Accidents happen, but when they do, everyone needs to be honest. Yet, when Tracy Hall’s Bulldog named Max died suddenly at a groomer, no one gave Hall the honesty she deserved. Instead, they said they “couldn’t tell her” how and why her beloved dog died.
Now, almost a year after the incident, Hall still didn’t get the closure she needed. The more she asks the groomer about what happened, the less they tell her. The fact that her dog died suddenly is awful, but it’s even worse that those involved are refusing to own up to their mistakes.
An Unexplainable Death
In January 2021, Hall left her 3-year-old Bulldog with a Petco groomer in Venice, Florida. Right away, she had concerns, but she thought he would be okay. When the groomer put the harness around Max’s neck, Hall commented that it looked too tight.
“He’s got a big neck and you could barely see the choker. I said this looks too tight. She is like ‘no, this is protocol. We use this on all the breeds. It is safe,'” Hall said.
Only a half-hour after Hall left Petco; she got a call that made her blood run cold. The groomer said that Max was being rushed to an animal hospital. When Hall asked what had happened, the person on the phone said, “unfortunately, I can’t tell you.”
When Hall had dropped Max off, he was healthy. But he died shortly after arriving at the vet. No one ever gave Hall an explanation, and they didn’t perform an autopsy on the dog.
Still Looking for Answers
Don Cahall, the attorney working on the case, is determined to give Hall the answers she’s looking for. Cahall obtained security footage from the business, which showed Max collapsing several times on the grooming table. He said employees also wrestled Max while his neck was still restrained. No one reached out to Hall until after the dog was unconscious.
“They retained me to get involved to demand surveillance video, to demand answers as to what happened to this dog who they love. We have been able to get information, and what the information has shown us is that Petco appears to have acted not only negligently in the death of this dog, but grossly negligent,” Cahall said.
Petco is trying to dismiss the complaint, claiming that they followed reasonable standards of care. But Hall and Cahall won’t stop fighting back until Hall gets some answers for why her loving, healthy Bulldog died so tragically.
Hall’s family is also suing Petco for over $30,000. The trial date is currently set for August 15th, 2022. It’s a long process to get answers, but Max deserves justice. No more dogs and families should have to go through something like this, especially without knowing why.
Toledo, United States.
