Target: Allegheny County, PA District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala
Goal: Give most stringent punishment possible to groomers who allegedly killed 12-year-old toy poodle.
A 12-year-old toy poodle, named Kobe, died after he was allegedly mishandled by groomers at PetSmart during a nail trim. Groomers Elizabeth Doty and Julie Miller, along with managers Heather Rowe and Shapan Stonge, were brought up on animal cruelty charges for the incident. They should be given the harshest penalty allowed by law if they are found guilty, so that such a tragedy will be less likely to happen again.
Kobe’s owner, AJ Ross, stated that she walked inside to see employees standing around doing nothing as her dog lay there motionless. Surveillance camera appears to further show Kobe struggling while being held inside a harness. Footage appears to also show that Kobe was in a great amount of distress while being forcibly held down by groomers. Unfortunately, Kobe was later pronounced dead by a veterinarian, who stated that his airway had been crushed after his neck was pulled in two different directions while he was held in place by tethers. The doctor additionally said Kobe died because while this was happening, his paws were not able to touch the grooming table below, causing a dangerous struggle.
PetSmart did their own investigation and fired all employees reportedly involved after it was determined that proper safety procedures were not followed during the nail trim. Sign this petition to demand that the people charged with this crime be given the strictest sentence possible if it is determined that this innocent animal died due to mistreatment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear District Attorney Zappala,
A senior toy poodle, named Kobe, recently died after he was allegedly mistreated by PetSmart groomers while he was getting his nails trimmed. It is important that everyone allegedly involved be given the strictest punishment possible so that other beloved pets will be less likely to endure the same fate.
Surveillance camera footage appears to show Kobe trying to break out of the harness that is being used to hold him in place. The video also appears to show groomers brutally holding Kobe down as he struggles to break free. According to a veterinarian, Kobe’s airway was crushed because his neck was pulled back and forth and also because his paws were not able to reach the table while he was striving to get out of the harness. PetSmart fired the groomers and store managers after it was decided that optimal safety precautions were not followed. The former employees were charged with animal cruelty shortly afterwards. For these reasons, we demand you seek the toughest punishment allowed for all parties if they are found guilty of this unfounded animal abuse.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Duncan Blackwood
petsmart does not care about animals. Animals are seen as a source of profit and that is it! They routinely abandon small animals in their cages and deny them veterinary treatment because if takes away from profits. They let the animal die slow and horrible deaths from untreated diseases. I DO NOT trust them. Many big box pet stores are the same.
Yes I agree, this is why I don’t buy anything from PetSmart. They don’t care about any animal. As a matter of fact, I read an article from PETA that when animals are delivered and are sick, the sent them in the road again.
The charges should be 2nd degree murder. They deserve a 35 yr sentence or death for choking this dog.
They killed this dog !! LONG PRISON SENTENCE!! HORRIFIC! I will never take my dog to Pets smart
This senior dog was hanged to death by those EVIL groomers, what a terrible end for this loyal pet. The same should happen to the people who did this, they are inhuman brutes.
yes i believe in an eye for an eye…..hang this demonic POS & watch them die slow & painful I would hope….
Asolutely
This poor dog looks like mine. If this were my dog, theyd suffer just like this poor furbaby!! No excuse😪💔🐾
I’m sorry about what happened to poor Kobe. I’m glad the groomers were fired and charged with cruelty. These groomers were incompetent and lacked compassion. They could not properly restrain Kobe, which contributed to him dying in the process. I hope the groomers are severely punished because they should have been more careful. RIP Kobe and I hope you get justice.
Agree 100 with you
All animal abusers internationally must be put to death and nothing less! A slow and agonizing death for each of these evil cretins is essential!
Yes
SOMEONE NEEDS TO SERVE STREET JUSTICE TO ELIZABETH DOTY JULIE MILLER HEATHER ROWE AND ESPECIALLY SHAPAN FUCKING STONGE!!! GIVE THEM A BLANKET PARTY FOLLOWED BY A CURBIE!!! THE LAWS CARE NOT PETSMART/HUMANSNOT DOESNT GIVE A FUCK EITHER! THEY KEEP HIRING WORTHLESS BEINGS LIKE THESE!
This has happened way too many times! I would never leave my baby alone anywhere! I have eyes on her at all times or I do it myself! This is beyond despicable! Run free Kobe so sorry for you and your family.
Kill the person that did this!!chock them to death!
Karma, it’s a bytch and it ALWAYS comes back to you, RIP sweet furbaby, I’m sorry you suffered at the hands of subhuman slime..
I would be the 1 who is in jail…I would have beat some a$$ that day when I went in to pick up my dog!!! They would not have walked out of that place!!! RIP sweet Kobe.
Poor Kobe, it is downright discussing what happing to that little dog. Too bad I didn’t know the store i would took my German Shepherd there and they would had a surprise coming. these minsters. I sure start hating Humans, actually, everybody who can hurt a little animal like that is NOT HUMAN!!!!!!!!!!
I meant MUNSTER!!
Fire with jail time.
FUCK PETSMART!!! DON’T THEY SCREEN APPLICANTS FOR ETHICAL MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH??? ADDITIONALLY, INSTALL LASER SHARP CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY WITH ALL EMPLOYEES BEING SUPERVISED/REAL TIME WHILE THEY ARE INSIDE THE PETSMART FACILITY!!! ALL ANIMALS ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THEIR FAMILY, NO LESS THAN A TWO-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY!!! PETSMART HAS DEFINITELY LOST MY BUSINESS!!! 💪🇺🇸 RENEE CARIGLIA