Reader Matt watched a PetSmart PetsHotel employee strike several dogs while waiting to pick up his pet. Matt immediately spoke with the store manager, who called the next day called to condemn the employee’s actions as ‘horribly inappropriate,’ and to promise that the employee would no longer work with dogs. Ten days later, Matt received another call, this time from the District Manager.
..the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee’s gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate.
Matt writes:
On Sunday, October 21, my wife and I picked up our dog from the Petsmart Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia (at Potomac Yards) where he had been boarded for one night. As we waited for our dog to be retrieved, we watched a live video stream of the day care room on a monitor facing us. The room appeared to be overcrowded with more than a dozen large dogs in a relatively small space. One employee could be seen in the middle of the crowd of dogs. Suddenly, both my wife and I saw this employee raise his hand and strike a dog. We were shocked by what we saw. Outraged, we immediately pointed this out the desk employee and requested to see a manager. As we waited, we continued to watch the video feed and witnessed the worker strike two or three more dogs. The Pet Hotel manager came out and we explained what we saw. We asked that this matter would be investigated and that the individual we saw strike the dogs would be removed from caring for dogs. We weren’t looking for any deal from Petsmart or to threaten any legal action — we just wanted a firm answer that this employee would no longer be left in the care of any animals.
The following day we received calls from both the Pet Hotel manager as well as the store manger. The Pet Hotel manager told me personally that she watched the video and found the worker’s actions “unacceptable.” In a separate conversation, the store manager stated that he watched the video “about 12 times” and also found it horribly inappropriate. Next we received a call from the District Manager who was incredibly evasive in her statements and stated she would get back to us after a full investigation, but that the employee in question was still working with dogs while the investigation took place. Ten days after the incident, the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee’s gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate. In response, we very reasonably asked if we could watch the video with her so she could show us what she saw. She said no.
Since this incident, we have canceled all his future stays. We are outraged by what we saw and even more troubled that despite two managers having told us that they agreed that the employee was inappropriate, the district manager not only concluded otherwise, but refused to show us her interpretation. Petsmart has handled this in the worst possible way, excusing the conduct of an employee who hit dogs he was entrusted to care.
We feel the right thing to do is to let the community know about this incident so that dog owners can consider this incident when finding care for their dogs. Needless to say, we feel strongly that Petsmart Hotel is not a dependable or safe place to trust for care of D.C.-area pets.
If you need to board your pet, use a local kennel instead a chain pet store.
(Photo: dairycow2)
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I used to work at petsmart, and I worked all the jobs, that is…groomer, specialty, stocking and cashier. We were expected to know our shit once we were hired at my store. I’m sure there’s plenty of screw ups like HN333 around, that only work a job for money or advancement…Which, I think is wrong, if you’re going to work around animals or something as important…I wouldnt take a job with the Salvation Army if I didnt give two shits about unfortunate people, would I? I was made to read books and manuals on nearly everything, and by the time I left that store, I had a great foundation of basic pet knowledge, and I would frequently share it with any customers that wanted to know about it. So dont judge petsmart and dont judge the people who work there based on one incident. I know there are bad people and bad stores, but when I worked there the biggest concern was getting what was best for the animals that lived in the store or came to visit.
Now, as for the video. I dont doubt there was some kind of abuse, but I also dont doubt that the people who accused were just eccentric and obsessive about their dog…Theres no real evidence to back any side up, just like everyone else was saying. Playing with dogs can look harmful alot of times, then again, there are the few abusive people floating around. So untill the video is released, who knows.
I’m curious as to the last time that anyone of us was in a room with a dozen dogs??? would you be inclined to think running such an “ORGANIZED” activity would be easy? I know I wouldn’t.
I think what everyone needs to remember is that there has to be a leader in a pack situation! Was there audio on this “live feed”? could they hear what was actually going on or did they just assume they knew the situation exactly as it was?
Are they even quoting the management correctly or have they taken their own spin on the situation?
I think what needs to happen is we all need to investigate where we take our pets. See the facility and know the people. Outrageous demands and false accusations only hurt the people invloved.
I know if anyone saw me playing with three dogs, they’d be on the phone to the authorities. My three 50 pounders look like they could kill anything or anyone when playing together. IMAGINE WHAT OVER A DOZEN LOOKS LIKE…
Didn’t Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist diagnose Terry Schiavo’s vegetative state by reviewing a video tape? I’ll bet that works with web cams in pet stores as well.
I would recommend that people no longer leave their animals with Petsmart, either for boarding or grooming. I left my small dog there for grooming, and when I picked him up, he had a large Petsmart bandana around his neck. I’ve seen those before, I guess they’re like when doctors give lollipops to kids. So I thought nothing of it, but after about 36 hours I was concerned by my dog’s listlessness. I removed the bandana, and found a LARGE cut across his throat. It was ugly and I took pictures of it. It was probably done while trimming, but I was outraged by the attempt to cover it up.
I called Petsmart and they offered to have their veterinarian fix up my dog for free, but I wanted them to do something about the employee who’d done this. They promised that they would, I spoke to the manager in person, but that guy was still working there a month later. This is the Petsmart on roosevelt boulevard in Philadelphia.
It drives me crazy that everyone automatically sides with the person reporting this? Ever think MAYBE they guy was just playing with the dogs, and that the person just misinterpreted it? I would like to see the video myself before drawing any conclusions.
Talk about treating animals better then dogs, the headline to this artical sounds like a damn tabliod.
I agree with you AZNTG 110% people care so much more about there damn pets then there fellow humans its disgusting. People would rather buy cloths for there dog who doesn’t even care, or cut its hair…or whatever, people…don’t you realize these are ANIMALS they don’t care how they look!!!
There are much greater things in this world to concern ourselves about then some guy pointing fingers at petsmart.
The really crucial thing is never to leave your animals at a facility the manager/owner won’t let you tour. Every kennel we’ve ever left my cats at, they let us tour the facility at any hour the place is open. And every vet we’ve used has allowed owner visits during hospitalizations.
If they won’t let you see the full facility and hang around and watch it working, I’d be suspicious.
(And every place we’ve ever used has allowed employees to speak for the kennel and give us access and so forth. If you’re at a place where employees have to say, “I have to get the manager before I can let you back there,” I’d be a little suspicious about that, too. Although, “That should be fine, let me check with the vet,” is a little different.)
#1 – I treat my dog better than I would treat a lot of humans. Why? Because my dog IS a better “person” than a lot of humans! Sad but true.
#2 – Sounds to me like you can’t see jack in the tape as far as what actually happened. We can’t even see the tape for ourselves!
#3 – I simply do not trust the people at the big-box pet stores. They’re just regular people with retail mcjobs. Some might be animal experts or at least animal lovers, some might hate animals and are just trying to pay their bills and feed their kids. It’s a risk I don’t want to take.
For boarding I have a most awesome dog walker who will actually put my dog up at her house! Dog gets walks, entertainment from 2 dogs/2 cats/2-year-old son and freedom to wander the house just like she would at home.
For grooming I have a couple indie, full-time groomers nearby.
In both cases, you have to do your homework and research. Don’t just look in the phone book. Ask your vet, ask your friends/family/neighbors/coworkers that have pets. Our groomers were recommended by people that we trust as doing good work and taking good care of the animals.
Actually you should probably do the same when looking for a vet.
@misskaz: That’s why I always board my pets with their vet. I’ve known and trusted her with several generations of pets, and the fact that it costs a little more than boarding them at ConGlommoKennel is worth it.
@sciencefreak:
Granted there are some people who are way over the top (like the guy at the groomer picking colored nail polish for his dog’s claws), but basic grooming is a health concern along with clothing for smaller dogs.
clothing is important for smaller dogs because we important them to climates in which they are not meant to be in. Groomings health benefits are subjective, and I am not against them, yet they are still not “natural”.
I didn’t meen this to be the main point of my argument, what I was trying to get at is that everyone automaticly sides with the personal telling the story rather then the giving this groomer a chance to defend himself…
Not enough info at all. It’s quite fishy that the person writing this article and two store managers saw these actions one way, where the higher up found them acceptable. It’s also very fishy nobody can see the tape.
According to the Petshotel website:
So to me, if that’s not the case as some here are saying, there is some false advertising going on. Should be pretty easy to prove if the staff are or are not certified. However, I would ask people to consider that Petsmart probably doesn’t just take a retail cashier and have him/her work the day care for a shift – my guess is there is a separate staff for the hotel.
And before I boarded my dog there, they gave me a full tour of all the facilities, from the kennels to the play area to the room where they prepare the food. I remain confident that my dog is well cared-for, although I certainly allow for differences in the quality of care at different locations of the chain. I’m just glad the one near me is a good one.
they Are safety trained certified. there is a whole training course that you have to complete, with many many manuals and tests. they don’t let just anyone into those specialized departments until you’ve proven you know what you are doing. and even after completion, you start out on the low rank (for groomers, you start out as a bather only.)
@sciencefreak:
Not subjective at all – my dog has long, thick hair. If her fur is too long in the summer she overheats and is more susceptible to hot spots. If it’s too long it gets in her eyes and irritates them. It holds water and she gets cold if she gets wet. The longer it gets, the more susceptible it gets to getting matted and developing other problems like mange. I’d have to brush her all the time. Also not natural
The trouble with the “not natural” concept is that we’re talking about domesticated dogs, many of which have hundreds (if not thousands) of years of decidedly unnatural selective breeding inside them. We’re way past letting nature take its course. My dog wouldn’t last a week wandering free in suburban America, let alone in the Tibetan highlands where her breed originated
Just wanted to quote you because I agree with your main point and didn’t want it to get lost.
@Troy F.:
yup, I agree, when you take dogs that were bred with less ungroomed-friendly traits, and combine that with a different lifestyle, they are going to need some grooming.
@misskaz: I have had very good experiences with our local Petsmart/Petshotel. The staff is courteous and kind to the pets. We use the same groomer every time and my dog now looks forward to haircuts. Being independent is not a guarantee of quality employees or good management.
Links Glue You To The Seat of Your Pants by Alex Carnevale My guess would be that there is going to be a fair amount of talk about Andrew Sullivan’s pro-Obama piece in The Atlantic Monthly. What does he offer? First and foremost: his face.
@misskaz: yeah, Mcdonalds is a “godsend” for people who don’t care about nutrition too. While you need a little due diligence in order to be sure you’re leaving your pet in good hands (my vet has a boarding service and I know they’re good to animals), you can be damned sure the safety of your pet is significantly less important to these behemoth chains than their beloved bottom lines.
Chains don’t care about you or your pets. They sell crap food that kills pets and are pretty much retailers rather than pet professionals. You get what you pay for: convenience in the short term.
The first rule of any business is that you don’t admit liability. I seriously doubt that the hotel and store managers would admit wrongdoing until there had been an investigation. There was an investigation and there was no abuse found. Matt doesn’t like the answer so he is misquoting the managers to bolster his argument. Matt “knows” what he saw and won’t be told otherwise.
Petsmart has way to much to lose by protecting an employee that beats pets. If a company would fire an employee for tardiness, do you think they would have any hesitation in firing someone for this. Yes, that would admit “guilt”, but bad hiring decisions happen all the time. Cops beat Rodney King…do you not “use” the LAPD anymore? Drawing conclusions about an entire company based on the alleged actions of one person is faulty logic.
I volunteer at a local shelter and I know that Animal Control regularly visits places like petco and petsmart just to make sure that everything is okay. If there was a culture of accepting animal abuse at a store, I am sure that it would be obvious to the ACO.
I also know from my work at the shelter that there are crazy animal people. I have had animal control called in because a cat had a hot spot and we were accused to torturing the animal. We feed dogs dry food not wet and we are accused of starving them to death.
There are comments in here that petsmart is afraid to “admit” they were wrong. Maybe Matt is wrong and he can’t admit it.
Thank you ApplesJuice for being a logical person. I agree, why would Petsmart protect someone for “beating” dogs? What message could that possibly send other than, they don’t care. That’s asanine.
I just don’t think you could pay a person enough to pick up urine and feces all day if they didn’t love animals.
“Matt” needs to realize that he might be wrong in this situation.
@applesjuice: You’re just jumping to a conclusion in the opposite direction of most people who are jumping to conclusions here.
I appreciate Reader Matt’s concern for the wellfare of his dog. There are alot of bad seeds out there in the world. His method of complaint was correct, but he should acknowledge that his perception is that of protective parent. To put my opinion plainly, I think it’s unlikely that Reader Matt’s perception is the whole truth. I have worked in boarding kennels before, and I agree with moonbeamlai and applejiuce on a number of points.
1. Know the folks taking care of your pets. Ask to see the facilities directly. Ask them very specific questions about their routine. Use your judgement, but remember they are dealing with dozens of dogs not only yours, so their routine may be different than the one you might have at home.
2. While boarding dogs is not a high margin business, it is NOT in the interest of Petsmart to let a ‘culture’ of abuse to develop. Reader Matt is convinced that his dog was mistreated, which has in turn started a firestorm of media problems. On this site alone, figuratively speaking, crowds of potential customers are running from their doors chanting ‘Petsmart is Evil!’ That being said, what company would think this is a reasonable risk for a hourly employee?
3. Again, having worked with dogs in boarding kennels before, trust me when I say you need to really like dogs to clean up shit and piss all day, get accidentally bitten by dogs who get excited by the shear volume of animals around, and deal with pet-parents’ adolescent and misguided perceptions of their dog’s needs. Most folks who don’t like dogs enough drop this job quick; I’ve seen it happen.
Lastly, now that we’re all worked-up about animal rights, I suggest we express our concern proactively and donate online to a animal protection group like Last Chance for Animals. If there’s a real problem, I think a group like LCA will get to the bottom of it. I think I’ll go do that now…
I loves dogs. =) Ask anyone. I appreciate Reader Matt’s concern for his dogs wellfare. You have to stay on top of it. I think he did the right thing by working his way up the chain of command to make sure this got addressed fully. That being said I think that he should acknowledge that his perception is that of protective parent, and therefore may not contain the whole truth.
I have worked in boarding kennels I agree with moonbeamlai and applejuice on a number of points:
1. Take personal responsibility for dog’s welfare, know the folks taking care of your dogs. Ask them very specific questions about their routines and facilities. Ask them if you can see the facilities. Use your judgment, if they make you nervous find someone else. There are plenty of loving folks out there; box-chain or otherwise. Remember though that their routine may be a bit different than the yours at home. They take care of a whole pack of dogs at once, so life can be a bit different.
2. You have to really love dogs to work these jobs. You have a legion of pooping and peeing machines. And since they are not at home they often seem to think any old place wiil do. Just like at home they need attention. Pet-parents may not know about their dog, but some like to rough-house. They get all excited by someone new to play with and accidentally punch a hole in your finger with their teeth. Or maybe they’re just a little nervous with all the non-humans around, and again accidentally do the same thing. Lastly, you have to deal with the occasional adolescent and misguided parents’ perceptions of their dogs needs.
3. While animal boarding is not a high margin business, it is not in the interest of any business to risk a media firestorm over an hourly employee. Speaking frankly, I would argue that Petsmart could take better care of your dog because unlike a kennel-only busines they can pad the bottom line with sales from the retail side during the off season. This tempers the need to over-book during the high season to covers expenses when things are slow. Even at good kennels I’ve seen this happen.
So again I would say that I’m glad that Reader Matt is taking his dogs welfare seriously but he should take the opportunity to collect as much of the truth as possible.
Lastly, I think I’m gonna dash over to Last Chance for Animals and donate some money. If there is a problem, they’ll get to the bottom of it.
Huh, I thought it lost that first one. Hmf…
Most of you will assume I’m biased, and I guess I am because I am a former Petshotel employee… but nevertheless some of the claims some of you are making are entirely unfair and not true. You should gather your facts before making accusations that Petsmart hires just anyone off the streets, and before you start making assumptions about Petsmarts boarding facilities.
The pet parent that witnessed this had a right, and should have exercized that right further, to see the video. A District Manager simply saying no shouldn’t stop someone who genuinely believed that what they saw was animal abuse… they could have brought the issue to the attention of the ABKA or the Humane Society if they felt there was really a situation that was endangering thier pets.
The Petshotel is a lot more secure than most mom and pop boarding facilities because they have cut and clear rules about the care and comfort of your pet… your local boarding facilities are filthy and wreak of feces and dirty dog… the animals are more succeptible to communicable diseases because most mom and pops can’t afford the high tech air filtration that Petsmart can cover, and also they do not have regulations imposed on them that a large company does.
The claim that Petsmart hires just anyone off the streets is completely unfounded… Petsmart employees have to undergo a background check and a drug test before being hired… Petshotel has it’s own set of employees with it’s own set of policies and procedures in addition to the store P&P, so the associates in there are always under close scrutiny and will be taken care of if they are not following those guidelines.
On occaision there are times when an employee may act innappropriately, and those employees are dismissed immediately if they are found to be in the wrong… I myself have been witness to employees being written up for breaking up a dog fight in which a pet parent thought she looked like she was kicking the dog, even though it was clear in the tapes that she wasn’t… she was just trying to break up a fight, and ended up getting herself hurt instead of the dogs getting hurt.
It makes no sense for Petsmart to protect an employee for hurting an animal… in terms of a business, that is fiscally and ethically irresponsible. Would you keep an associate that was causing you to lose clientele?
The facilities at Petsmart are subject to all of the inspections and requirements of other boarding facilities and then some. The hotel I worked at was required to be inspected randomly by Animal Control Officers, they all had to be American Boarding and Kennel Association members. The Hotel has nothing to hide, and if you insist they will give you a tour and answer any of the wuestions you have for them… Petmsart isn’t in this business to hire people to beat animals and neglect them… they wouldn’t be able to stay in business if that were the case.
I worked at the petsmart when this happened and they simply over reacted. The guy that was working in the room loves dogs and would never do anything to hurt them. He was simply playing with the bigger dogs not striking them.