Happy Paw under fire over alleged dog grooming mistreatment in Pasay

The video depicted a staff member aggressively brushing a dog, which was wearing a muzzle and appeared to be struggling. The Threads user said he simply passed by the Newport City store but managed to contact the dog’s owner.

Happy Paw said it was investigating the incident captured in the video. The shop issued a statement on September 23 in the comments section of a post that has since been deleted. The statement was reuploaded in a separate post on September 24

“We have personally reached out to Gafu’s owner to check on him and make sure he is doing well following the grooming session. We are also speaking directly with our groomer to understand what happened and to review whether our proper handling and grooming procedures were followed,” Happy Paw said.

The shop also said the dog was undergoing dematting in the video. However, according to veterinary website PetMD, matted fur cannot be combed out—as shown in the video—since aggressive brushing may injure and traumatize the pet. The site advised that matted hair must either be shaved completely or treated with specific serums and tools.

“Our priority is always the pet’s safety and comfort. If anything could have been handled better, we will address it accordingly,” Happy Paw added.

The staff member involved also allegedly sent threats to the uploader of the video, demanding that the video be taken down and threatening to file a case with local police. The screenshot of the conversation with the alleged staff has since been deleted by the Threads user.

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