Communications
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