Abigail was a 14-month-old golden retriever who never made it home from a grooming visit in Alexandria, Virginia. In July 2024, surveillance video showed her groomer pressing her head down while a neck restraint held her to the table. Prosecutors said she died of strangulation. The groomer pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty in February 2026 and is now serving prison time.

Abigail’s case may not be the only one. A longtime employee of the facility, Your Dog’s Best Friends, says she warned managers and the owner about four or five other workers handling dogs abusively, before Abigail died. Other videos reviewed by investigators show dogs left dangling from table restraints, pulled across the floor by their necks and, in one case, thrown into a pen. Some of those incidents happened after Abigail’s death. The owner denies that the employee ever reported abuse.

Right now, Virginia barely watches over these businesses. According to Tony Rankin of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, his agency can only enter a groomer or boarding kennel after someone files a complaint. Abigail’s family’s attorney says the industry has essentially no regulation. The truth about Abigail came out only because a former employee handed the video to investigators.

The Virginia General Assembly and Governor Abigail Spanberger can fix this. They should pass Abigail’s Law to require state licensing and safety training for pet groomers and boarding kennels, allow routine inspections without waiting for a complaint, ban leaving dogs unattended in neck restraints, and protect employees who report animal abuse from losing their jobs.

Families trust these businesses with pets who can’t speak for themselves. Sign the petition to pass Abigail’s Law before another dog pays the price.