A North Carolina pet groomer was arrested Thursday after graphic video surfaced showing her abusing multiple dogs during grooming sessions, authorities confirmed.
Kirsten Rhea Taylor, 28, was charged with four felony counts of animal cruelty following a probe by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A Mooresville pet grooming business is under investigation after videos surfaced online showing an employee at Classy Critters Pet Resort and Spa aggressively handling dogs.https://t.co/p9rHcBLBis pic.twitter.com/Klpg7Eu8Li
— Rusty Sun Compass (@sun_iscompass) July 25, 2025
Caught on Camera at “Classy Critters”
Taylor was identified as the employee in several disturbing videos recorded at Classy Critters, a grooming facility in Mooresville, NC.
The footage — secretly filmed by a concerned co-worker and posted to Facebook — showed Taylor:
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Punching a dog repeatedly
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Slamming a cowering pup against a wall
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Aggressively mishandling multiple client pets
Police say at least four separate dogs were shown being mistreated under Taylor’s care.
Sheriff: “We Take This Seriously”
The case was escalated to the Sheriff’s Office due to the severity of the allegations.
“We will always take allegations of animal abuse seriously and will hold offenders accountable,” said Sheriff Darren Campbell.
“This case highlights the critical importance of coordinated responses in matters involving animal cruelty.”
No Longer Employed, $10K Bail Set
The owner of Classy Critters has confirmed that Taylor no longer works at the facility, according to Local 3 News.
Taylor was booked Thursday, and her bail has been set at $10,000.
Authorities have not released the condition of the dogs seen in the video, but the investigation is ongoing.
