https://www.facebook.com/tinaevangelistaeppenstein/videos/10215866283073715/
On May 5th, a nationwide protest will be held at PetSmart stores to boycott and protest the deaths of dogs at the hands of PetSmart grooming employees. The boycott has been created by Danielle DiNapoli whose bulldog died at the Flemington PetSmart during a grooming appointment on December 29th, 2017. DiNapoli is behind Scruffles Law which would allow pet owners to sue for economic damages, statutory damages of $10,000 per action, punitive damages and attorney’s fees. The law would also recognize the bond between pets and their owners/”parents.”
Four dogs have died at various PetSmart store locations within the United States since December ’17. Two dogs died from December 22nd-29th. The latest death was Abby, a corgi, who died at the Flemington, New Jersey PetSmart on March 29th during a scheduled grooming appointment. Abby and Harley (both corgis, pictured) were dropped off at the PetSmart store at 8 AM. It was 9:45 AM when Chuck Crawford received the phone call (which lasted 20 seconds) from the store notifying him that Abby had died and he could pick up her carcass. There is a lesson to be learned when informing someone their pet has died. The employee who called Crawford apparently did not have the proper training or social skills to complete this very difficult task.
Chuck Crawford with Abby and Harley facebook
No reason or explanation was given as to why his beloved Abby was dead. Crawford is quoted saying, “It was so crude and beyond comprehension,” “To take your pet for a grooming and then have them die? That is the absolute worst thing.”
A necropsy was performed but PetSmart will have to contact Crawford’s lawyer to see the results. It normally takes a month to get the results.
PetSmart has also not been telling previous/pet parents what happened to their cherished family members who have died during their grooming appointments. They fail to give detailed explanations about their dogs’ deaths.
With four deaths occurring since December ’17, others are now coming forward and saying, no more! Many want the grooming facilities at PetSmart stores to close forever! People have been sharing their grooming horror stories about PetSmart and its employees on facebook. I’ve read quite a few detailed accounts of other pets who have died during PetSmart grooming visits from previous years. But, this isn’t confined to only deaths. This boycott/protest includes pets who have been hurt, burned, etc. by grooming employees who don’t appear to be fit to do this job.
To be a groomer (anywhere) requires no credentials even though PetSmart says it sends employees for 800 hours of training. I find that very difficult to believe.
If you have one death, perhaps, just perhaps, a freak incident or accident happened. To have multiple deaths on your heads that have been occurring over a number of years is inexcusable. No dogs or pets should die while in the care of a groomer.
Scruffles, a bulldog, died at the Flemington PetSmart New Jersey during a grooming appointment on December 29th. Danielle DiNapoli, Scruffles “mom/owner,” has had enough and has gone to the media to effect change. DiNapoli is the person behind the National PetSmart Boycott/Protest on May 5th. She wants the store chain to close its grooming facilities for good. She manages the fb page, Justice for Scruffles. “Enough is enough and not giving pet parents written reports is beyond inhumane!” On this page you can read others’ tragic stories regarding PetSmart pet deaths.
You can view the story (below) about DiNapoli and Chuck Crawford vs PetSmart on NBC Nightly News w/Lester Holt which ran last night. During this segment, PetSmart said “these incidents are entirely separate and unrelated.” “Our associates followed our rigorous practices.” Watch the video to see how one PetSmart groomer handled a dog.
PetSmart statement about grooming deaths
PetSmart statement about grooming deaths
https://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews/videos/10156543066693689/
If you want to attend a protest, go to the Nationwide PetSmart protest and boycott facebook page to find out more information and what you can do at your own PetSmart store. It is to show this pet store chain must make changes to its policies and/or stop their grooming practices entirely. DiNapoli states this protest/boycott is not against the employees but the PetSmart corporation and its policies. She is hoping for changes as are other victims who have also fought this same fight and would like to see laws in place to protect pets.
We can’t forget that there is no license requirement to be a groomer in the United States. No special classes or certificates needed to not only call yourself a groomer but to set up shop and groomanimals without any experience.
I stand by what I’ve said in the past. You must do your research before dropping off your pup at any groomer. You are putting your pets’ lives in their hands. Can you trust them? Do you have references? Will they allow you to stay and watch? If they don’t, do NOT use this groomer. What do you know about the groomer?
Grooming incidents/accidents and/or deaths have occurred with other groomers too, which is why I believe having proper laws in place to protect our pets is vitally important. However, too many dogs have died at the hands of PetSmart employees and it has to stop.
I had a scary “incident” with my precious pup, Lady, who needed a haircut. I found a new groomer and we spoke at length as to what we wanted for Lady. She lived in close proximity to my home. I was concerned for Lady because we just had lost her “brother,” Buddy, and this was a new grooming salon for us.
I worried if Lady was stressed. It normally would take an hour or so to groom her. When two hours rolled around, I thought the groomer became busy with more appointments. She said she would call when she was done. There was no call. I called her but there was no answer. After repeated unanswered calls and nearly three hours later, my husband and I drove to the groomer’s. I kept thinking I can’t lose another dog. I don’t know why my mind went there but it hadn’t been long since Buddy had suddenly died. We burst into the salon and heard Lady yelping/screaming in pain, sight unseen. We ran down the steps and saw her in the tub whimpering. Three hours and she was just in the tub! I looked at Lady and then looked at the groomer and asked what happened. Silence.
I grabbed her and we stormed out. Lady was hurt! She was screaming and the groomer just stood there and wondered what the fuss was about. Are you kidding me? My dog is yelling and you think it’s no big deal! And you call yourself a groomer?
Siting in the car, I held a soaked Lady in my arms and began to check her body. I found significant, multiple areas where she her skin had been cut and was bleeding. No wonder she was screaming in agony! We walked out without paying and the groomer never contacted me for payment. She was never going to get it. This is why it’s vitally important to check out ANY groomer you choose for your pet. Ask friends, family, colleagues. Ask the groomer questions. We are responsible for our pet’s well-being and that includes grooming.
Have you ever taken your pet to a PetSmart grooming salon? What was your experience? What do you think is the answer so no more pets die during PetSmart or any grooming appointments?
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer, and an unabashed animal advocate. Her love for animals and quest for the hard truth is what drives her passion for all things animals. She hosts the television show, “A Close Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.” She adores her tripawd, Brody, who was a formerly abused pup who lost his leg because of cruelty inflicted upon him. If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com. Like https:www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookatAnimalWelfareIssues and be sure to check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com.
No I’ve never taken my dogs to pet smart groomers because of the stories I heard about. I’d never trust them with my dogs! They should stop all of their grooming. It’s clear they don’t know what they’re doing.
How can it be clear that they don’t know what they’re doing if you’ve never been to a petsmart salon?
Well, four pets have died in the last five months during their grooming appointments! I think people should be and are scared to take their pets knowing this one fact. Pet Smart needs to explain what happened. They’ve been accused of animal cruelty with animals they sell to the public. Another red flag and a reason to be cautious if you want to use their services. Do you need more proof than this?
Petsmart needs to be investigated since they won’t give the details about what happened to the people’s dogs. Dogs have died and they don’t give any answers to the families. That’s wrong. And investigation is warranted. Who knows what kind of practices they do while grooming for dogs to die?
An investigation is warranted. I agree with you. Whether it’s abuse or neglect, someone needs to get to the bottom of this so it never happens again. Their grooming practices are not up to standard for obvious reasons. The families deserve and the right to know what happened to their beloved dogs.
Thank you!
They need to be investigated, charged and forced to close up their grooming stores!
You asked if their grooming salons should be stopped. YES!! Four dogs in 5 months???? That’s crazy, negligent and criminal. It’s also very sad. 🙁
As a Petsmart groomer I have to say that knowing when to stop services is the most important part about the job. Stress is a huge factor in incidents. Giving the dog a break of flat out sending it home unfinished could mean life or death. Pre existing medical conditions that not even the owner could be aware about. I take zero chances in my salon and dog wellbeing comes first.
I’m sorry what your dog Lady went through with that groomer. Glad you went and got her. Poor girl.
Thank you! We have to be careful what groomers we choose for our pets. Their lives are in their hands for a period of time where we don’t normally get to observe them. I always tell others to be diligent and careful when picking a groomer. I felt bad that I put Lady through that. It wasn’t my intention for her to be hurt (obviously.) But, I made sure it never happened again with her or with any of my dogs after that.
I groom my own dogs when I have to. I’m too scared to leave them alone with someone else. I think my dogs look good too!
I read the DiNapoli family has a gofundme page for this boycott and protest. Why do they need it? I’m sorry for their loss and PetSmart needs to be held responsible for what they did. Why do they need a fundraiser? That turns me off. I’m all for the protest and may protest at my local PetSmart. No money needs to go to them. We should give money to all of the other families who lost pets during grooming appointments. PetSmart needs to compensate the families but we shouldn’t be asked to give money to this one family. I am sorry for their loss and the loss of the other dogs too. There’s no reason for it. Pet Smart should stop its grooming salons.
A go fund me page? For what?
And the owners themselves will not release the necropsy results until court ordered. So unclear what has happened to their dog. It is sad but the dog is also a high risk breed because of their short faces.
I don’t think protests are productive and do much of anything in the long run. Boycotting them hits them where it hurts- their finances. Plus, someone needs to investigate these deaths! We need to start regulating dog groomers. Certification would be a step up but you’re going to have do your own homework on groomers. As Tina said, ask everyone about a groomer. Stay during that first visit to see how good or bad they are. This is YOUR pet! You’re entitled to be with him!!!
Protests are overdone. I’m tired of them.
Protests WORK, sweetheart.
Actually, protests have been proven not to work on average. When people yell and scream, especially animal activists, it turns people off and people tune them out. It might make the news that day but over the long run, not much ever changes. True.
Do you have the stats on privately owned shops dog deaths as well? What’s the death rate percent with Petsmart/petco compared to private shops? Or Are you just going after the big companies for the publicity? Get ALL the facts and equally go after ALL dog grooming facilities.
Don, Did you read my article? I wrote about 4 dogs who died in the last 5 months at PetSmart grooming salons and a planned protest by one of the families who lost their dog in a grooming incident.
However, I also wrote that we must research ALL groomers before we choose any for our dogs. I am not only singling out PetSmart. We must be vigilant in our search for a good groomer. Did you not read about my own incident with a groomer who was not associated with any big store chain? In fact, I’ve never used a big store chain grooming salon.
I hope this clarifies what I’ve written. I am in agreement that we must be careful with ALL dog groomers.
Thank you.
Morbidly obese corgi died when owner doesn’t address problem of low socialization and morbid obesity, dog stressed out, owner demands to know why the service cant be completed anyways, stressed out dog dies.
Oh no it’s all petsmarts fault though.
That’s very sad a morbidly obese corgi died during a grooming session. The session should’ve been stopped iimmediately once there was a problem. Perhaps, the groomer did but it was too late.
It’s also sad that this dog wasn’t socialized and became obese in the first place. Too many pets are becoming obese in the U.S.
When someone has a morbidly obese pet, precautions must be taken when being groomed. Morbid obesity can cause breathing issues which can be affected by the leash loop placed around a dog’s neck to help restrain them during the grooming appt’.
I had a dog with a collapsing trachea and he wasn’t able to handle this restraint. He coughed for five straight days after it was placed around his neck for a grooming session. I specifically stated “no leash loop” to my former groomer.
Grooming deaths don’t only occur at Pet Smart and I didn’t imply that. I was announcing a protest/boycott planned by one person whose dog died at a Pet Smart.
Any deaths by a groomer is one too many.
We need to be careful with all groomers whether employed by Pet Smart or other grooming salons. There are good ones and bad ones. We, also have to be more responsible with our own pets.
Thank you.
Even a well socialized dog experiences stress at any grooming salon (not just Petsmart). Many owners demand that their pet be groomed even when staff shows concern for grooming. My dog often went to be groomed at Petsmart for several years. Before electing a specific groomer that worked in the store (you can request specific groomers), I would watch them work and see how they interacted with other people’s dogs. Then I would introduce my dog to them just to meet and see if my dog seemed comfortable with them. Now, my dog is 14 years old. Grooming salon stress is not good for her so I groom her myself.
Please don’t so this protest. People and pets will get hurt because somebody, somewhere will do something dumb. Animals are sensitive to stress. If you stand outside a store yelling and protesting, there is a chance a pet might become frightened and think to defend themselves. This is NOT a good idea.
Billy J,
You made good points. Many dogs can become stressed at any grooming salon which is why I said we must be vigilant with any dog groomer we choose for our pets. Watching a groomer interact with other dogs is an excellent idea. Seeing how your dog interacted and the comfort level of your dog with the groomer are also excellent ideas.
When some of my dogs were older, I, too, groomed them because they weren’t able to handle the stress.
I don’t know if any of the protesters plan to yell outside of the stores at the planned protests. Thinking of other dogs during those protests and their reactions tells me you have much compassion for animals and their welfare.
Thanks for sharing your ideas. Appreciate it!
Why are the owners of the dogs not giving the results of the necropsy reports? Doesn’t that seem suspicious?
Good question, G! I’m wondering the same thing!
Exactly what I was wondering! They are obviously hiding something or they would easily hand over the results. Everyones mad at PetSmart when the actual dog owners won’t even give everyone the facts. The corgis were definitely obese and the other breeds have known issues.
While I am all for animal rights and protests, this does not seem like an issue that deserves that sort of attention. Though I am not able to speak on behalf of the Petsmart chain, I will say that I work for them and trust them with my own dog to receive their various services. I am not a corporate employee and if the grooming salons were successfully closed it would not effect me (other than not being able to bring my pet there) so I believe I am pretty unbiased. I’ve worked with the company for almost a decade and have never witnessed any mistreatment of pets. If a pet is too stressed, the grooming is immediately stopped. There are many rules in place to prevent any harm to the pets. If anything were to happen such as a pet accidentally getting cut, they are immediately taken to the vet. I don’t know the full circumstances of the recent deaths but my guess would be that the dogs were stressed and had underlying health problems. Perhaps a heart attack? Some of the breeds are prone to breathing problems which can also lead to issues. Grooming is a stressful event. From what I’ve read the company isn’t being given necropsy results and is then being accused of not giving explanations? They’re not magical, they can’t tell you why a pet has mysteriously died sitting in a kennel without that sort of information. While I don’t think the company is perfect, I honestly don’t know what possible rule could be put in place for cases such as these. To me they seem like freak accidents that happened in a very unfortunate span of time. I’m curious to know what percentage of grooms it would make compared to other groomers though. I’m betting Petsmarts average is far better than your average mom and pop shop. I’m not saying that makes a death excusable, but if you’re grooming thousands of pets per day under the same company name there’s bound to be an occasional freak accident.
To address a couple things in the article:
Yes you should get to know a groomer. As far as leaving them, the store I work at has glass windows so you can view your dog being groomed. I assume others are relatively similar. Though most owners know that being out of sight is less stressful for the pet.
As far as the poorly worded phone call. That is unfortunate if true, but that’s not something that’s ever expected to happen. So, no of course there’s no training about how to speak to a grieving owner other than standard retail customer service.
As for the training the groomers receive, yes it is true they receive 800 hours of training. If a person is believed to be good enough to be a groomer, they are flown to a training academy paid for by Petsmart where they are trained. The person is put under contract so they must pay the company back if they quit after attending the school.
And lastly, They have made changes internally to prevent these deaths from happening again. I also agree with the previous poster that protesting is just going to stress the pets.
So to summarize, I feel like the companies policies and treatment are probably far more stringent than the average place you might your pet to. This is because they are a chain and they have to maintain a reputation… (though that’s not going to well right now). I feel like they get a bad wrap just because they are a chain and not because of anything they’re actually doing wrong. Perhaps there is an isolated problem at those stores. I don’t know but from my experience they’ve been great in regards to treatment. Just my personal opinion.
Animal lover,
How many freak accidents does one store have to have before you realize something is amiss? There have been too many jpets who’ve died at Pet Smart grooming salons. I’m not saying all the groomers are bad because I don’t believe that. But something seems to be wrong for all of these injuries and deaths to occur. Pet Smart does need to investigate to see what the real problem is. How many groomers do they employ in all of their stores? How many stores do they have? The higher number of stores, the greater the chance of mistakes being made. I’m curious what you think since you work as a groomer with this chain.
I think it’s more a question of under what circumstances than how many. If something negligent or abusive was done that’s entirely understandable and I’d be right there protesting with you but nothing wrong was done to my understanding. All were due to underlying health conditions. Things like this can happen to pets sadly. You could easily take a pet to the vet for routine vaccines and have them die if for instance they had leukemia that lowered their immune system without you knowing. Or, you could leave your pet home alone for a few hours and cause them to have a seizure in a stressful situation that you didn’t know they were prone to. Doesn’t mean its anyone’s fault. Sometimes bad things just happen. Believe me they have and do investigate internally. Even for something as small as a cut or a pet vomiting for example. As I said though, it would not effect me. I am not a groomer. I just work in a position that allows me to frequent the salon many times per day and see the daily operations. Do you really think a bunch of animal lovers would work there if they suspected any wrongdoing? And would you expect so many repeat customers?
I have taken my dog to Petsmart since she was a puppy and she is two years old now and have had wonderful, caring service. I used their puppy guide to prepare for my puppy by using the coupons and advice. My girl has gone to dog training there and I learned the importance of early socialization and taking the time to check her ears, feet and teeth, so she gets used to the experience. She goes monthly for a nail grind and she gets her teeth brushed. Since I started her early, (advice from Petsmart) she is comfortable and calm at her appointments. They know she doesn’t like the dryer on her feet and she likes to hold the brush the groomer is not using. I am fond of my groomers and think it is hurtful and insulting so picket Petsmarts. Any time a dog is injured or dies it is heartbreaking and a tragedy. But to picket is to say, all groomers who work for Petsmart will injure or kill your dog. My groomers love their clients, they work hard, and provide a valuable service. They are people, trying to make a living by doing what they love, work with animals. Now there are animal deaths and people who are sad because they are being accused of doing something they would never think of doing in their life. It is not Petsmart’s policy to injure and kill dogs. Sometimes “a person” errors and bad things happen. If Pertsmart finds the employee was at fault, they are let go. I know the pet parents of the dogs that died are grieving, but picketing will hurt the employees who work hard everyday. The picketers will make them feel like criminals. I do not think it is the responsibility of a picketer to judge all groomers and bully them on their picket lines. I feel there are so many facts missing from this protest. I only hope the protesters can recite the policies of Petsmart. If they can’t, they shouldn’t be there, and if they can they should be able to explain the problems with the policies and how to improve them.
So where are the autopsies for these dogs? Do people even know the cause of deaths? If the owners won’t release the autopsy they most likely found something wrong with their pet that might not have been petsmarts fault. The corgis were definitely obese and other breeds that have died are known to have issues. I’m not blaming anyone I’m just saying we need some evidence here.
I wrote about a recent case of a dog, Fabio, who died during a grooming appointment at PetSmart on April 16th- https://www.animalwelfareissues.com/pet-smart-not-responsible-for-yorkies-death-peta-blames-the-store-with-lies/.
In this case, a necropsy showed Fabio had 16 adult heartworms and a collapsed trachea which led to the death of the dog during the appointment. Pet Smart had the necropsy performed along with the agreement of the owner.
The owner proclaimed his dog did not have heartworms repeatedly. But the owner not only knew but was treating him monthly with medication since 2015. He and his wife never disclosed to Pet Smart that Fabio also had a collapsing trachea.
Pet Smart was not at fault. I have no idea why the owner lied to the media about this. But now PETA is also blaming Pet Smart using lies the owner stated despite the necropsy results stating the real reason Fabio died.
I agree that we do need evidence. Knowing the necropsy results will be quiet telling.
Obesity is a serious problem with pets today and that extra weight makes a difference when grooming.
If the fault lies with the groomers, let there be justice. If the fault lies with the pet parents, let them take responsibility. If the reason lies somewhere between and no one is directly at fault, let that be known too.
Ultimately we need to be careful with ANY groomer we choose for our pets.
Thanks!
Necropsy
Petsmart has a 6 week grooming course for new groomers that must be completed prior to being allowed to groom. If there is any harm caused by a petsmart employee they automatically terminated. I’ve seen it happen over small safety infractions. And plus this is also perpetrated by PETA who has harmed so many animals that they claim to “rescue.” Social media and news must be taken with a grain of salt…
I am aware of Petsmart’s policies and porcedures because I was a GM for 2 of their stores several years ago. I have also managed other retailers that have grooming salons in their stores so I know a little about what goes on in the grooming salons. Groomers are sometimes hassled by guest because the groomer has to many appointments that day and can not book the guest dog. The guest will call corporate and complain that the groomer was rude to them and they wanted their dogs done right now. So many salons overbook to appease their clients. I’ve seen this on several occasions. I’ve also witnessed guest not letting the grooming salon know of pre existing conditions because they have friends and family coming into to town and they don’t want their dog to look like a hot mess. I’m not saying that the groomers were not a fault at these locations but sometimes guest can be a factor as well.
My .02
That’s the most obese corgi I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised it didn’t die from the car ride…. people are so dumb. Not petsmarts fault. Owners fault. Like making a 70 year old person who weighs 300 hundred pounds, has health conditions run a marathon and be okay. People like this shouldn’t own pets.
I don’t shop at Pet Smart anymore. They’re killing animals! Boycott them! I tell my friends the same thing.
Still Petsmart will not call the other pet owner to swap our dogs back. Its not fair to my 4 year old that lost her buddy. Petsmart forced me to take home a dog that wasn’t mine. I have all the blood work and breed records for both animals.
This happened on December 22, 2018 and Petsmart is getting away with this. All I wanted was a service. I never expected to never see my 11 year old dog again. The other person that has Bailey has not come foward and Petsmart refuses to do the right thing. Police wont help me and I cant find my dog. Im just baffled why is this happening. We are in AZ.
I wish I has read all of this first. My heart goes out to the above families. After taken our rescue Pekingese (Scully) in for shoots at our vet I decide in for a trim and bath because they run hot and it’s summer time. I went to Petsmart. The girl (maybe 19-20 years old) was heck of rude and I saw some of the other dogs not under the best care in the back ground. So Scully and I left and I got an appointment at a non chain vet approved place. Wow how does Petsmart get away with all of this. There has to be a way to hold them accountable! Boycott them!