Beloved family dog dies in careless grooming accident

When Allison Marks dropped off Colby, her 2-year-old Golden Retriever, for routine grooming, she never could have imagined the tragedy that would ensue.

In an act of utter carelessness, an employee left the beloved family pet in a drying cage, where he was later found dead of an apparent heat stroke. The employee had left to go to a graduation party and forgot about Colby.

According to the pet store headquarters, the drying cages are supposed to cut off automatically after 15 minutes. But considering that this dog's body temperature still registered at 105 degrees one hour after he passed away, there was clearly a mistake made at some point.

Drying cages are intended to be used by groomers as a quick substitution for hand drying. But dogs should never be left unattended in any such type of heated cage. As this tragedy shows, it doesn't take long for dogs to overheat.

It's critically important that pet parents are careful in choosing their dog groomer. While dog grooming is not regulated by the government, many groomers are registered or certified by a professional school or certifying organization. You should always meet the groomer personally and evaluate the facility for safety and cleanliness.

Marks is considering pressing charges against the pet store and wanted to share her story in the hopes that other pet parents will not lose their pets in this way.

"Colby was my shadow," Marks told WTVR, "He was my next soulmate."