Pet groomer accused of killing goldendoodle is arrested at dog show, Oklahoma cops say

An Oklahoma dog groomer is accused of abusing a pet goldendoodle, killing the animal during an appointment, according to Tulsa police.

The dog, a 4-year-old goldendoodle named Atlas, was dropped off at Doggy Doodles Grooming on Sept. 1 but didn’t survive the visit, investigators told KOKI.

Tulsa Animal Welfare soon launched an investigation into the incident, the Tulsa Police Department said in a Sept. 12 news release. Investigators ultimately found that a 41-year-old groomer, Diego Angel, caused the dog’s death, police said.

Initially, Atlas’ owners were told by the owner of Doggy Doodles that their dog suffered a fatal seizure, investigators told the outlet. But video captured inside the business showed a very different story.

In the video, Angel can be seen strangling and repeatedly punching Atlas, all while fellow groomers are working just feet away, KOTV reported.

Moments later, Atlas is found unresponsive, the station reported. The groomer and coworkers are seen trying to revive Atlas, and they take him to a nearby veterinary clinic, according to the outlet.

Angel was arrested Sept. 7 at a dog show in Elk City — roughly 220 miles west of Tulsa — police said in the news release.

He was extradited back to Tulsa County, where he faces a felony charge of cruelty to animals, police said.

This story was originally published September 13, 2023 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Pet groomer accused of killing goldendoodle is arrested at dog show, Oklahoma cops say."