Pet Smart Not Responsible for Yorkie’s Death – PETA Blames the Store With Lies!

Fabio, a 6-year-ol Yorkie died during a grooming appointment at a Pet Smart store at 1540 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Florida on April 16th.    The appointment was for a routine grooming session which was to take four hours (which seems excessive to me.)    Within an hour, Fabio would be dead leaving Marcos and Michelle Soto and their children devastated.    With the recent deaths of four dogs who died in their grooming salons in a span of five months,  you not only have a PR nightmare for the largest pet retailer in the United States but you’re looking at your employees possibly involved in animal cruelty that needs to be addressed.

Pet Smart sent Fabio’s body to the University of Florida for a necropsy.   Marcos said the Banfield Hospital veterinarian who tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the Yorkie told him he had no explanation as to why a perfectly healthy dog had suddenly died.   

The necropsy results from the Anatomic Pathology Department at the University of Florida’s Veterinary Clinic are clear.     They conclusively determined Fabio’s death was caused by a “chronic” and “locally-extensive” infestation of heartworms and a pre-existing respiratory condition (collapsed trachea) which weren’t disclosed by the Soto couple.    Pet Smart said they would’ve denied Fabio an appointment according to their own grooming policies which states all pets must be in good health prior to receiving any grooming services.

Therefore, the cause of death- as determined by the independent necropsy- was unrelated and not caused by Pet Smart, its employees, or the grooming department. 

Fabio had 16 adult heartworms in his right ventricle.   The worms clogged up his arteries which contributed to a sudden heart attack according  to Dr. Nicole Cornett, a shelter veterinarian for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay who explained the necropsy results.     “The heartworms that caused the death of Fabio were adults.”    “They could have been treated with adult heartworm Immiticide.   Monthly heartworm prevention would not kill them at this stage.”    She also said the stress of a visit to a new groomer and the collapsed trachea were contributing factors for the dog going into cardiac arrest at the store.

Marcos originally and repeatedly said Fabio did not have heartworms.    He stated Fabio “was in perfect health, and he’s always been on heartworm preventative.   I have all the paperwork to prove it. ”  The small pup received veterinary clearance to join the family in the U.S. when they moved from the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma and Maria hit the area where they lived in 2017 

Why did Marcos lie about his dog’s health to the media and Pet Smart?    Soto finally admitted Fabio did have heartworms which were detected in 2015 and he was on monthly medication for them.       Soto told a media outlet “he wasn’t aware of the extent of the heartworms at the time of the grooming appointment.”      ” Fabio was healthy, up-to-date on his shots and showed no signs of being ill when they dropped him off.”

Michelle Soto signed the admission form at Pet Smart indicating Fabio was in good health.     She didn’t inform any Pet Smart employee that Fabio was being treated for heartworms; although, Marcos said his wife wasn’t asked if Fabio had heartworms.   His collapsing trachea wasn’t brought to their attention either.

Grooming loop/noose used by groomers to keep dogs in place during a haircut.

A groomer needs to know about a collapsing trachea.   A grooming loop is used to keep pets in place while groomed.   It’s placed directly around the neck coming in contact with the trachea.   If a dog is pulling against it, the loop will tighten which can cause the trachea to collapse resulting in coughing and possible breathing difficulties.     I’ve had several dogs who had collapsing tracheas.    I always inform my groomers.     I had an extremely well-behaved dog named Shadow who was groomed on a regular basis.      He was extremely cooperative so the loop wasn’t needed.     Shadow was having a slight problem with his trachea the day my husband and I took him for his grooming session.    We informed our groomer of the problem and she said she was okay not using it.    After his appointment, his collapsing trachea was much worse.    He coughed for five days!   We never used that groomer again.      A collapsing trachea can be so severe that a dog can faint and fall from a lack of getting air.     I eventually learned to groom my dogs which took longer but they looked good!

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has made claims that Pet Smart tried to buy the silence of the Soto family after they were approached to sign a non-disclosure agreement promising not to discuss what occurred with the media.   In return Pet Smart agreed to purchase a new dog for them.     Marcos decided against signing once he received a “strange call” from Pet Smart about the necropsy results.  Soto felt the necropsy results were wrong and didn’t believe Fabio had heartworms as the necropsy showed.     Soto’s responses are odd since he not only knew about the heartworms but was giving him monthly medication for them.       

Was Pet Smart buying the Soto’s silence as PETA claims?    What exactly was Pet Smart buying?      The necropsy results points to the Soto family who didn’t do right by their dog.   They didn’t inform the salon of any serious health issues Fabio had.

I’m no fan of Pet Smart’s grooming salons since stories of serious injuries and deaths occurred nationwide at their salons dating back to 2010.   Complaints against Pet Smart have been filed by many owners of pets who have been severely cut, overheated (due to blow dryers stuck in their faces inside cages,) strangulation and blunt force trauma by Pet Smart employees.   They’ve also had a Nashville store raided and six animals were removed after being accused of abusing them in March 2018.

Terri Lynn
KTVU

In 2016, a Chihuahua named Terri Lynn was at Pet Smart to get her nails trimmed.   Her “mom” returned within five minutes and the tiny pup went limp in her hands.    Efforts to save her failed.

Juan Zarate
courtesy of San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office

In an extremely disturbing case, a California Pet Smart groomer, Juan Zarate, was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty after a one-year-old Dachshund, Henry,  was bleeding from his mouth and having problems breathing during the firs few minutes of his grooming appointment with Zarate on May 15th, 2016.    The on-site vet was unsuccessful to help Henry and he died on the premises.    It was later determined Zarate broke two of Henry’s ribs and punctured a lung leading to his death.

In 2017, a Pennsylvania woman dropped off her Bichon, Brewster, at the Dickson City Pet Smart to be groomed.    Brewster was attacked by a pit bull while in the salon.   He succumbed to his injuries.

Three dog shave died at New Jersey Pet Smarts since December 2017.

While I don’t endorse Pet Smart’s grooming, I also don’t endorse PETA’s attacks without stating all of the facts in this case.    They’re claiming Fabio was healthy when he clearly wasn’t.      They claim  Pet Smart wanted to silence the Soto’s doesn’t make sense since it was the Soto’s who weren’t honest about Fabio’s health.   Why is PETA lying?

Does  Pet Smart or PETA truly care about animals?    The recent Nashville Pet Smart raid.    Claims by many people who said the store chain injured or killed their pets.    One grooming death is one too many.    Many injuries/abuse/ deaths are unacceptable and possibly criminal.    They need to reassess and do what is right for the animals.     There is an underlying problem that isn’t being addressed or being taken seriously.  No pet should ever die when groomed.

PETA claims they care about animals but find no problem in euthanizing most of the animals in their shelter.    PETA thinks euthanization can be more compassionate vs allowing them to live.     PETA feels we are “selfish in our desire to possess animals and receive love from them causes immeasurable suffering. ”    ” They are restricted to human homes, where they must obey commands and can only eat, drink, and even urinate when humans allow them to.”   “Dogs, cats, or birds, whose strongest desire is to be free, must be confined to houses, yards, or cages for their own safety.”    PETA doesn’t want us to have pets!

Not only do we have to be concerned about people abusing animals, we have to watch the very organizations who claim they want to help animals.     What do you think?