BOYNTON BEACH, FL — A Boynton Beach resident has filed a civil lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court against a local dog grooming business, alleging an employee cut her dog's ear during a March appointment and did not disclose the injury when the pet was returned.
The complaint, Rene Palmer v. The Grateful Dog, LLC, Case No. 502026CA007434XXXAMB, was filed July 2, 2026, in the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County. Court records show the case was assigned to Division AH. The plaintiff is represented by attorney Byron Acosta of the Law Office of Byron Acosta, P.A., in West Palm Beach.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff had been taking her dog Brooklyn, referred to in the filing as "Binky," to The Grateful Dog's location at 8788 W. Boynton Beach Boulevard for approximately six months before the incident. The filing states the plaintiff dropped Binky off for grooming on March 21, 2026.
During that grooming session, the lawsuit alleges, an employee of The Grateful Dog cut Binky's ear. The complaint claims the employee did not disclose the cut to the plaintiff when she picked her dog up from the appointment.
The complaint states that on April 6, 2026, the plaintiff's husband discovered a piece of Binky's ear underneath a bed at their home. The lawsuit alleges the couple then took Binky to Fidelity Animal Hospital for examination. According to the complaint, the examining veterinarian determined that half of Binky's ear had fallen off as a result of the cut and expressed the view that the ear had been hanging on when Binky left the grooming business before later detaching at home.
The filing further alleges that on June 16, 2026, Binky underwent a tracheal stent placement procedure after her airway collapsed due to stress the complaint attributes to the incident. The lawsuit also claims Binky must now take seven different medications for the remainder of her life.
The lawsuit brings five counts against The Grateful Dog: negligence, gross negligence, violation of Florida Statute Section 828.12, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and damage to property. Under Florida law, pets are treated as personal property.
The negligence count alleges the business owed a duty to groom Binky with reasonable care and breached that duty by cutting the dog and by failing to disclose the injury to the plaintiff. The gross negligence count invokes Florida Statute Section 768.72, alleging conduct the complaint characterizes as reckless or wanting in care, and seeks punitive damages. The third count cites Florida's animal cruelty statute, which prohibits unnecessary or intentional mutilation of an animal.
The intentional infliction of emotional distress count alleges the plaintiff has experienced severe, ongoing distress from witnessing her dog in pain and permanently disfigured. The damage to property count seeks compensation for what the filing describes as diminished value of the pet under Florida property law.
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000, the jurisdictional threshold for Florida circuit court, along with veterinary and procedure costs, interest, attorney's fees, punitive damages, and other relief the court deems just and proper. The plaintiff has demanded a jury trial on all triable issues.
The filing reviewed by Boca Post does not include a response from the defendant. The claims are allegations and have not been proven in court.
Boca Post reviewed the complaint, Rene Palmer v. The Grateful Dog, LLC, Case No. 502026CA007434XXXAMB, filed July 2, 2026, in the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County. The case is newly filed, and no response from the defendant appears in the reviewed record.
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