Dog Groomer Accused of Hitting & Pulling Hair of Pets Under His Care

A South Florida dog grooming business owner has been caught on video abusing the pets under his care.

Plinio Roberto de Camargo Jr., 47, the co-owner of American Dog Pet Grooming in Boca Raton, supposedly hit dogs and heartlessly pulled their hair.

De Camargo’s animal abuse was exposed after an employee tipped off the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and caught de Camargo in the act in five videos.

“De Camargo intentionally tormented two dogs in his care by punching and striking the dogs multiple times, while pulling the dogs hair in a cruel and inhumane manner,” detectives wrote in their report after investigating the incident.

The employee testified, “My boss abuses dogs on a daily basis by hitting them with his hand, a brush, a nail file, clipper or other grooming items. I believe he does it out of frustration at the dogs when they misbehave and he hits them so they will stop moving.”

One of the videos shows him striking a small tan dog twice before the dog yelps and cries in pain from being hit.

The other videos capture him pulling or twisting the hair of dogs, even picking one dog up by the hair.

The employee identified the man in the video as De Camargo.

There was a previous tip to the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control that a dog was abused at the business and later died at the vet, but investigators lacked enough evidence to keep the probe open.

Authorities were told the co-owner would cover up their partner’s alleged abuse by telling the owners of hurt dogs their pets “had a difficult time being groomed” and they should take them to the vet.

De Camargo pled not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. He could face up to a year in jail if convicted.