Petco Dog Grooming Death: Company Says It Wasn't to Blame But RI SPCA Says Investigation Continues

PROVIDENCE, RI — Ollie, the pug, died March 23 at the Middletown Petco, while groomers were trimming his nails. The state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched an investigation into the cause. Although the official results were not expected from Tufts Animal Hospital for several weeks, Petco on Friday announced preliminary results show its groomers were not at fault.

Stephanie Wilson, company spokeswoman, issued this statement:

"Based on the preliminary autopsy results from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, we can confirm that there was no evidence of trauma to Ollie’s head or neck. As is the case with all Pugs, Ollie had what is called brachycephalic syndrome. The results show that his soft palate was much longer than normal, which causes blockage of the airway and makes it difficult to breathe. As a result of this information, we do not believe the actions of the pet stylist who trimmed Ollie’s nails, nor any other store partners were responsible for his untimely passing. Our thoughts are with Ollie’s family during this difficult time."

A local veterinarian had delivered a similar opinion last weekend, and the SPCA announced it would investigate.

The SPCA said today its investigation is not over. Joe Warzycha, the animal cruelty investigator, will interview the store employees on Tuesday, Dr. E. F. Finocchio confirmed.

Dr. Finocchio said Ollie did have a congenital condition, which probably contributed to his death. He explained the soft palate, at the back of the throat, can reach into the trachea and make it hard to breathe. But questions remain about the restraint used on Ollie and whether the groomers were aware that pugs are susceptible to this type of problem.

"How to prevent this in the future? I don't know if the dog struggled," he said.

He estimated it would have taken two to five minutes for Ollie to succumb if his oxygen had been cut off.

"It wasn't a couple of seconds," he said. "And it didn't take 10 minutes." But people working with animals have to be aware dogs with short snouts or pushed in faces can be susceptible to this syndrome. Even pet owners should realize not to play too hard with these dogs. And everybody should err on the side of caution.

Also today, House Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) reintroduced legislation (2017-H 6054) that would require pet groomers to be licensed with the state. He decided to sponsor the bill again after learning about Ollie's death.

“Although the cause of Ollie’s death is still being investigated and no one has yet to be found at fault for this poor dog’s death, I believe this is an appropriate time to have this discussion once again for the sake of our pets’ protection and safety,” he said Leader Shekarchi. “I am a dog owner and I can imagine the pain that is being felt by not only Ollie’s owners, but also the workers who were grooming Ollie that fateful day. By ensuring that our state’s pet groomers are properly trained and licensed, hopefully we can avoid similar tragic events in the future,” he said.

Courtesy Stock Photo by Mike Mozart via Flickr