Friday, June 05, 201
Petco
apologized Thursday for the death of a dog who was left in a dryer too
long during a grooming appointment. The company also fired the workers
involved in the incident.
"We
take full responsibility for what happened in Midlothian, and remain
heartbroken over Colby's untimely passing," the company said in a
statement sent to USA TODAY Network.
Colby,
a 2-year-old golden retriever, died of possible heat stroke after being
left in a drying unit for too long at a Petco located in Midlothian,
Va., owner Allison Marks told ABC News in an interview Monday. The incident happened on Friday, May 29.
An
investigation by Petco found that "animal care protocols" were not
followed during Colby's appointment and the people involved have been
let go from the company, according to the statement. Petco also removed
the type of dryer used in this case from all store locations.
"We
are also using this incident to reinforce our standards of care, and
will be conducting nationwide sessions to reinforce this training with
grooming salon team members in every Petco store next week," the
statement said.