I am writing this to warn other pet parents. On June 3rd, I dropped off my Maltipoo, Sophie, to be…read moregroomed by Josie at the Tanasbourne location (Store #254) When I picked her up at 10:30 AM, Josie informed me she couldn't complete the haircut because Sophie yelped whenever her tail was lifted. She added that she couldn't express Sophie's glands either, and suggested I have the vet do it. Concerned, I checked Sophie for injuries but didn't see any.
When we got home, Sophie acted extremely strange. Normally full of energy and excited for her post-grooming treat, she instead lay flat on the floor with her eyes closed. She refused water, food, and treats. Later, she walked to the bedroom and just stared at the bed, unable to jump up. By 2:00 PM, she still hadn't moved, eaten, drank, or gone potty. I immediately scheduled the earliest possible vet appointment for the next morning.
Following the vet's examination, I knew I needed to find out what happened to Sophie while in Petco's care. I tried reaching out to the store manager, Sarah, but she ignored me. I finally had to go to the store on my lunch break to find her and ask if there was camera footage. Sarah told me I would have to file a police report to see the video. During this conversation, she let it slip that the groomer told her Sophie had vomited and had diarrhea during the appointment. The groomer never mentioned this to me, and Sophie showed no signs of illness at home. If she was that sick, why didn't they stop the groom and call me immediately?
When I asked for the District Manager's contact info, Sarah refused but promised to have her call me. The DM, Kalinda Harry, did reach out. She assured me she wanted to get to the bottom of this and asked for my vet documentation to discuss compensation. I agreed to give her time to conduct an internal investigation and review the video footage.
After days of silence, I followed up with Kalinda on Monday the 15th to ask what she saw on the footage. She replied that she had watched it, but was still waiting on my vet records. I asked why she needed vet records just to tell me what happened on the video. After receiving no response, I forwarded her the appointment confirmation and receipt just to clear the hurdle, explicitly stating that I was not looking for financial compensation--I just want to know what happened to my dog.
Since then, it has been total silence from Kalinda and corporate. To them, Sophie may just be a dog, but to me, she is family. I will not let this go until I get answers. Please think twice before leaving your fur babies at this location.