Serious Safety and Quality Concerns -- Pet Grooming Services
I am writing this because I genuinely believe this is a safety concern, not just a bad grooming experience.
My dog is a 10.5-year-old Akita -- calm, experienced with grooming( at least every 4-6 months), and has received the exact same PetSmart Bath & Brush with FURminator® package multiple times at the St. Catharines location with zero issues. Today at the Leaside Toronto location was a completely different story.
What we paid for:
Bath & Brush with FURminator®, deShedding treatment, nail trim, ear cleaning, sanitary trim, blow-out -- advertised to reduce shedding by up to 90%.
What we got:
* A wet dog
* Patchy, uneven fur with shedding everywhere
* No nail trim & 2 broken nails
* No sanitary trim
* A visibly frightened, stressed animal
When we asked what happened, we were told that this much shedding and this grooming is normal (despite our 35+ years of pet experience) that moving an 80 lb dog required two people, and -- most shockingly -- that our dog was to blame for laying down and being old. This dog has been professionally groomed his entire life. His age and size are not surprises, they are on his profile. A professional groomer working with senior pets must be equipped to handle exactly this. If they cannot, they should not be accepting the appointment.
This was not isolated to our dog. When we there, two other families -- with smaller breed dogs -- were picking up their pets with visibly similar concerns. This is not a size issue. This is not a breed issue. Every staff member who saw my dog reacted with visible shock. The store manager took one look and immediately offered a full refund and escalated to head office.
I have opened a formal customer service ticket with photos taken on the spot and comparison photos from previous sessions showing what this service should look like.
The refund is not the point. I do not know what happened inside that grooming room, and that is exactly what worries me. A frightened senior dog -- and multiple other pets -- returned wet, incomplete, and visibly stressed raises serious questions about what is happening behind that door.
I sincerely hope PetSmart corporate investigates and resolves this immediately. Until then, please think twice before booking a grooming appointment at this location -- regardless of your dog's size or breed. read more