Following an investigation into the death of Colby, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever who died of heatstroke after being left in a drying cage at a Petco grooming salon in Midlothian, Va., Petco announced today it is taking full responsibility for the tragic incident.
“We take full responsibility for what happened in Midlothian, and remain heartbroken over Colby’s untimely passing,” Petco said in a statement, according to WWBT.
“Pet parents place their trust in us, and we realize that trust is earned. We understand there is no way to make up for the loss of Colby, and our thoughts continue to be with his family during this difficult time.”
On May 29, the Petco store’s assistant manager told Colby’s dog mom, Allison Marks, that a groomer had put Colby inside a drying cage and then left the store to go to a graduation.
That employee was immediately suspended, and was terminated after the investigation.
To prevent similar tragedies in the future, Petco said it would make changes, such as removing drying cages from all of its grooming salons, and providing additional training to groomers. The company said no heat was used in the drying cages, but didn’t offer an explanation as to why Colby died of heatstroke.
Marks told WVTR May 31 she planned to press charges.
“You can’t replace a dog like that,” she said. “He was the most lovable dog ever.”
Andrea Marks of Powhatan, Va., left Colby, her Golden Retriever, at a Petco store in Westchester Commons for a routine grooming Friday morning.
About six hours later, the healthy young dog was dead of heatstroke.
The store’s assistant manager told Marks a groomer had put Colby in a drying cage — and then left the store to attend a graduation party.
“How does a company let this happen?” wrote Wendy Sitko, Andrea’s daughter, on Facebook. “Then I find out by looking Petco up this has happened before and a lawsuit [says] they no longer use heated cages.”
The lawsuit she’s referring to was filed by Teresa Gilland in 2008 over the death of Sadie, her 6-year-old, healthy Lhasa Apso. Just like Colby, Sadie was left to die in a heating cage at a Petco store in Fair Oaks, Calif. Sadie suffered heatstroke and had to be euthanized. In a July 2011 statement about the case, Petco said the company “no longer uses heat of any kind in the drying process in our grooming salons.”
Melody Newman, another of Marks’ daughters, told CBS 6 News that when her sister called and told her what happened, “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ Colby was a very playful puppy. He just turned 2 in February.”
Newman said the family was in “complete shock” over Colby’s death and how he died. In a statement, Petco said the company is also “heartbroken.”
“The health and safety of pets is always our top priority and we take full responsibility for all animals under our care,” Petco stated, according to CBS 6 News. “We are taking immediate action to investigate and understand the situation. Our thoughts are with Colby’s family at this difficult time.”
Dog Groomers Aren’t Required to Be Licensed or Certified
Surprisingly, dog groomers are not required to be licensed or certified in any U.S. state. (New York City and Miami-Dade County, Fla., do regulate them; however, this is not done statewide.) New Jersey may become the first state to do so with “Bijou’s Bill,” named in memory of a Shih Tzu who, like Colby, died during a routine grooming session at a chain store — PetSmart, in this case.
“Lucy’s Law,” a similar bill in California that was named after a Yorkshire Terrier mix who was severely injured by a groomer, failed to pass in 2012. Petco and PetSmart strongly opposed the bill and lobbied against it.
Until statewide laws are passed, when you take your dog to a groomer (especially at a large chain store, where most deaths and injuries occur), it could be a life-or-death matter to ask some important questions.
“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Rosemary Marchetto, Bijou’s dog mom, told CBS New York in December.
On her Facebook page late Friday afternoon, Marks wrote, “Goodbye my sweet baby, taken from me way too soon, thanks to Petco.
“I will love you forever and always, my sweet, sweet Colby Jack. RIP.”
After a video went viral this week that shows a Petco groomer repeatedly yanking a terrified dog’s leg, the company announced today it has fired the unidentified man.
Hanna Marie Pellissier was in her car outside the Atlanta Petco late Sunday afternoon when, through a store window, she witnessed the groomer’s abusive handling of the dog.
“He was trying to cut his nails and the dog pulled his paw away,” Pellissier wrote in a description of the cellphone video she took and then posted on Facebook.
“The employee then started smacking the table and then pulling hard on the dog’s leg. The poor dog was panicking and trying to get away. The employee just kept pulling on him.”
She notified the store’s manager, who told her, “I’ll try to say something to him.” She also called Petco’s customer service to complain.
Three days later, thanks to Pellissier’s diligence and the power of social media, Petco terminated the employee.
“There are strict grooming protocols in place to ensure the safety and well-being of pets, and we are very concerned by the conduct of the groomer in this video,” the company said in a statement sent today to 11Alive. “As such, after a thorough investigation, this employee is no longer at Petco.”
The dog is in good health and back at home, Petco stated.
Thousands of dogs have been injured or died in the hands of incompetent groomers. Although laws have been proposed in some states to regulate grooming businesses, none of them have passed.
“Bijou’s Bill” is currently making its way through the New Jersey legislature. It’s named in memory of a Shih Tzu who died during a routine grooming session at PetSmart. “Lucy’s Law,” a similar bill in California that was named after a Yorkshire Terrier mix who was severely injured by a groomer, failed to pass in 2012. Petco and PetSmart strongly opposed the bill and lobbied against it.
Until statewide laws are passed, when you take your dog to a groomer (especially at a large chain store, where many of the deaths and injuries occurred), it could be a life-or-death matter to ask some important questions.
“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Rosemary Marchetto, Bijou’s dog mom, told CBS New York in December.
“I thought it was safe. I thought it was a licensed profession.”
Here’s the video Pellissier took, which is difficult to watch.
You can expect the dog treat shelves of your local Petco and PetSmart stores to start looking pretty barren. As both national chains promised last year, they will no longer sell pet treats that were manufactured in China.
More than 1,000 dogs have died after eating chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats made in China, and nearly 5,000 more have become ill. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been investigating these cases since 2007 (and taking way too long to do so, many pet parents complain). No link has yet been found between the treats and the illnesses.
About 60 percent of the illnesses reported to the FDA were gastrointestinal problems; 30 percent were kidney or urinary issues; and the remaining 10 percent were symptoms including convulsions, tremors, hives and skin irritation.
“We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in China, especially chicken jerky products, and we’ve heard their concerns,” Jim Myers, CEO of Petco, said in a press release last May. “As a leader in the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we’re eager to make this transition and to expand our assortment of safe and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the U.S.”
Since September, Petco has been pulling the products from its online store and 1,300 physical stores; PetSmart will finish removing them by March.
Petco Vice President John Sturm told the Associated Press the chain will substitute the China-made treats with those made in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
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