Woman Claims Dog Was Mauled to Death While in the Care of Groomers

A Pennsylvania woman is speaking out about her shock at being informed by PetSmart that her family dog was killed by another dog.

"We dropped him off to get groomed, and we get a call that he's dead," Betty Miller said, according to Fox 8.

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On Wednesday of last week, Miller dropped off her 12-year-old bichon, Brewster, at the PetSmart in Dickson City. She left the dog there believing that he was going to be groomed and well taken care of; however, that is not what happened.

"He was loving," Miller said of her dog. "He was gentle. He was funny. He was like a toy, and he loved everyone."

The Millers' dog was immediately rushed to the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center. Brewster was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a statement, the clinic said, "resuscitation efforts were administered, but proved to be unsuccessful."

Miller says that she was unsatisfied with how PetSmart corporate handled the situation.

"We called corporate," Miller said. "They did not reach out to us, and I was very angry about that. Why would you want to bring a pit bull past a small dog who's really just bait? He was bait."

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Miller says that she has been thinking back on her final memories of her dog.

"I felt so guilty the day it happened because we would say to him, 'You want to go bye-bye?' and he'd hop in that car, and he didn't know it was going to be his last ride. It was hard, very, very hard. He's been with us for 12 years. He was just a great dog."

PetSmart released a statement in regards to the incident.

"We are truly saddened by the loss of Brewster. The health, safety and well-being of the pets in our care is our top priority, and we immediately launched an internal investigation to better understand what led to this tragic accident," the statement read.

"We have high standards of care in place and are actively gathering more information to determine any policy or procedural violations. We welcome all dogs, regardless of their breed, into our grooming salons provided they are well-behaved. We will remain in close contact with Brewster's pet parent as we learn more," it continued.