(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS — A former Kamloops dog groomer who pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty is expected to be sentenced in the upcoming weeks.

Nelda D. Stocking, born 1955, was the owner of A.B.C. Pet Grooming in Kamloops before it changed license ownership and names in late May, according to the City’s Business Licensing Department.

Stocking appeared in provincial court with her lawyer Daniel McNamee Wednesday, July 3, for sentencing but is now facing another charge of causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal. The new charge was sworn in on July 2.

Kamloops provincial judge Raymond Phillips agreed to adjourn Stocking’s sentencing hearing to take place in the upcoming weeks.

Court documents show the offence dates of Stocking’s charges took place on Feb. 2, 2018, and Feb. 21, 2019.

Darren Bergeron alleges a female dog groomer at A.B.C. Pet Grooming hit his 16-year-old 10-pound female papillon poodle on Feb. 2, 2018, during a regular grooming appointment, according to his statement to RCMP and B.C. SPCA investigators.

He says the incident left his dog with several injuries including lesions to her head, bruising around her neck and severely traumatized.

Bergeron says he left his dog Bailey at A.B.C. Pet Grooming on Feb. 2, 2018, at around 10:15 a.m. When he hadn’t received a call back after more than an hour to pick her up, he decided to pop in and see if she was ready.

“When I walked upstairs to the salon I noticed that the groomer was handling Bailey in a rough manner,” Bergeron says. “I turned on my cellphone camera so I could video this… as I was starting to video the incident I witnessed the groomer violently beating Bailey while suspended in the air by the leash.”

Bergeron says he saw his dog spinning in the air helplessly as the groomer was hitting her “extremely forcefully” with her hand.

“I shouted at her not to do that to my dog,” Bergeron says. "I put the cell phone in my pocket which unfortunately turned off the recording and proceeded to remove Bailey from her grip.”

Bergeron says it took him several minutes to calm down his dog and he also noticed the animal had blood around on her fur and mouth. He says the groomer told him his dog was snapping at her.

“I said to her how would you like it if someone was beating your child and she replied ‘that is why I don’t have any,’” Bergeron says.

After the incident, he took Bailey to Twin Rivers Animal Hospital to be examined by a veterinarian.

“The vet said the bruising on the neck was caused by forcefully grabbing and twisting the scruff of the neck,” he says. “He gave Bailey an injection of Metacam for pain and prescribed a topical cream to help the lesions and bruising to heal.”

Stocking has already pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty. Lawyers will meet again tomorrow, July 4, to set a date for sentencing.

A plea was not entered on the new charge.

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