'Disabled' Dog Turned Away From PetSmart Grooming Despite Her Ability To Walk — ‘She Tried Really Hard’

Dog owner Katie always goes to the same PetSmart location near home to get her 2-year-old puppy June groomed. June has a neurological disorder and often struggles with basic motor skills, especially on slick, uncarpeted floors, but Katie's favorite groomer knows just how to help this pup during her regular visits.

However, an upcoming family vacation had Katie trying a new PetSmart location, and the experience left her rattled.

June was turned away from PetSmart because of her disability.

“She’s fine, so that’s not why I’m crying,” Katie said tearfully at the beginning of the video. “Today, I took her to PetSmart to get groomed …They’re usually so sweet, she looks good, and they do such a great job.”

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With a unique “balance disorder,” Katie said she’s careful about her dog’s grooming process — always opting for the “express service” to ensure she’s not anxiously sitting in a kennel for a long time. 

“She can walk, but she’s just a little bit wobbly. That’s why I always take her to my home location. They love her and even hold her like a baby when I pick her up.”

Katie unfortunately assumed PetSmart was “always like that.” However, when she had to take June to a new location, that belief was quickly invalidated.

After multiple walking ‘tests,’ she said the groomers turned her dog away.

“The one we normally go to was full, so I took her to a different location,” Katie explained. “They said, ‘We need to make sure she can stand up’ and walk. She walks really well on carpet, but they have really slippery floors there.”

While PetSmart’s public grooming policies mention accommodations like “express service,” which she requested, for older dogs with “mobility issues,” there’s no clear policy on service. Instead of being understanding, the manager “rudely” turned them away.

Antoniodiaz / Shutterstock

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However, that wasn’t before he made June work through a number of walking tests. Katie said, “I had to wait awhile for the manager… keep in mind, June is already anxious because there’s so many other dogs around and she gets a little scared.” 

Even after explaining her disorder and her grooming history, the manager still forced them to leave.

“We were calling her over on one side of the [slick] mat, and she was wagging her tail so excited,” Katie recalled through tears. “She was standing up and took a couple of steps… then he said, ‘No, she’s wobbling too much. We can’t see her.’”

Despite admitting she’s ‘not mad’ at PetSmart, Katie reported the incident to advocate for other pets.

“This isn’t me trying to get more angry at PetSmart,” Katie said. “I haven’t even given them a chance to resolve the situation yet. This is just me being really sad and wanting everyone to validate my dog’s feelings because she tried so hard… wagging her tail because everyone was calling her over.”

Katie said she's been “hysterical” since leaving PetSmart, constantly thinking about how equally excited and anxious her dog was, just to be told she “wasn’t good enough” and turned away.

Considering she’s had multiple positive experiences with her disabled dog at other PetSmart locations, she openly admitted that she wasn't shaming the company as a whole, just one specific employee that left a bad impression. “He was just so rude,” Katie said in response to a comment. “She’s only 2 and was walking when he asked her to.”

Sadly, Katie is one of the lucky owners who have had bad experiences with PetSmart grooming services. In fact, the pet superstore has been investigated for shady practices since 2015. On August 13, 2024, in Maryland, a Dachshund named Eddie had to be rushed to a vet after suffering an unexplained hyphema, more commonly referred to as a black eye, during a routine grooming.

While Katie's feelings and June's pride were hurt, at least the dynamic duo was still healthy.

While PetSmart hasn’t publicly responded or commented on the incident, thousands of other commenters have reached out, celebrating sweet June for her perseverance and, of course, for being the perfect dog that she is. “Your compassion is making me cry!” one person wrote. “She is such a lucky girl to have you… she walks SO GOOD!”

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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.