Chewy Declines Returned Pet Food, Surprises Grieving Pet Owner Instead

Grieving pet owner Anna Brose decided to return unused pet food to Chewy. She was shocked to learn that the company did not accept the bag of pet food back.

Brose's German short-haired pointer and chocolate lab mix, who was 5 years old, recently passed away from stomach bloat. She addressed him as Gus.

Gus was viewed by Brose as having a kind and loving soul. She remembered how the dog had a lot of fears when they had first adopted him, including unfamiliar people, balloons, and thunder. According to Brose, Gus put a lot of effort into overcoming his fears to be near his owners. He simply desired constant physical contact with his fur parents.

Customer Service at Its Finest

Brose claimed that a week after Gus' passing, she attempted to return the unopened bag of dog food she had ordered from Chewy.

In addition to condolences, Jordan, a customer service representative for the business, gave her a full refund. According to Brose, the agent suggested she give the food to a nearby shelter.

A box of flowers that she later discovered on her front porch in Madison, Wisconsin, gave her a second surprise. The bouquet came from Jordan of Chewy, contrary to what she initially assumed to be the case.

Brose was surprised to receive the flowers from Chewy and was moved by their arrival.

Brose claims that Chewy has always provided her with excellent customer service, but receiving a bouquet was on an entirely different level. That they were aware of Gus's passing and cared about it meant a great deal to Brose.

Twitterverse Exchanges

She tweeted about the kind gesture and explained that she had gotten in touch with Chewy to return an unopened bag of dog food after her dog passed away.

She tweeted that Chewy issued her a complete refund, instructed her to donate the food to a shelter, and had flowers delivered along with a card that had been handwritten and signed by the individual Brose spoke with.

Chewy said that it was the least they could do and they were hoping the flowers would lift Brose's spirits.

Andrew Stein, senior director of Chewy's customer service, said in a statement that interacting with a customer is a chance to make them happy in a happy moment or comfort them in a sad one. The business went on to say that these gestures of enduring companionship, such as sending hand-painted pet portraits, hand-written holiday cards, and sympathy flowers, are ingrained in their corporate culture and enable them to forge deeply individualized and emotional bonds through all the highs and lows of pet ownership, Fox 13 News reports.

Concern or Self-Promotion?

Chewy has been accused of self-promotion by some online users, to which Brose defended the company. She said that even though a business must promote itself to succeed, she genuinely believes that the customer service representatives are acting with compassion and sincere concern for their clients and their pets.

Brose claimed she had no idea her tweet would become popular, but it had been a special way to honor Gus.

Gus was such a special dog, she continued, and it means the world to her that so many people will remember him. Brose also wishes for people to take heart from this tale and be motivated to adopt or give to their neighborhood humane society to help dogs in shelters like Gus.