BELLEVUE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The PetSmart in Bellevue was raided on Thursday morning after allegations of neglect surfaced.
It happened at the new store located at One Bellevue Place around 9 a.m.
Metro Animal Care and Control said the raid came after they received information, photos and videos of “what appeared to be inadequate care for injured animals at the PetSmart location in Bellevue.”
Animal control officers confiscated six animals from the store – a guinea pig, mice and hamsters. All six animals were taken to a local vet to be checked out.
PETA alleges managers at the Bellevue store were “observed repeatedly refusing to provide sick, injured and dying animals with veterinary care in order to ‘keep costs down’ so they would receive bonuses.”
PETA also claims a Nashville supervisor was recorded instructing staff not to tell customers that PetSmart buys animals from Sun Pet Ltd., a warehouse in Atlanta that was put on probation by the Georgia Department of Agriculture after a PETA investigation in 2010.
A PetSmart employee, who has worked for the company for several years, told News 2 off-camera she completely refutes the allegations made by PETA.
She said she’s never seen animals abused or mistreated when they’re sick. She told News 2 if animals get sick, the staff cares for them.
News 2 has reached out to PetSmart for comment.
District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office is overseeing the investigation led by animal control. The store reopened Thursday afternoon.
The investigation is ongoing.