Family's Dog Dies While Being Groomed At Tampa PetSmart

TAMPA, FL – The results of a necropsy performed on a Yorkshire terrier that died while being groomed at a Tampa PetSmart show the dog had a collapsed trachea as well as 16 adult heart worms when he was brought in to be groomed. Veterinarians at the University of Florida where the necropsy was performed say the stress of the visit to the groomer contributed to the dog's death, inducing cardiac arrest.

Marcos and Michelle Soto dropped off their 6-year-old Yorkie, Fabio, at the PetSmart grooming studio at 1540 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, on April 16, for a routine grooming appointment that was supposed to take about four hours.

A little over an hour later, Fabio was dead. Marcos Soto said the dog showed no signs of being ill prior to being dropped off at the groomer. He said the dog was up to date on his shots and received a monthly heart worm preventative.

Heart worms are parasitic mites caused by mosquito bites. Mature worms migrate to the heart, causing congestive heart failure. Many dogs, however, show little or no signs of infection even after the worms become adults, according to UF vets.

Original report:

A Tampa family is anxiously awaiting the results of a necropsy to find out why their Yorkshire terrier suddenly died while being groomed at PetSmart.

Marcos and Michelle Soto dropped off their 6-year-old Yorkie, Fabio, at the PetSmart grooming studio at 1540 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Monday, April 16, for a routine grooming appointment that was supposed to take about four hours. It was the first time the family used the PetSmart grooming services.

But, a little over an hour later, their little dog was inexplicably dead.

Marcos Soto said they were shocked. Fabio was healthy, up to date on his shots and showed no signs of being ill when they dropped him off.

Marcos Soto said they simply received a call from PetSmart telling them that Fabio was unresponsive and that they needed to return to PetSmart immediately.

Michelle Soto arrived first. When Marcos Soto walked in, Fabio was in his wife’s arms.

"She was calling his name but he wasn’t responding,” Soto said. “His eyes were closed, his mouth was open and his tongue was hanging out.”

Soto said PetSmart brought in its on-site veterinarian with Banfield Pet Hospital. During the examination, the Yorkie went into cardiac arrest. The vet gave him CPR but was unable to save him.

Soto said the vet could offer no explanation why a perfectly healthy dog had suddenly died.

"His words were, 'We don't know what happened,’” Soto said.

Soto said Fabio was part of their family. He said it's been especially hard on their two children.

“My kids are still suffering the passing of Fabio,” he said. "My family is grieving."

Soto said he keeps looking behind him, expecting to see the little dog following him around the house as usual.

“He was my boy,” Soto said. “He was with me wherever I went. It’s like losing a child.”

At PetSmart's suggestion, the dog's body was sent to the University of Miami for a necropsy. Soto said he wanted to know whether Fabio died of a previously undetected medical condition or if PetSmart did something to cause the dog’s death.

"My interest has never been to get any money out of PetSmart," said Soto. "No dollar amount can make up for the pain of losing a family member. We just want to know what happened and make sure it doesn't happen to another family. The hardest part is not having any clear answers."

This isn’t the first time a dog has died at a PetSmart grooming studio.

On March 25, a Corgi died during a grooming appointment at a PetSmart in Toms River, N.J. This was the third dog to die at a New Jersey PetSmart since late December. The Corgi’s owner is also awaiting the results of a necropsy.

After Patch reported on the Corgi’s death, the online news organization received more than 50 emails from people around the country sharing horror stories about PetSmart grooming experiences.

Among them was Lambertville, New Jersey, resident Danielle DiNapoli. DiNapoli’s bulldog, Scruffles, died at a New Jersey PetSmart during a grooming appointment on Dec. 29.

Now she is organizing a protest at PetSmarts across the country on May 5 to push for the company to close the grooming studios.

"This must be stopped," she wrote on her Facebook page, Justice for Scruffles. "Enough is enough!"

DiNapoli has posted an online petition demanding that PetSmart investigate and release a public report on the grooming deaths. That petition has more than 94,000 signatures.

Another petition is calling for the implementation of “Scruffle’s Law” in New Jersey. The law would classify companion pets as more akin to family members than property, making it easier for pet owners to sue for damages against individuals who cause the injury or death of their pets through negligence, recklessness or animal cruelty. That petition has nearly 60,000 signatures.

Soto said he is planning to join DiNapoli’s protest.

After Fabio’s death, he said the store sent his family flowers and a note of sympathy but no explanation.

"They seemed to be genuine about their concern," he said.

He said PetSmart even offered to purchase a new dog for the family. However, there was a catch. The Soto family would be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement promising not the discuss what occurred with the media.

Marcos Soto said he was on the verge of signing the agreement so he could put the tragedy behind them and allow his children to begin healing when he received a strange phone call from PetSmart.

"They said they had preliminary results of the necropsy that showed Fabio had a bad case of heart worm," said Soto. "Since then, they've been silent. They've completely stopped communication with me."

Soto said there is no way his dog had heart worms. When the family moved to the United States from the Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the U.S. island territory last fall, Fabio had to receive veterinary clearance to join the family.

In November, Soto took Fabio to a Tampa veterinarian for his yearly checkup, shots and heart worm medication.

"He was in perfect health, and he's always been on heart worm preventative," Soto said. "I have all the paperwork to prove it. So I asked PetSmart to send me the results of the necropsy and I've received no response."

The Tampa PetSmart issued the following statement:

“We immediately rushed Fabio to the vet when he exhibited signs of illness, and we are very saddened that he passed away. The loss of a pet is extremely difficult, and we have shared our deep sympathy with the pet parents. We are conducting an internal investigation and hope to receive the results of the necropsy report, which should help us understand the overall circumstances leading to Fabio’s unfortunate passing”

On its website, PetSmart says it screens all animals when they come in for grooming appointments and added that it reserves the right to turn away any pets that are at risk of serious injury.

PetSmart says its groomers undergo a yearlong training process that starts with trainees "learning basic anatomy and bathing at least 125 dogs." The training progresses to 160 hours of classes and in-salon training that teaches them how to use grooming tools and how to groom specific breeds and styles. From there, it's 16 weeks of supervised on-the-job training "by salon leaders as they work on 200 dogs," the website says. Then they spend six more months learning and being evaluated "until they become certified PetSmart Pet Stylists," the company says.

PetSmart's website also says it has instituted a host of policies to ensure the well-being of pets. Among them, the store now offers "express service" for breeds such as bulldogs, pugs, boxers and Boston terriers that "are more likely to experience respiratory challenges, particularly in stressful environments."

The website says PetSmart now does an assessment of the pet at grooming check-in for lethargy, excessive panting or drooling, trembling or shaking, or resistance to entering the salon or going to the kennel area. The store reserves the right to refuse service to pets that exhibit those behaviors.

Have you had issues with a groomer at PetSmart? Contact D’Ann Lawrence White at dann.white@patch.com.

Image via Marcos Soto