Second Dog to Die at Petsmart Grooming in Six Months -- ZooToo Pet News

Anonymous
2 years ago

This comment has been removed.

whitnur
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
Reply

I am glad ZooToo reported this story, because this is the kind of news we pet owners need to know about. We should not use it to condem PetSmart, but rather use the information to educate ourselves on what to look for in a groomer, and watch some of these groomers in action. We all lead busy lives, and would like to think a store like PetSmart would be OK based on the name, but this story shows us name reputation is no substitute for good, old fashioned homework.

milyGordon
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

That is so sad. Kind of makes me second think if I want my dogs groomed there. I'm sure it was an accident, but.. who knows! :(

Julie (julietd)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is very sad, what a heartbreaking way to lose your pet.

Gina (mackie13624)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I feel so bad for the families that this happened to. I would check the place you get your pet groomed and make sure they know what they are doing.

Julie (Angusmom)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

My heart aches for the family that lost their precious dog. While each place is indeed different I strongly feel these owners should sue. It's the only way to truly get the attention of a large companyand get them to take this seriously and take a hard look at their groomers and the training they receive.
Sue to protect the other dogs that will be groomed at any Petsmart and any other place for that matter.
To the owners: grieve, give yourself time and then please adopt another loving dog who needs a home.

Peabody004
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

One time could be an just bad luck, but when two poor dogs die it is the stores fault and they must be doing something very wrong.

Pattyr
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Horrible. dog in buffalo Area hung at groomers but survived after emergency evaluation at Cornell. common occurrance. beware!!!

Lisa (Spaceylisa)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is horrible. Its also unheard of. It sounds like to me these animals are being left unattended. They should always be supervised in these devices. A muzzel isn't suppose to be left on unattended. Its to bad an autopsy wasn't done. It sounds like to me they strangled. It would be alful, just to have an animal groomed and it dies.

missdaisy
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

this kind of story makes us all most sick, and really makes me mad. I sure hope the petsmart pay for this, we have to know when we take our babys to the grooms they are safe.

Deborah H. (dherman716)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Just what could be going on behind closed doors in lots of grooming shops? This story really makes you wonder...gotta go now. Think I'll shampoo my dogs on my own today.

Tara (theK9guru)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

as a dog groomer i know that the dogs get super stressed out while getting groomed. at grooming school we would have dogs have seizures because of the stress, not because of anything we were doing. i personally believe that it is really hard for the animal to die using a muzzle that is too tight. something else must have happened stress wise. probably no fault to the groomer

tmcintosh
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is so sad. I always check out a groomer before I use them and have stayed with my dogs before while they were being groomed to make sure they are treated properly.

Anonymous
2 years ago

This comment has been removed.

krazykam2003
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is bad. I think this place should be shut down

Susan L. (catsrn1)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
Reply

Seems so strange to have 2 occurences like this at the same chain. It is certainly a tragedy for the pets and their owners,and I hope some type of investigation is taking place.

meggy s. (meggys)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

What a tragedy. I hope that this gets investigaged to the fullest. You think you are taking your animal to somewhere safe and something terrible like this happens.

becki76
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

How sad! You think the people doing the grooming would see there is a problem - if a dog is strangling or suffocating, wouldn't you notice? My dog was strangling on his collar once when it got hooked on a tab on my mattress and he woke me up with the noises he was making - fortunately it wasn't too late. But how could you not notice that?! Poor dogs and poor owners:(

Daniela I. (danielai)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Its hard to know what kind of blame to assign in this kind of situation. It is so tragic for the dog and the owner, but its also impossible to konw the details of the situation...what the employees did and did not do about the situation.

fieldhn
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is why you really need to check out groomers first! A good groomer is attentive to your pet's needs. Muzzles are really overused. In most situations, a muzzle wouldn't be necessary if the groomer took the time to get to know the dog or let the dog get to know him or her. Also, groomers should never have more than one dog on the table at a time. That is just asking for trouble. I know accidents happen, but I've been to a local PetSmart and a local Petco and my dog will never be getting groomed there. They simply try to groom too many animals too quickly with too little staff. Accidents can be avoided!

Jonell
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This story does not give me enough information to decide if Petsmart should be blamed or not. Since it does not state if it was done by the same person(s) and because there wasn't an autopsy on the dog(s).

Pit Bulls Rock (Salena)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Scary..to think something that should be harmless is killing pets. Make sure you research before taking your pet to a groomer! I, on the other hand, bathe my own dogs and have dogs that don't need special "cuts."

Melissa (mevrooman)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

OH what an awful thing to happen.

With ANY grooming place you need to check it out and know that your comfortable with leaving your pet there..... You can also stay and observe while your pet is groomed if you wish as well.

Mari G. (marigaines)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
Reply

There doesn't seem to be any good reason why any animal should be harmed at one of these facilities. To me it says that the facility is trying to take on responsibilities it is not equiped to handle. How very sad that the animals must pay the price.

Stephanie L. (sprzybyl)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I don't understand how these could have been "accidental"? If they were, and employees were "unaware" of the animals dying, how could they not have noticed the dog's struggle while it was being "accidentally" strangled. As far as I'm concerned, the employees MUST have been fully aware of what was happening and then decided to rush the poor dog to the vet because they realized the negative consequences that might have followed if they did not. This is such a disgrace!

jimms02
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 3 users liked it.
Reply

i would have taken legal acyion if it was my animal. petsmart and other compants should do a more through background check on its employees. makes one more alert on where they take there pets.

angel07121982
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Good Point

slvrgrl79
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

How trite is it that they offered assistance with a "new pet" they really weren't looking to get rid of their old one. Poor dog. Poor family

Irene B. (zerobalan)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I don't understand -- if the muzzle was too tight then the person fastening it should have realized and adjusted it, no? I could understand a freak accident, but this doesn't seem to fall under that rubric. And rather than denying right away that the muzzle was a problem -- why wouldn't PetSmart admit that there might be -- horror of horrors -- some culpability?

bebop03
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 3 users liked it.
Reply

I'm extremely picky about groomers. My poodle had her eye shaved out before, (at the vets) and after it had happened they offered to buy us a new dog. We kept our one eyed freak of nature though. Then the story about the groomer poisoning another customer's dog. Now this. After I get my schooling in grooming (hurray!) I'll just groom my own dogs.

angel07121982
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Good Point

dagger2006
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is a shame truthfully. I couldn't imagine it happening to my dogs. I know here in southern Texas there is a Petsmart that has burned the pads off of dogs by leaving the dryer on to long and to high. I only take my pets to petsmart groomers for nail clipping and ear cleaning if I have been to busy to do it. Don't know why groomers they higher aren't more cautious.

kellyann
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 3 users liked it.
Reply

Obviously, accidents happen but these seem like procedures and practices that should have never resulted in the deaths of these animals. I have never used PetSmart's grooming and go to my vet instead but if I did, I think I would hang around and wait/watch....

Kevin (Kevin61)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
Reply

This concerns me. I use PetSamrt's grooming services and have been pleased with their work; however, it never occurred to me that muzzles or other devices that could cause and injury were being used. I will ask questions before I make the next appointment. My heart goes out to those owners who lost beloved pets. I would be very upset if i were in their place.

cjmhodge
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is a terrible thing. I would for sure consider legal action. Although, all pet owners should do there homework before taking there pet to ANY place, weather it be groomer or vet.-Even if you get excellent reviews you may still have a bad experience. I hope that everything works out for Phillips and her future pets, and the other pet owners whome may have had a situation similar to Phillips'.

dbirdgator
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

My dog has always been frightened of being groomed at PetSmart. We stopped going after the second time - I think it is the driers. Such a sad story.

kmr
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

every store has different groomers and some may not be professional groomers. the petsmart here as had excellent ratings in it grooming. i think they should not down the whole chain but look at the stores at fault to see what type of people they our hiring and home many years experience they have as groomers.

FFAsoftball7
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I am not a big fan of Petsmart in anyway. I believe that Petco is a lot more clean and pet-friendly. There should be no reason for a pet to die while grooming though unless they have a prior medical condition. There are many ways to restrain an animal and groom them without doing any harm. This is the fault of the groomer and Petsmart for not keeping an eye out.

klfowler
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
Reply

This story reinforces that before entrusting your pet to a groomer, you should get references and ask questions. You shouldn't use a groomer or any service because they are the cheapest! I have heard other horror stories and there have been TV stories about the abuse our pets receive at a grooming service. Please check them out before leaving your pet!

candy29944
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

they need to look into it before another dog dies.

cmr3054
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I do not think anyone should leave their dog alone with any groomer no matter who it is anything could go wrong even with an experienced groomer. its sad that this happened and i think the best way to prevent it from happening in the first place is simple dont leave your dog alone stay in the room or just outside the room but watch what is going on!

Kristina (catdog9512)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
Reply

This IS sad. When handling others pets it is so important to take proper precautions when dealing with a delicate process, such as grooming. Some dogs handle it well and others do not. I just hope, as accidents happen, this was an accident and not a person who was trying to hurry and did not care what the dog was feeling until it was too late.

hsnorthiowa
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Makes you wonder what requirements Petsmart has when hiring someone for this position. They may be reviewing this in light of this happening more than once. This would be very upsetting. At least they are offering some sort of compensation. They are a large chain and accidents do happen.

lhammon
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

My heart goes out to the people that lost their pets in such a senseless, cruel way. It makes me sick to think that those poor dogs had to endure such a frightful death. I believe that PetSmart and the groomers involved in the deaths should have their license revoked, given the maximun fine, and be put in jail. I have seen other stories about abuses to the animals that PetSmart sells and it turns my stomach.

Ashley (CrazyASH0115)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
Reply

Wow, I would be so mad at them.

npog69
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

This is so tragic. As others have said, accidents do happen, but somehow this seems to be neglect - was no one looking at the dog?
Perhaps paying for a premium service is worth it

Sue H. (ferret1)
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
Reply

What a shock to come back for your pet and find that it has died. Without a necropsy, the cause will never be known, unfortunately. It is possible the dog had an underlying issue that was aggravated by the process of being groomed..strange people/strange place. They may never find out if the employees were negligent.

scooterm
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I think every pet owner should be aware of what happened to these animals who were loved by their owners very much.

scooterm
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I think every pet owner should be aware of what happened to these animals who were loved by their owners very much.

msorcic
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I can't imagine being in this situation... I feel terrible for her. I wonder what will happen to the grooming employees

cwualexa
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

I can't believe this happened! This is so terrible and there needs to be better employees at this places. This should not be happening!

Kittyluv
2 years ago

Flag this | Good Point | 0 users voted.
Reply

Very sad story :( I do realize accidents happen, but if the dog is to hard to handle then maybe they shouldnt have went on with the grooming.

Second Dog to Die at Petsmart Grooming in Six Months

Browse News

Tags

How do you like this article?

Comments

News Archive

about zootoo

zootoo activities

pets and people

products and services

pet news

get involved