ALEXANDRIA, VA — Three dog deaths tied to a pet hotel in Alexandria are being investigated by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
The organization’s animal services team was first notified of a dog death on July 1. The dog that died was boarded at the PetSmart PetsHotel at 3351 Richmond Highway in Alexandria. According to NBC4, an employee had dropped the dog at the veterinarian during the dog’s stay at the pet hotel.
On July 2, the dog’s body was sent for a necropsy, which is an autopsy for animals. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is awaiting the results.
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Since that initial report, there have been two more reports of dog deaths. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said the two additional dogs had illnesses and died within a week of their boarding at the PetSmart PetsHotel. The organization said necropsies cannot be performed because the two dogs have been cremated.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has been inspecting the PetsHotel every two days since the initial dog death report. The organization said PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation, which has involved interviewing employees and requesting records from PetSmart. All three dogs had been boarded at the PetsHotel during the same timeframe, according to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
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PetSmart told NBC4 in a statement that the three deaths may have different causes like underlying conditions and old age. However, the Alexandria pet hotel employees are getting retraining from PetSmart.
As pet lovers, we are heartbroken when a pet passes away,” the company said in the statement. “We take this extremely seriously and have been in touch with everyone involved to offer our complete support.”
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria noted that state agencies do not conduct annual inspections at animal boarding facilities, unlike animal shelters. Inspections typically occur when a complaint is reported. The organization recommends pet owners research animal boarding and pet sitting services.
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