The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is conducting an investigation into the deaths of three dogs who either died during their stay or shortly after being boarded at the PetSmart Pets Hotel in Potomac Yard. This follows a series of troubling incidents that have raised serious concerns among pet owners and animal welfare authorities.
One of the affected dogs was a seven-year-old Great Dane named Nova Reed. Nova’s owner, Sara Reed, who moved to D.C. three years ago, noticed changes in Nova’s health and behavior after her first boarding experience at the Potomac Yard PetSmart.
“Over the course of the last three years, things, for the most part, were fine,” Reed said. “Other than the kennel cough that one time, and then one time she came home with digestive issues.”
However, during Nova’s last boarding from June 28 to July 7, her condition took a dramatic turn for the worse. “Not only was she coughing up blood this last time that we picked her up, but she had diarrhea,” Reed recounted, highlighting the severity of Nova’s symptoms upon her return.
Investigation Underway Following Deaths of Dogs at PetSmart Pets Hotel:
The investigation began on July 1 after the death of a three-year-old Aussie-doodle named Clark. Alexandria’s chief animal control officer confirmed to News4 that the agency started investigating following Clark’s death. Clark’s owner reported that the dog was dead on arrival when a PetSmart employee dropped him off at the vet while he was being boarded at the Pets Hotel. Clark’s body was sent for a necropsy, an autopsy for animals, and the League is still awaiting the results.
Since then, two additional pet owners have come forward with similar allegations. Investigators reported that these owners claimed their dogs fell ill and died within a week of being boarded at the Pets Hotel. All three dogs had been boarded at the Pets Hotel during the same timeframe, prompting the League to conduct inspections of the facility every two days.
In response to these incidents, PetSmart released a statement to News4, emphasizing their commitment to pet care and safety: “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. 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.”
Despite these reassurances, Sara Reed expressed her concerns and called for more stringent measures.
“I think the facility should be shut down until the investigation concludes,” she said. “I feel like I’m a long-time customer at this point, and as sweet as some of the staff members have been to my dog, my dog has come home, and, as I said, there’s been a few occurrences where she’s come home, and there were issues.”
News4 crews observed animal service workers entering and exiting the PetSmart facility on Saturday. While the exact nature of their activities was unclear, the League has indicated that PetSmart has been cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.
As the investigation continues, pet owners like Sara Reed hope that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure no other pets suffer similar fates. The findings of the necropsy and the League’s thorough inspections will be crucial in determining the next steps and ensuring the safety of all pets boarded at the Pets Hotel.
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