4 PA PetSmart Employees Face Felony Charges In Dog's Death

PITTSBURGH, PA — Four PetSmart employees from the chain's East Liberty location face felony animal cruelty charges after a toy poodle named Kobie died in what was supposed to be a routine nail trimming session late last year.

The pet's owner, AJ Ross, was told the 12-year-old dog was dead when she went to pick up the poodle, WPXI-TV reported. According to court paperwork, a Humane Animal Rescue Investigation found the dog's neck had been hyperextended and his airway was crushed during the November grooming session.

Julie Miller, Shaphan Stonge, Elizabeth Doty and Heather Rowe all face various animal cruelty and neglect charges for their alleged roles in the poodle’s death on Nov. 17. The charges were filed this month.

Miller and Doty, both groomers, face two felonies, court records show. Those charges include aggravated cruelty to animals and torture.

Store managers Stonge and Rowe each face one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for October, according to court documents.

"We are heartbroken by and truly sorry for the loss of Kobe," PetSmart told Patch. "After this terrible accident, we launched an internal investigation and found unintended failure to adhere to our pet safety processes. Additionally, we cooperated with an external investigation, terminated the responsible associates and facilitated an autopsy to help provide answers."

This isn't the first time PetSmart has been accused of contributing to a pet's untimely death. In 2018, a Lambertville, N.J. resident whose dog died during a PetSmart grooming said employees brought the dead dog to a vet and left.

PetSmart operates 62 stores in Pennsylvania, according to the chain's website.