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Richmond family says dog died hours after grooming
A Houston area family says their 3-year-old French Bulldog died a couple of hours after being groomed at a Petco. FOX 26's Randy Wallace spoke with the family in this exclusive story.
HOUSTON - "He was a member of our family," said Karess Sydnor. "It really hurts. It hurts now."
On Monday, Karess Sydnor did something for the first time.
She says she brought her 3-year-old French Bulldog Zeus to Petco on West Grand Parkway in Richmond to get a bath and his nails trimmed.
"It took about 35 to 40 minutes," she said.
Next, Karess says she went to Discount Tire with Zeus in tow.
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When she took him for a walk, she said she noticed something was wrong.
"He started breathing in kind of a weird way that I never heard him breathe before," said Karess.
When she got home with Zeus, she said she knew he needed to see a vet.
"I could tell he was in horrible shape," said Karess' daughter Makaeyla Wilford, "We kind of struggled to get him out of the car."
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"I was having my kids comfort him in the car while I was driving," Karess said. "I was trying to stay calm."
"The whole time I was listening to them, and I was also praying that he was going to make it," said Karess' son Kaidyn Adams.
When they arrived at All Pets Animal Hospital in Katy, Zeus was dead.
"The doctor came in and she took his temperature, and she said it was extremely high," said Karess. "There is a kennel dryer that they're put in and she was saying she possibly thinks that could have been the reason why he was overheated."
Petco sent FOX 26 a statement that says, "All of us at Petco are heartbroken by Zeus’ untimely passing. The health and safety of pets is always our top priority. We take pride in our high standards for animal care and safety and take animal care concerns very seriously. Any concern reported to us is immediately investigated and appropriate action is taken to understand the situation. Zeus’ case is no exception. A thorough review of Zeus’ grooming appointment showed no signs of pet discomfort or injury, and we strongly believe our team acted appropriately while caring for him. In an effort to support Zeus’ family during this very difficult time, we have offered to cover the costs of third-party necropsy services. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Zeus’ family."
"I hope and pray that I get an answer and that someone can be honest enough to tell me what happened or just show me footage for my peace of mind," Karess said.
Petco says to support Zeus' family we have offered to cover the cost of third-party necropsy services.