KAILUA (HawaiiNewsNow) - More Oahu pet owners are coming forward claiming that their dogs were mutilated by groomers at Petco. The national pet store chain says it's actively investigating the allegations.
Vanessa Knapp of Kailua says her dog, Hurley, was injured while being groomed at Petco in Kaneohe.
"My sister took my dog out to the car. Basically, when we got out there, I noticed that his testicles were bleeding," she said.
Knapp says she instructed the groomers to avoid that area because Hurley had just gotten over a virus.
"He was very sensitive down in that area, so I explained that to them, please don't touch this area, don't cut it," she said.
Knapp says she asked for a trim and was disappointed in how far the groomer went.
"He's a long hair dog, so I didn't want him cut really short," she said. "When I specifically give you directions and you don't follow them and my pet's injured, it's disturbing."
On Monday, two Oahu women filed a lawsuit against Petco, claiming their dogs were mutilated. Gladys Kapuwai alleges that a groomer at the Kaneohe store attempted to reattach a portion of her dog's ear after cutting it off, and never disclosed the injury.
"Was dried, bloody, was dry blood, everything. I noticed that at home," Kapuwai said Monday. "So when I took her to the vet, the doctor had told me it looked like they tried to glue it back."
The company issued this statement:
"We take any animal care concerns very seriously and we have a team in Hawaii actively investigating the allegations made there. Until we have completed a thorough review of the facts, it would be inappropriate for us to speculate about the claims made in this suit; but we can tell you that we have very strong standards and policies in place for the care and treatment of animals in our stores and grooming salons."
Knapp is considering her legal options.
"They have to be stopped," she said. "They need to train their employees. They need to get somebody in there and they need to have an on-call vet if accidents do happen."
Another two women claim their dogs suffered facial cuts while being groomed at Petco's Kapolei and Pearl City locations.
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Vanessa Knapp of Kailua
Gladys Kapuwai
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