Third dog death under investigation after stay at pet store in Virginia
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is investigating the death of a third dog after a stay at the PetSmart PetsHotel in Potomac Yard.
The agency was originally contacted on July 1, 2024, regarding the death of a dog while being boarded at the PetSmart PetsHotel located at 3351 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA. There has been an active investigation to determine what led to the dog’s passing. An autopsy was an animal autopsy done. The results have yet to be determined.
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According to officials, PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation.
Since the initial complaint, there have been two additional individuals who have come forward with similar claims. In both cases, the two dogs experienced illnesses and subsequently died within a week of being boarded at the PetsHotel.
Officials say the dog’s bodies were cremated, so animal autopsies were unable to be performed. All three dogs boarded at the PetsHotel during the same timeframe.
This continues to be an ongoing investigation.
PetSmart issued the following statement:
Pet care and safety are our top priorities. As pet lovers, we are heartbroken when a pet passes away. We take this extremely seriously and have been in touch with everyone involved to offer our complete support. We are diligently investigating and working closely with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Based on what we’ve learned, these three incidents are each unique with different causes ranging from underlying conditions to older age – not due to the time in our care. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively conducting hands-on retraining with our Potomac Yard associates to ensure our best-in-class safety standards are always adhered to.