“Everybody was just standing around doing absolutely nothing, and Kobe was [lying] there lifeless.” That’s the horrifying scene depicted by CBS reporter A.J. Ross in an urgent new PETA video, in which she recounts finding her beloved dog, Kobe, dead on the grooming table at a PetSmart store in Pittsburgh after bringing him in for a routine nail trim. To help other guardians prevent tragedy, Ross is sharing her story and new surveillance footage of Kobe’s death, which shows the dog struggling with two restraints around his neck before he died.
Ross obtained footage of the incident after demanding a criminal investigation, and in recent weeks, she filed a civil suit against PetSmart and two employees. The latter also face felony charges of cruelty to animals. PetSmart stated that it had launched its own internal investigation and “found unintended failure to adhere to our pet safety processes” and that it was subject to an external investigation. The chain eventually terminated personnel it described as “responsible” for the incident.