Rhode Island: Cat dies while being groomed at Petco in Providence

RHODE ISLAND -- A cat died while being groomed at Petco's University Heights location in Providence, Eyewitness News has learned.

A Facebook post by a relative of the pet's owner said the office cat, named Cloudy, suffered from potential hypothermia (or hyperthermia aka heat exhaustion) and died hours later after going into cardiac arrest at a local veterinary hospital.

Petco, University Heights

The post said Petco told the owner around 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 26 that Cloudy and another cat were being dried. By 1:30 p.m. Cloudy was being rushed to the vet, according to the post.

"I was horrified," said Maureen Sullivan, who saw the Facebook post and was one of dozens who shared it. "Not only was it horrific for you to take your beloved animal in for grooming and have that happen, I just can't even comprehend how that could happen and how a cat could almost freeze to death during a grooming."

In a statement to Eyewitness News last week, a Petco representative said, "All of us at Petco are deeply saddened by Cloudy's passing."

"The health and safety of pets is always our top priority and we take this situation very seriously," Petco's statement continued. "We take full responsibility for all animals in our care, and we're conducting a thorough investigation to understand everything we can about Cloudy's time with us. Our thoughts are with Cloudy's family during this very difficult time."

Rhode Island State Veterinarian Scott Marshall said he's skeptical the cat could have died from hypothermia, or low body temperature, in a facility where the temperature is comfortable for customers and workers. Although he said he does not know the specifics of the incident, he believes it's more likely the cat overheated while being dried.

"If the condition was hyperthermia, that could be more easily explained," Marshall said in an email. "Overheating in a grooming facility has been reported as a cause of death for animals. Typically, this happens when a dryer is attached to the cage the animal is kept in."

Marshall said cats and dogs don't sweat the way humans do, and can succumb in a matter of minutes if the temperature is hot enough.

"Normally cats have a temperature around 101 (100-102), anything above 103 is high and anything over 105 can be life threatening," he said. "This can happen from application of a hair dryer."

Eyewitness News reached out to Petco on Friday for an update on the investigation into the animal's death, but did not immediately hear back.

Officials at the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) said they were alerted of Cloudy's death and conducted their own investigation, but found no criminal wrongdoing. RISPCA said the cat's owners did not want to have a necropsy performed.

Cloudy is the third Rhode Island animal to die while being groomed in the past year, according to RISPCA. Last March, a 5-year-old Pug named Ollie died while being groomed at the Petco in Middletown. Another dog died last year at a groomer in Warren after it hanged itself while tethered to a grooming table, according to RISPCA.

Currently, local grooming facilities do not need to be licensed by the state, but a bill introduced by House Majority Leader Joe Shekarchi seeks to change that.

The proposal would require groomers and grooming facilities to pay an annual fee of $25 to register with the state. The bill would also require them to obtain certification based on standards approved by the Rhode Island Professional Pet Groomers' Association. Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, introduced a similar bill in 2013 and 2017, but it was held for further study.

"There were a lot of people who thought I was trying to add a new licensing requirement or regulation on small businesses and that was not the intent," said Shekarchi, who told Eyewitness News the bill has been completely re-written this session. He said the goal is to have groomers go through some sort of training, whether it be online, an apprenticeship or a formal course. He said he knows the vast majority of groomers are competent and caring people, but he feels there needs to be a formal standard.

"Anybody can hold themselves out there as a groomer," said Joe Warzycha, director of operations at the RISPCA. "I can say tomorrow I'm a groomer and operate out of my basement."

Warzycha, a former animal cruelty officer, is in favor of training and licensing for individual groomers.

"The issues we're having are not necessary about the facility," he said. "It's more about the level of care that is or is not being provided to the animals while they're there."

Petco said its workers "follow very clear policies and procedures in our grooming salons to ensure accountability, safety and satisfaction for our grooming partners, pet parents and the pets in our care, and we take pride in having the highest standards of animal care and safety in the industry."

Petco said it grooms millions of pets each year, and "the total number of these incidents make up less than a fraction of a fraction of a percent - but even that is unacceptable to us." The company said it works with outside experts to implement best practices.

"Accidents happen," Warzycha said. "And as unfortunate as they are - and I certainly don't mean to downplay the significance of any of these issues - there are a lot of reputable groomers out there. Like anything else, do your research. And I think that part is where licensing could possibly be a benefit."

(WPRI 12 Eyewitness News - March 16, 2018)


PETSMART horror stories:

• Ohio: Painesville family devastated after dog dies following routine grooming appointment at PetSmart
• Indiana: Dog strangled to death while getting nails trimmed at Mishawaka PetSmart
• California: PetSmart Groomer, Juan Zarate, Arrested on Suspicion of Animal Cruelty After Dog Dies
• Illinois: PetSmart sued after woman says she was attacked by a dog inside store
• New York: Woman's Great Pyrenees attacked by a pit bull while leaving Petsmart
• Georgia: Man stabs pit bull inside PetSmart to save his Westie
• Georgia: PetSmart stabbing shows that the humane society repeatedly dragged this pit bull into public settings despite knowing it had issues with other animals
• Georgia: Boy recovering from bite to face by Pit Bull at PetSmart
• Massachusetts: Cliff Gardner tells PetSmart groomer his Pit Bull mix is "sweet as can be" so she removed its muzzle. Then it attacked her.
• Pennsylvania: Bichon named Brewster is mauled to death by a pit bull at PetSmart after being dropped off for grooming
• Massachusetts: Pit Bull mix that attacked PetSmart groomer had previously attacked an elderly woman, BREAKING HER ARM - yet Police Chief Peter Wack refused to order the dog euthanized. I smell a lawsuit coming!
• Arkansas: Little Bichon named Brewster mauled to death by a Pit Bull while at PetSmart. Anna complains that we were told it was a Pit Bull, calling it "breed shaming". Seriously.
• Washington DC: "My little poodle Lucky was attacked by a Pit Bull" at PetSmart
• New Jersey: PetSmart employees accused of dumping dead English Bulldog at the vet ‘like garbage’
• Texas: No criminal investigation being done on PetSmart groomer who abused Shih Tzu

Other pet store/grooming store business horror stories:

• California: 'Perfectly healthy' cat dies suddenly at pet grooming center - and staff cremates it BEFORE owner can find out why it died
• Canada: No charges out of dog death at groomer's
• New Jersey: Bordentown pet groomer charged with animal cruelty in dog death
• Canada: Dog groomer accused of abusing animals
• Rhode Island: Cranston pet owner claims groomer hurt her dog
• Louisiana: Owner of Slidell pet salon charged with animal cruelty
• Pennsylvania: Chalfont dog groomer waives hearing on animal cruelty
• Canada: Calgary dog groomer charged with animal cruelty
• Louisiana: Animal Cruelty trial postponed for pet groomers Michelle Jeanmard and her daughter Sheri Dugas
• Ohio: Family Devastated After Dog Dies at Groomer’s
• Florida: "I hope they can forgive me one day for not saving them" Owner blames herself after groomer allegedly leaves her dogs to die in hot car
• Hawaii: Petco employee allegedly cuts off dogs ear, glues it back on
• Missouri: 8-lb Maltese killed by groomer last month; no one doing anything about it
• Georgia: Alleged Animal Abuse at Dog Grooming Businesses
• Georgia: Petco employee fired after rough grooming video goes viral
• Iowa: Police say vet employee Lucas Van Orden viciously beat and kicked Corgi
• New York: Facebook pet owner warns against taking your pets to be groomed at PetSmart
• Georgia: Pit bull attacks dog and its owner at Georgia PetSmart
• Arizona: Scott Beadles suspected of stomping small dog to death at PetSmart
• Texas: Owner claims dog gets staples after attack at PetSmart
• Ohio: Painesville family devastated after Newfoundland dies following routine grooming appointment at PetSmart
• Virginia: Family dog died 'after Petco groomer left him in 105 degrees heated drying cage while she went to her graduation'
• Michigan: Rottweiler that bit 7-year-old at Petco adoption event will be put down
• Rhode Island: Pug named Ollie dies during grooming appointment at Petco, investigation underway
• Illinois: Woman's beloved Maltipoo is 'attacked and killed' by an unleashed dog while they were visiting Santa at Petco
• Texas: Police officer shoots pit bull to save small dog being attacked inside pet store
• Arizona: Family finds dog dead, hanging in mobile pet grooming van. Groomer was high on drugs, they say

 

 

 

 

 

  

In the video, it appears that she punches
the dog several times when it
innocently it pulls its paw away from her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhode Island: Rescued Smithfield dogs waiting for court decision; Michael Williams and Michael Ramos each charged with 25 counts of Animal Cruelty

RHODE ISLAND -- The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is reporting that the English Bulldogs and French bulldogs rescued on March 20 from a Smithfield home at 189 Pleasant View Ave. are not available for adoption or foster care due to pending court proceedings.

 

 

The rescued animals included more than 25 dogs and puppies, more than 100 snakes, and rats. They are all in the custody of Smithfield Animal Control and shelters in North Providence and Burrillville.

Thomas Taylor, Smithfield Animal Control Warden, said the local shelter took in a total of eight dogs, four of which are puppies. The RISPCA took in four pregnant females, according to Taylor, because they have more resources to care for the dogs.

 

 

 

Until a decision is made in the case, the dogs will remain in the custody of animal control and the RISPCA, but Taylor said he hopes ownership of the animals is relinquished and the pups can go to proper, caring homes.

“We’re going to wait it out, it all depends on the judges and what they decided. We’ll see if a judge can get them to hand them over,” Taylor said.

 

 

Two arrests were made in the case, charging Michael Williams (aka Mike Williams, Omar Williams) and Michael Ramos (aka Noel Ramos, Mike Ramos) each with 25 counts of unnecessary cruelty to animals and conspiracy, according to Taylor. Reports that the dogs were standing in their own waste were made following the rescue, and the house was condemned.

Taylor refers to the specialized breed as “Little Bulldozers,” and said each dog has a great temperament in spite of their history. He estimated the puppies would have sold for between $2,500 and $3,500.

 

 

Adoption applications are not being accepted at this time, but Taylor said calls inquiring for the pups have not stopped since the arrests. He said until a decision is made, he can’t hold the dogs for adoption either.

Thankfully, he said, the community supported the shelter, and food and monetary donations have not stopped. He asked that any checks be made out to the RISPCA, as they are handling the costs of any veterinary services the animals receive.

“We’re all working together, all the local shelters are working together on this one,” he said.

He said a situation such as this brings out the best in the community, and the shelter is in good shape when it comes to collars and leashes.

Smithfield held an emergency animal shelter supply drive last Saturday, March 24, collecting cleaning supplies, pet food, dog shampoo, leashes, and collars. Taylor said the community “really helped us out,” and it was a great effort.

 

 

(Valley Breeze - March 28, 2018)

Earlier:

• Rhode Island: Animal control removes dogs, rats and snakes from Smithfield home
• Rhode Island: Animal cruelty suspect Michael Williams was already on probation for animal cruelty

Rhode Island: Korina Ferreira, 40, Charged with Animal Cruelty for the 2nd time after dead and live animals found suffering inside filthy home

RHODE ISLAND -- A woman faces 17 charges of unnecessary animal cruelty after authorities removed 17 dogs from a building in Woonsocket, where police also found 16 live chickens, a dead pig, a dead chicken and a dead bird, according to the Woonsocket police.

Korina Ferreira, 40, of 68 Etna St., Fall River, was charged after the police went to a house at 36 Cottage Street for a report of an animal problem and found the 17 dogs, including eight 3-week-old puppies, in a second-floor apartment with feces covering the floor and an overwhelming smell of urine, according to a police statement. 

The building had no running water or electricity.

Conditions in the building were “uninhabitable to animals or humans,” said E.J. Finocchio, president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which sent two investigators to the property. Finocchio said one of those investigators told him “it was the worst situation he has faced in the eight years he’s been doing animal cruelty investigations, and we’ve seen some bad ones.”

The police were called to the address at about 7 p.m. by a neighbor who’d reporting seeing “a dog on the roof of the property,” according to a statement from Woonsocket Patrol Officer Steven A. Langevin.

“Upon arrival I observed what appeared to be a barking dog on a landing directly outside a window on the second floor of 36 Cottage St.,” Langevin wrote.

The neighbor told the police she thought the building had been abandoned because she hadn’t seen anyone there for more than a year, and Langevin wrote that police dispatch informed him that the address was on the city’s vacant building list. He also found a notice from National Grid on the first-floor front door informing the second-floor occupants that the electricity had been shut off.

Walking around the residence, Langevin saw two dogs poking their heads out a second-floor window. He also saw evidence that somebody had been living there.

“As I looked into the windows of the first floor, I observed what appeared to be feces and massive amounts of clutter within the apartment,” he wrote. “I could clearly hear the sounds of multiple dogs barking from the second floor apartment.”

When nobody inside the house answered their calls, the police decided to enter the building because of their concern for the welfare of the animals. As they were trying to get inside, Ferreira arrived. She told the police that she “sometimes” lived on the second floor. She said her mother owned the property.

Ferreira entered the building with police officers. When Ferreira moved a refrigerator that had been blocking the living room, “approximately 7 dogs came running out of the living room, stampeding towards Police,” Langevin wrote. “The dogs appeared to be extremely dirty and covered in filth, urine and fecal matter,” Langevin wrote.

“I observed one dog bite into a gallon of water as it drank from it frantically,” Langevin wrote.

Most of the dogs appeared to be “pit bull-type” dogs, according to Finocchio.

Some of the dogs ran into the backyard, according to Woonsocket Sgt. Sean A. Carpenter.

“The dogs immediately started looking for water and started drinking from pools of water from various pieces of trash in the yard,” Carpenter said. He said some of the dogs appeared skinny, they did not have any apparent injuries.

According to Carpenter, Ferreira told the police that she’d been keeping her animals in the house since summer until she could find new housing for themr. She told the police she brought water to them nightly.

The dogs were taken to three different shelters — North Smithfield, Woonsocket and Warwick — according to Finocchio.

Ferreira was arrested late Thursday night and arraigned in District Court, Providence, on Friday morning, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are all misdemeanors.

She was ordered held on $15,000 with surety and ordered to undergo pretrial services including mental health counseling. She is to have no contact with animals. It’s unclear whether she posted bonded.

REPEAT OFFENDER
Ferreira was sent to prison on previous animal cruelty charges. In that case, she was convicted of intentionally starving her American Bulldog named Pebbles.

What Pebbles looked like when seized

Pebbles, at a healthy weight

(Providence Journal - March 30, 2018)

Earlier:

• Rhode Island: Korina Ferreira sentenced to 1-1/2 years in jail for intentionally starving her dog