‘It is heartbreaking’ – Burglary leaves Sunderland dog groomer thousands of pounds out of pocket

Scruffy Pups, on Ethel Terrace, was broken into overnight on Saturday, February 5, when staff were out celebrating being named as one of the top three dog groomers in Sunderland.

It is reported that during the raid, equipment, stock, money out of the till and staff tips were all stolen, resulting in the owners being left around £4,000 out of pocket.

The owner of Scruffy Pups, who asked not to be named, has spoken about the impact that the incident has had on the business.

She said: “We went out on Saturday night to celebrate being named as one of the top dog groomers and normally, we’d go in on a Sunday to prepare for the week ahead.

"However we didn’t do that this weekend so it wasn’t until Monday morning when I arrived at the shop to see my mam crying her eyes out at what had happened.

"The door frame had been removed so they could gain access and the whole place was just a mess, they had gone through our statements, files, stock, damaged our dog grooming tables and all the money from the till and tips had been taken.

"It’s our pride and joy, we built the business from scratch so it is heartbreaking to see, we’re massively out of pocket and I don’t think either myself or my mam will be able to take a wage for the next six weeks.”

After posting on Facebook about the incident, the business received an outpouring of support from the local community to ensure that they could reopen as quickly as possible.

The owner added: “We are now back open after a lot of other groomers in the area either donated or loaned us equipment so we can continue operating.

"All the support has been overwhelming, a lot of clients have come to the shop without their dogs to offer their support and ask if we need anything.

“This isn’t the first time that we’ve been broken into before however this time we felt like we were done, especially after the Covid pandemic.

"We seriously thought about throwing in the towel however the support from our clients who have reached out to us on a personal level has driven us on to keep going.

"So now, we are more determined than ever to bounce back and be bigger and better than ever.”

Northumbria Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident and have asked anyone with information to get in touch with them.

A spokesperson for the Force commented: “Shortly before 8.45am on Monday (February 7) we received a report a premises on Ethel Terrace, Sunderland had been broken into.

“It was reported that at some point overnight the door to the premises was forced open and equipment and cash from inside stolen.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police using the Tell us Something page, quoting crime reference 015309J/22.”

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