10-Year Investigation Finds 47 Dogs Died After Grooming At PetSmart, Link Uncertain
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
TRENTON, N.J. (KDKA/AP) -- A New Jersey news organization reports that since 2008, 47 dogs have died across the U.S. during grooming, or within days of showing signs of ill health after grooming, at PetSmart.
NJ.com's numbers are based on reports by PetSmart customers in 14 states. There were eight reported dog deaths in Pennsylvania, according to the report.
The news outlet says the count is not definitive because there is little public accounting of such deaths, and no state requires all individual groomers to be licensed.
PetSmart calls "false and fabricated" any claim there is a "systemic problem." Nj.com couldn't tell what, if any, connection the deaths have to the grooming or how PetSmart's numbers compare with those at other groomers.
NJ.com says a lack of data, and a lack of transparency when disputes with groomers occur, have prevented a full understanding of what is happening.
(TM and © Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)