A Virginia woman claims her dog was delayed treatment after his nose was accidentally cut while being groomed at a PetSmart in Chesterfield County.
Victoria Lawhorne said her dog, Osito, was injured July 30 at the PetSmart store in Chester, WTVR reported.
“They called me and said my dog was rushed to the vet because he had got cut," Lawhorne told the television station. “They said he was moving a tiny bit too much and accidentally cut his nose.”
Lawhorne said she met the PetSmart employees at the Banfield Pet Hospital, attached to a PetSmart in Colonial Heights, which is nine miles from the Chester location. Lawhorne claims the employees were going to take the dog to another veterinarian because the one in Colonial Heights "charge an arm and a leg here."
"A piece of his nose was kind of missing and open up and like and you could see meat inside and blood. It was kind of like gross and nasty," Lawhorne told WTVR. "I didn't even want to look at it because it gave me chill bumps," she said.
Lawhorne said Osito was taken to an animal hospital in Midlothian, 30 minutes north of the Colonial Heights facility.
"My dog is hurt. You should have taken him to the first vet you could have taken him to no matter what the price is," Lawhorne told WTVR. "You guys injured him so you guys should be responsible to pay and get him fixed as soon as possible, not wait four or five hours to figure out what vet you are going to take him to.
“From 4:30 until about 10:30, 11 o’clock, my dog was in the vet because they decided to shop from vet to vet because one was more expensive than the other. That shouldn’t have happened."
According to veterinarian records, Osito was sedated and surgical glue was used to repair his nose, which had been lacerated.
Vet records from Animal Medical Center show Osito was sedated and surgical glue was used to repair his lacerated nose. PetSmart paid for the dog's treatment and offered Lawhorne a $50 gift card, which she refused, WTVR reported.
“It’s more than an inconvenience, my dog was in pain, suffering, he wasn’t eating and I don’t think just a $50 gift card could be OK,” Lawhorne told the television station.
In a statement to WTVR, PetSmart officials said,
“Osito’s nose was accidentally cut during a groom, and he was immediately taken to a local pet hospital by our associate where he was transferred to an emergency veterinarian to receive prompt treatment. The welfare of Osito was our top priority, and treatment costs were not a factor in how we sought care for him. ... We are sorry this accident occurred, and we wish Osito a speedy recovery.”
About the Author
