Understaffed PetSmarts Struggling With Overflowing Freezers of Dead Pets

PetSmart, America's largest pet store, the business follows precise rules for disposing of the animal's remains, at least on paper.

According to the company's "dead store-owned pet policy," which Motherboard received, wrap the deceased pet in a paper towel, place it in a plastic fish bag, seal the bag with elastic bands, and preserve it in the refrigerator or freezer.

This policy was implemented in July 2020 and was in effect as of January 2022, but PetSmart did not answer an inquiry on whether it is still in effect.

Protocol

The protocol stipulates that deceased animals must be brought to a veterinarian who cremates the remains at least once a week. It's never a good idea to keep dead pets in the freezer for more than a week or in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours.

According to workers who talked with Motherboard, these restrictions aren't often followed due to a lack of resources. Lea Romero-Serrano, a 24-year-old former PetSmart employee in Tullahoma, Tennessee, believes that she was requested to dispose of dead animals on her own time at least 30 times between 2019 and 2021 by her bosses.

Overcrowded

Because the refrigerators in her store were filled with deceased animals, Romero-Serrano says she would have to toss away hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, bearded dragons, geckos, and snakes.

Some of the animals had been returned to the store by their owners, others had arrived dead on trucks in the winter, and others had not received necessary veterinary care, she explained, adding that sometimes he was doing it weekly because they didn't have staff to go to the vet and adequately dispose of them, so I was instructed to dispose of them myself.

Correspondence

A supervisor emailed Romero-Serrano photographs of plastic bags containing dead animals wrapped in paper towels in 2020 and wrote, "Take care of these [tomorrow] before we are fired," according to a text conversation acquired by Motherboard. The supervisor rejected the accusation that the employee was requested to dispose of deceased dogs when Motherboard contacted them for comment.

PetSmart did not respond to whether this was the standard procedure or how such situations should be handled. Still, they did say that the allegations do not reflect their 1,650 locations or the more than 50,000 associates who give so much of themselves to treat all pets as if they were their own.

Romero-Serrano claims she used to toss dead animals in her garbage cans regularly.

Sentiments from Employees

When Motherboard first approached PetSmart for comment, a law firm representing the company wrote a letter requesting that the article not be published.

PetSmart management often rejects medical care for sick and unhealthy pets because of the expense, according to five current and former PetSmart employees from various shops. PetSmart received photographs from Motherboard but did not respond directly.

According to numerous former employees and this PETA investigation, some PetSmart shops used to pay bonuses to managers who kept veterinarian bills low.

According to Litt, a representative for PetSmart, all staff is authorized to seek therapy for in-store dogs. Leader bonuses and store scorecards are unaffected by vet expenses, and associates are taught that giving adequate medical care at the appropriate time is a crucial step for dogs under the company's care.

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