PetSmart Bites!
Our family has rescued and cared for abandoned and injured animals for at least 38 years now. Our youngest daughter Karina grew up helping us with these unfortunate creatures and as the years went by she grew to love them and our mission.
Karina has owned many diverse types of creatures including a red tail boa, she has cared for a baby dear in Georgia, and she has cared for horses and has owned dogs, cats and other furry creatures all her life. Therefore working at the local PetSmart in Medford at first seemed like the perfect fit for Karina.
Currently, Karina has adopted two dogs that have been abandoned and in the past two years has spent well over $2,000.00 on them for medical care which she really can’t afford working at PetSmart for $8.70 per hour.
A person can see she loves the animals she bathes in the bathing room and the animals and their owners waiting in line to purchase pet friendly supplies. Karina knew what was best to feed your animals and which items you would need for pet problems such as dander or skin problems just to name a few.
However, in May Karina injured her back while caring for animals as she always has. She saw the doctor and he provided her with a light duty work note. Karina provided this note to Manager Connie Hooper Leggett who told her there was no such thing as light duty work at PetSmart.
Karina not wanting to lose her job kept working even though her back was still injured even after resting and treating it for about a week. Manager Connie Hooper Leggett then told Karina she would cut her hours unless she sold more of their care products to customers.
At this point as her father and at her request I was now involved. I own and operate Martinez & Associates Investigations and after goggling http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/PetSmart/s-company-culture-at-PetSmart/t3889 and many other links regarding the PetSmart culture I knew my daughter Karina needed someone in her corner.
The Manger did in fact make good on cutting Karina’s hours down to between 13 and 18 hours per week. Karina told her Manager’s she needed at least 30 hours a week to pay her rent, care for her animal friends and buy food, gas and so forth. However the punishment continued in cut hours even though Karina has been with PetSmart at least 3 years and was selling as much as other employees.
I did in fact step in to investigate and bring my daughter her lunch. I never disturbed the customers but while I was trying to investigate the PetSmart in Medford, their corporate office sent me a letter stating I would be trespassing if I entered the store again.
On August 15 Karina was bitten by a large Akita dog while bathing the dog. During bathing the dog got its rear foot caught in the grate at the bottom of the bathing tub. Karina and three other employees tried to hold the Akita while they attempted to free the foot. The dog tried to attack one of the employees who let go, then the second employee let go leaving Karina to wrestle this large dog alone and try to free the foot. The Akita bit Karina ripping open her left arm and an employee from the Banfield Hospital next door came in to assist.
Karina has been treated unfairly, she asked the management if she could seek employment with the nearby Wal-Mart to compensate for her lost hours and she was told they would not adjust her hours or work schedule for another employer to allow her to work at another place.
Karina Martinez loves animals and animal owners as anyone can investigate and find out. However, Manager Connie Hooper Leggett has to face the District Manager about sales and she has continued to punish Karina with reduced hours.
As part of my investigation into this matter I found numerous disgruntled employees many for the same reason who have quit. I asked Karina about the sales and she explained that in this economy pet owners don’t always have the extra money. Upon further investigation I found that Star with PetSmart stated Karina’s sales were up with other employees.
It appears to me that the Manager Connie Hooper Leggett can continue to cut Karina’s hours, she can bring in new employees and give those 30 hours a week and this does not violate any labor laws because I have checked. However, I find it distasteful and unethical at best just another blog on the wall in goggle land for PetSmart.
Timothy J. Martinez
Martinez & Associates Investigations
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