String of Dogs Die After Stay at Boarding Facility

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is investigating a Virginia PetSmart after learning that at least three dogs became sick and died after staying at the business’s boarding facility.

The group’s animal services team was contacted earlier this month about a dog that died while staying at the PetSmart PetsHotel at 3351 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia. In the weeks since the dog’s death, two other owners have come forward exhibiting similar claims that their dogs experienced illness before dying within a week of being boarded at the facility.

“Our Animal Services team has been working diligently on this investigation. The dog’s body was sent for a necropsy (animal autopsy) on July 2, 2024, to hopefully determine what led to the dog’s passing,” an update posted to the Animal Welfare League’s Facebook page over the weekend said.

A spokesperson for the organization told Newsweek that the investigators are still waiting on the results on the first dog’s necropsy.

The other two dogs had been cremated, the update said.

“Since the complaint, our Animal Services team members have been visiting and inspecting the PetsHotel every two days,” the update added. “Our team has also requested numerous records from PetSmart and are interviewing employees. PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation.”

All three dogs were boarded at the PetsHotel during the same time, the update said. However, a PetSmart spokesperson told Newsweek that upon their own investigation, they learned that the three deaths were unique.

“Pet care and safety are our top priorities. As pet lovers, we are heartbroken when a pet passes away. We take this extremely seriously and have been in touch with everyone involved to offer our complete support,” a PetSmart spokesperson told Newsweek. “We are diligently investigating and working closely with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Based on what we’ve learned, these three incidents are each unique with different causes ranging from underlying conditions to older age—not due to the time in our care. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively conducting hands-on retraining with our Potomac Yard associates to ensure our best-in-class safety standards are always adhered to.”

The update went on to warn pet owners that animal boarding facilities such as the PetsHotel aren’t subject to state inspections like animal shelters are. Instead, the boarding facilities are only subject to an inspection after a complaint has been filed.

“The complaint filed on July 1, 2024, was the first to be investigated by our agency at this location,” the update said. “We encourage animal guardians to do extensive research when choosing any animal-related boarding or sitting services or facilities.”