A 33-year-old Memphis dog groomer is facing four felony charges after four dogs in his care died, having reportedly been healthy just hours earlier, according to a Memphis Police report. Keaton Stuckey was booked into the Shelby County Jail on September 8 on four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, with no bail set at the time of his booking.
BBB records describe The Dog Spa Station as having been in operation for seven years as of 2026, according to Better Business Bureau records. Stuckey is accused in the deaths of a client's four dogs at his North Lake Drive home. As first reported by LocalMemphis.com, police say the animals were dead by the time their owner arrived to pick them up.
Memphis Animal Services examined the dogs' bodies following the deaths, and an examination reportedly revealed the cause was heatstroke. That finding stands in contrast with Stuckey's own account, captured on video, in which he described one dog vomiting after allegedly eating hair dye — an account he offered as an explanation for what happened.
Video Evidence and a Client Notified Too Late
According to LocalMemphis.com's reporting on the Memphis Police account, Stuckey sent the client videos on August 24 showing two of her four dogs already dead. Police say video does not show Stuckey attempting to take the dogs to a veterinarian or pet hospital before that point. The same police report describes Stuckey holding one of the dogs as it vomited that day.
The dogs were reportedly in healthy condition just hours before their deaths, per the police report cited in the original LocalMemphis.com story. The gap between that healthy status and their deaths — and the competing explanations for what happened in between — is now central to the criminal case against Stuckey.
No State License Required to Groom Dogs in Tennessee
GroomerConnect discusses the absence of state licensing and training requirements for dog groomers generally, according to GroomerConnect. The source does not establish the extent of other forms of oversight for Tennessee's pet-grooming industry.
Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-212, aggravated cruelty to animals is a Class E felony, according to Justia Law. The cited source does not specify the sentencing range, maximum fine, or additional animal-ownership consequences.
Registry Would Bar Future Pet Care Work
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation publishes animal-abuse conviction records, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, under the Tennessee Animal Abuser Registration Act. The cited source does not establish whether a felony conviction triggers registry inclusion, whether records include photographs, or when the registry was created or whether Tennessee was the first state to establish one.
The cited TBA Law Blog source does not provide details about proposed changes to Tennessee's aggravated-animal-cruelty penalties or identify any sponsoring lawmakers.
Broader Business Ventures Under Scrutiny
The cited PetzLover page does not substantiate claims about Stuckey advertising dog-breeding services in Memphis.
Memphis Animal Services examined the dogs in this case, according to Memphis Animal Services. The supplied sources do not establish the agency's status as Shelby County's sole open-intake municipal shelter, its annual intake, or the figures for calls and animals entering the shelter during a June week.
The provided sources do not establish how Shelby County animal-cruelty reports are routed or which organizations handle initial dispatches; the cited Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County source does not establish those details. LocalMemphis.com confirms that Stuckey was booked on September 8 and that no bail was set at the time.
