Days after 100 animals died at the Johnson City PETCO as a result of flooding, CEO Jim Myers issued a statement that the company accepts full responsibility for the tragedy.
In a blog post added to the PETCO website on Sept. 11, Myers stated that store management severely “misjudged” the store’s location and didn’t believe it to be at risk for flooding.
Employees reported late Wednesday night that the store was free of any signs of flooding. However, by Thursday morning, the store was flooded with four feet of water and employees could not enter the store until Friday, when the water began to recede, according to the PETCO blog post.
Although a majority of the animals were subsequently rescued, 100 small animals — birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, reptiles, ferrets and aquatic life — had already perished, either from drowning or starvation.
PETCO originally said a “miscommunication” between the store and Johnson City regarding evacuation resulted in the animals’ deaths, according to a report in the Press & Sun-Bulletin. The company initially alleged that flooding was the result of a backed-up sewage system rather than the Susquehanna River’s surging waters.
Johnson City’s mayor Dennis Hannon, however, said the River was the primary cause of flooding, and ample warnings about potential flooding were given to the area numerous times, the Press & Sun-Bulletin reported.
Local news channel 12, WBMG-TV, reported that the store was forewarned, but, according to CEO Jim Myers, who visited Johnson City this past week, PETCO has a standard evacuation procedure, which involves store employees utilizing their own cars to move animals to safety. It is unknown why the planned action was not taken.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has been one of the company’s most vocal critics, calling for a criminal investigation of the Johnson City store’s management team.
In a letter to Broome County District Attorney Gerald F. Mollen, PETA not only demanded an investigation, but it called for criminal charges to be brought against those responsible for the incident. Despite a mandatory evacuation order from Mayor Dennis Hannon prior to flooding, PETCO management did nothing to evacuate the animals, which should generate some investigation, according to a news release addressed to Mollen on the PETA website.
Furthermore, PETCO employees reportedly asked for the animals to be evacuated, but management also ignored this request. Those same employees had been directed to leave work early due to the imminent flood, said Dan Paden, a PETA animal cruelty investigator, as reported on Fox News 40 WICZ.
These actions were deemed “blatant and careless” by Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA Vice President of Cruelty Investigations.
“This has struck a chord in the community that this company came out and ignored a flood warning that was very publicized, there was no way the company didn’t know what was going to happen,” Nachminovitch said. “Our hope is that someone is held responsible.
PETCO, in response to protests staged in the area, will be donating $25,000 to a number of Broome County animal groups and shelters. Along with this donation, the company is offering a 25 percent discount on purchases by Broome County customers.
On campus, both students and faculty were outraged by news of the animal deaths.
“It just seems ridiculous to me that PETA has to be the one to call for an investigation of PETCO,” said Max Beasley, a senior double-majoring in environmental studies and philosophy, politics and law.
“[It] saddens me that so many animals died needlessly,” said Mary Muscari, an associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing. “However, I do hope that this incident will serve as a lesson for all pet stores to have disaster plans that include the safety of all the animals.”