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Tag: Petco

  • Hilary Swank to be Honored for Animal Advocacy

    Animal-lover Hilary Swank will be honored May 3 for her work in animal rescue and her commitment to animal advocacy at the the Sixth Annual Petco Foundation’s Hope Gala in San Diego.

    The Academy Award-winnng actress will receive the Petco Foundation’s Hope Award which celebrates “the spirit of hope through a life dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond.”

    “It’s an honor to be recognized as an advocate for animals by such a respected organization as the Petco Foundation,” said Swank. “They work tirelessly every single day on behalf of animals and have such a far-reaching impact through their extraordinary efforts. This Hope Award is a reminder that we all need to individually come together in order to collectively bring hope and make a difference for animals, animal welfare and animal rights. For even one person’s vision and efforts today can have a lasting impact that will make a difference in the lives of these souls for many tomorrows.”

    The Hilaroo Foundation – Swank‘s animal-welfare organization uniting neglected youth and abandoned animals in the hopes of a healing bond – will receive a portion of the proceeds generated at the event.

    “It’s always a joy to celebrate the great work being done in animal-welfare by our friends and partners all over the country, particularly our Hope Award recipients,” said Susanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Petco Foundation. “We’re big fans of Hilary’s, not only for her incredible acting talent, but we’re also inspired and impressed by her passion for animal rescue and her determination to make a real difference.”

    Here’s Swank with her own rescued pups.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Infected Rat Bite Death: Is Rat Bite Fever Common?

    An infected rat is being blamed for taking the life of 10-year-old Aidan Pankey, and now his grieving parents are suing Petco. The rat was reportedly infected with streptobacillus moniliformis which causes what is commonly known as rat bite fever, according to Fox News.

    Aidan was rushed to the emergency room on June 11, 2013 and died hours later on June 12th. He was lethargic, pale, and complaining of severe stomach pain. He was barely able to walk.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control, Rat Bite Fever can be contracted from the bite or scratch, or simple handling, of an infected rodent such as a rat, mouse, gerbil, hamster, etc. It can also be contracted through contaminated water or food.

    The CDC says that Rat Bite Fever is underdiagnosed since it responds well to common antibiotics like penicillin and is hard to detect as it presents like common viruses and bacterial infections. They also say it is rarely fatal.

    Petco expressed condolences in a statement saying,

    “We are deeply saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss. The health and safety of people and pets is always a top priority, and we take the family’s concerns very seriously.”

    That doesn’t do much for the Pankey family who want to prevent this happening to anyone else’s child. They say that Petco should have had more information on the health of the rodents that they sell, and should have warned about the danger to children.

    “It’s a means to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Family Attorney John Gomez said of the lawsuit. “Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want tighter controls.”

    Although they know that no win in court will bring back their son, hopefully they can honor Aidan’s memory by reducing the chances of another family losing a child to Rat Bite Fever.

    “He was a bright, energetic, friendly, happy kid who actually had a prior rat, who was a female, and he had this idea in his young head of having his female rat get married,” Gomez said of Aidan.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Infected Rat Bite Kills Boy, Family Sues Petco

    Ten-year-old Aiden Pankey died June 12, 2013 from rat-bite fever two weeks after buying a rat from Petco and now the family is blaming the pet store for his death and is filing suit for strict liability and negligence.

    Attorney John Gomez told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his firm filed a lawsuit Monday in San Diego County seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering endured by the Pankey family.

    Aidan was infected by a rat the family bought as a mate for his pet rat Oreo. He became sick two weeks after the family purchased the rat and died the following day.

    Aiden’s grandmother, Sharon Pankey, stopped at Petco in San Diego so the boy could pick out a mate for Orea. He chose a black rat that he named Alex.

    “He said, ‘You know Grammy, when Oreo has babies I’m going to be grandpa and you’re going to be a great-grandma,’” Sharon said. “One of the things he loved most, his rat, ended up in him dying because the rat we bought, we found out later, had rat-bite fever.”

    According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, streptobacillus moniliformis infection, or rat’s bite fever, is an infectious disease that comes mostly from bites, scratches or handling an infected rodent. It can be fatal if not treated.

    “He was a bright, energetic, friendly, happy kid who actually had a prior rat, who was a female, and he had this idea in his young head of having his female rat get married,” Gomez said.

    Petco said in a statement to ABC10 in San Diego:

    “At Petco, we follow what we believe are the industry’s strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare, and we require our vendors to meet the same standards for animal care and well-being. We require our live animal suppliers to meet or exceed USDA requirements for the care and treatment of animals, as well as follow strict requirements for housing, feeding, breeding, shipping and caring for sick or injured animals. We leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern.”

    “We’re saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss and are very interested in speaking directly with the family to better understand their claims.”

    Aidan’s death has deeply affected the family. Aiden’s dad, Andrew Pankey, said he can’t eat, sleep and needed to take a leave of absence from work to deal with his grief.

    “He was my family,” he said. “I’m probably down 30 to 35 pounds since then. I don’t even get hungry. I just go until I pass out. It sounds bad but I just want him back.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Infected Rat Kills 10-Year-Old Boy

    Infected Rat Kills 10-Year-Old Boy

    A ten-year-old boy tragically died from rat-bite fever. Aidan Pankey was a healthy, happy child who adored his pet rat named Oreo and wanted her to have a family of her own. Aiden purchased a black male rat called Alex from a San Diego Petco in order for his beloved Oreo to have babies. Aiden’s grandmother, Sharon Pankey, spoke about the bond between owner and pet that was special for Aiden and Oreo. “He’d pop her on his shoulder and that little rat would hang on. It was like she was saying, ‘All right! Let’s go dad,’” Sharon said.

    Aidan was excited about the prospects of Oreo having babies and wasted no time sharing this enthusiasm with he grandmother. According to Sharon, “He said, ‘You know Grammy, when Oreo has babies I’m going to be grandpa and you’re going to be a great-grandma.’”

    When Aidan purchased Alex from Petco, he was not aware that the rat had rat-bite fever. Two weeks after purchasing Alex, Aiden became sick and tragically died a day after showing symptoms. Alex, the male Petco-purchased rat, was sent to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention where it took several months for the diagnosis to be determined.

    Oreo was also infected with rat-bite fever. “One of the things he loved most, his rat, ended up in him dying because the rat we bought, we found out later, had rat-bite fever,” Sharon said.

    The family is left devastated at the loss of the vibrant young boy who adored his pet Oreo. Aidan’s heartbroken father discussed his sorrow at losing the son he loved. “He was my family. I’m probably down 30 to 35 pounds since then. I don’t even get hungry. I just go until I pass out. It sounds bad but I just want him back,” he said.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons