A family in Indiana brought their bulldog, Bubba, to the local Petsmart grooming salon for a nail trim, and the pup never came home. What happened? It’s not really clear, but it appears that the dog collapsed and vomited, leaving him unable to breathe. Now the family is upset and wants justice for their pet, but what does “justice” in this case mean?

The case first reached the attention of local news from Reddit, where a picture of the dog and a summary of what happened attracted sympathy and stories of groomer harm from other pet owners.

The publicity around Bubba’s death is a good reminder for people: if pedicures are stressful for your pet, consider having them performed at the vet instead of a groomer, and performed under sedation. Some pets will even tolerate baths, haircuts, and nail trims at home if you learn how to perform them.

Petsmart acknowledges that the dog died under their care, and said in a statement that there is an “investigation” of the incident happening. As a short-snouted breed, bulldogs are at particular risk of breathing problems during stressful situations like air travel or grooming.

Petsmart released a statement to a local news station, which may not be good enough for the family since it doesn’t actually apologize or acknowledge that the groomers did anything wrong.

At PetSmart, the health and safety of the pets in our care is a top priority, and we are truly saddened by the loss of Bubba. An investigation is underway, but our initial review indicates that our associates acted appropriately by helping the pet parent find the nearest open pet emergency center. We require all of our pet groomers to complete an extensive training program and an annual safety certification. We believe that a continued focus on high standards is an effective way to hold groomers accountable and promote safety in our salons.

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