A shocking video allegedly showing a dog groomer hitting a client’s defenseless puppy during a grooming session has raised concerns among other pet owners whose animals died under her care.

The alarming footage, taken at Glamour Grooming and Boarding in Memphis, seems to capture owner Belinda Fisher-Hale striking a small terrier mix on the head as it was secured to a grooming table in June 2024.

The video surfaced online last week after being shared by a former student from Fisher-Hale’s training school, Glamour Grooming Elite Academy. Although it was removed after alleged threats, it had already gone viral.

This clip has led to a Memphis Police investigation, as reported by Action News 5, and The Daily Mail has uncovered more troubling allegations from grieving customers and past employees. Fisher-Hale refutes the accusations.

Miesha Tolbert, the dog’s owner, was devastated to see her dog Dior in the viral footage, noting the little dog was only six months old back then.

‘When I saw the video, I immediately recognized my dog. It was heartbreaking to see her mistreated. She is such a sweet animal,’ Tolbert shared with the Daily Mail.

‘I am sad for Dior, that she went through that. Why would anyone do that? Punch a dog….and she was restrained. Dior wouldn’t hurt anyone.

‘I want to see justice for Dior and for all the dogs who were harmed.’

A heartbreaking video showing helpless puppy Dior being callously smacked by a groomer during a June 2024 appointment at Glamour Grooming and Boarding in Memphis has sparked an investigation into abuse claims after it surfaced online last week 

While Belinda Fisher-Hale claims in a video to be an expert dog groomer, she is accused of mistreating pets while grooming them. 

Tolbert, who owns a beauty salon in Memphis, said she reported the incident to police, seeking to press charges but was told her case was past the one-year statute of limitations. 

She shared photos with Daily Mail and assured all those concerned that Dior is now safe, happy, and healthy. 

But some previous clients who are now speaking out against the pet groomer have claimed they suffered worse outcomes. 

Former customer Jastini Buckner told Daily Mail she’s been fighting for justice for her beloved teacup Chihuahua-Yorkie mix Jax ever since he died during a grooming appointment last year. 

The mother-of-two had dropped off her emotional support dog at Glamour Grooming only to later receive a phone call from Fisher-Hale telling her Jax was dead. 

‘I was thinking she was going to say, your dog is ready for pick up, but she just paused on the phone. She was like, “your dog is dead”.

‘I just started crying. My ten-year-old daughter was crying with me. It was terrible,’ Buckner said. 

‘Belinda told me my dog had jumped out of the bath tub and hit his head on the floor and died. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Dior’s owner Miesha Tolbert said she was shocked to see her tiny terrier mix in the shocking video and revealed the pup was only six months old at the time 

She revealed Dior is healthy and doing fine a year later, but says she’s committed to getting justice for her beloved pup and the other pets allegedly harmed by the groomer 

‘Jax was a teacup Chorkie, I just knew he didn’t jump out of the tub.’

Buckner said she began to speculate that perhaps Jax had possibly bitten Fisher-Hale out of fear and that something went wrong – but the groomer insisted the dog’s death was a result of a freak accident.

She recalled his eyes being ‘wide open’ and his neck looking like it ‘was stretched’, when she went to recover Jax’s body.

Buckner said she was also shocked at Fisher-Hale’s allegedly nonchalant reaction and offer to hold a funeral and burial for Jax at the salon.

‘She was just so uncompassionate, like she just did not care. She said he just jumped out of the tub, and hit his head right here and he bled and he died.’

It wasn’t until two months later that Buckner says she learned the truth from two former employees who revealed Jax had indeed bitten Fisher-Hale, who then allegedly hit the dog on the head with grooming shears ‘to discipline him’, but struck him ‘too hard.’ 

The ex-employees made the shocking admission in an October 20, 2024 text message to Buckner seen by Daily Mail, that said: ‘Jax didn’t jump out of the grooming tub. His matts were being combed/shaved and he bit her and in retaliation she hit him in the head with her grooming scissors.’

They went on to claim that Fisher-Hale then ‘panicked’ and began to clean and hide things, and in the process, ‘wrung Jax’s body out to stop bleeding and left him in the sink like a rag doll’. 

Jastini Buckner’s beloved teacup Chihuahua-Yorkie mix Jax (pictured) died during a grooming appointment last year. She said the groomer told her the dog’s death was a result of a freak accident, but she later learned Jax died after Fisher-Hale allegedly hit him ‘too hard’ with grooming shears 

Animal activists have now launched a petition to close down Glamour Grooming and Boarding in Memphis 

‘Then she set up her scene then called you,’ they said apologizing and offering their condolences.

Buckner said had she known the truth at the time she would have reported it to police.

‘She really had me convinced it was some sort of freak accident,’ she said. ‘Once I talked to enough people, I knew she killed him.’

One first-time customer, Julisa Sa’mone said her Yorkie, Dy’son, bled to death during a grooming session in July 2021 after Fisher-Hale allegedly nicked his nose with a razor.

She had dropped off her three dogs at the facility only to later receive a phone call from the groomer notifying her about an emergency. She then arrived to learn Dy’son had died. 

Fisher-Hale allegedly told Sa’mone that Dy’son had died from a ruptured artery after she clipped his nose.

She said she had put him under cold water to stop the bleeding, and claimed he died from the shock of the cold water.

A photo of Dy’son shows him with a small pool of blood near his head. 

Another customer Julisa Sa’mone said her Yorkie, Dy’son, bled to death during a grooming session in July 2021 

She shared a heartbreaking photo of her dog’s lifeless body lying in a small pool of blood after his nose was nicked by a razor and he bled out 

‘I don’t have any children so my fur babies are my babies. I also had two other dogs there getting groomed at the time as well. Now I feel like my baby sacrificed himself for them,’ Sa’mone said. 

‘I pray that Belinda is held accountable. I genuinely thought it was a mistake. I was so hurt and I was blaming myself because I had taken him somewhere new.’

Another former customer Nicole Moss also came forward, sharing a video of her Yorkie thrashing aggressively while restrained on a grooming table. 

Moss claimed Fisher-Hale sent her the clip after she contacted her asking why the appointment had run for eight hours, insinuating it was her dog that was to blame. 

Moss said she rushed to retrieve her pup, who came home with marks on his stomach, and never went back. 

Former staff and grooming professionals have described what appears to be a disturbing pattern of cruel practices at the pet groomer.

An ex-student at Glamour’s training facility claimed ‘dirty tools were used on open wounds’ and that dogs were stuck in cages together, among other allegations.  

Daily Mail has obtained additional photos of other clients’ dogs being improperly restrained on the grooming table 

One dog’s restraints appeared to be so tight its eye was red and bulging out. Another was seen with what appeared to be painful razor burns from overheated blades

Photos obtained by Daily Mail show dogs restrained so tightly their eyes are bulging out, with others bearing painful razor burns from overheated blades.

‘Their blood vessel is popping. That’s how tight she has that noose around his neck,’ explained veteran groomer Chrissie Long, who has continued to re-share the viral video to raise awareness. 

‘They can’t even move their body. This woman is a monster,’ the animal activist added.

Last weekend, fellow dog groomer Khory Levier of Arlington led a protest outside Grooming and Boarding and has even started a petition calling for its immediate closure.

‘A dog should never die in your care,’ Levier said. 

‘This is happening way too often across the country. Not all of us are like that. This industry is not regulated. You do not need a license. You don’t need a certificate. You can literally watch videos on You Tube and call yourself a groomer.’

Fisher-Hale denies any wrongdoing. She told the local Fox affiliate the mishandling of the pup in the viral video was done by an employee who was let go from her business.

‘There is no animal abuse going on around here. I had another stylist, another groomer that was working here and I fired her,’ she said. 

‘I’ve been doing this 18 years, and I love animals. There’s no way I would abuse a dog.’

Fisher-Hale’s grooming training school was created with government funds, however, its contract was terminated last year after she reportedly failed to pay the students their apprenticeship fee of $150/week. 

Glamour Grooming Elite Academy opened its doors in Memphis in 2023, with the city’s chief of police and district attorney even attending its grand opening celebration.

The school was also awarded an additional $100,000 for its ‘community contributions’, but Shelby County Commissioner Britney Thorton announced the funds have since been suspended amid abuse allegations.

A Change.org petition calling for the immediate closure of Glamour Grooming and Boarding, and criminal charges against Belinda Fisher-Hale has already garnered nearly 1,000 signatures. 

Daily Mail reached out to Belinda Fisher-Hale for comment but received no reply. 

On August 25, the groomer posted a statement on her business’s Facebook page, stating: ‘We want to acknowledge the recent protests and the concerns raised about our business. We take these matters seriously and deeply value the voices of those speaking out. 

‘Our team is actively listening and taking time to reflect on the issues being brought forward. We are committed to understanding the impact of our actions and recognize that earning and maintaining trust requires both accountability and meaningful change.

‘We are currently reviewing our policies and practices to ensure they reflect our values and meet the expectations of our community. In the coming days, we will share specific steps we are taking in response. 

‘Thank you to those who are holding us to a higher standard, we hear you, and we are committed to doing better.’