SAN MATEO (CBS SF) — The owners of a pet dachshund who died in May during a grooming appointment at a San Mateo PetSmart filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning, alleging the company had received several complaints of pet injuries during grooming appointments before but failed to take action to correct the problem. 
 
 Terrie Peacock and Stefan Zier’s one-year-old dachshund Henry died after he was brought into the PetSmart at 3520 S. El Camino Real on May 15 for a nail trim. 
 
 Minutes later, the groomer appeared holding an unresponsive Henry, as the dog bled from his mouth. A veterinarian at the store was unable to revive the dog and he was pronounced dead. 
 
 The groomer, later identified as 38-year-old Hayward resident Juan Zarate, was arrested that same day on suspicion of felony animal cruelty. 
 
 According to the complaint against PetSmart, which was filed by the couple’s attorney Alison Cordova, a large number of consumers nationwide have reported serious injury or pet deaths during grooming sessions at the animal supply store dating as far back as 2010. The injuries range from severe cuts, to overheating, strangulation and blunt force trauma. 
 
 The complaint alleges PetSmart knew of the complaints for years prior to Henry’s death, but didn’t do anything about them. 
 
 The failure is especially alarming since PetSmart makes claims to the public regarding its commitment to caring for pets, according to the complaint. 
 
 “The volume of reports of dogs and cats sustaining serious, and sometimes lethal injuries while being groomed at PetSmart undermines the claim that PetSmart is ‘where pets are family,’” Cordova said in a statement. “PetSmart claims that it trains its groomers and annually certifies its groomers in safety. If that is the case, then it seems the system is broken.” 
 
 Following the incident, Henry was whisked away and his owners never saw him again, according to Cordova. 
 
 A necropsy later determined that the dog was strangled. A post-mortem X-ray showed the dog also suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung. 
 
 Cordova said Zier and Peacock, who have two other dachshunds, never received an apology or explanation for Henry’s death. 
 
 “Their dogs are like their kids. It may be hard to for some people to believe, but the loss has been really harrowing for them,” Cordova said. “It’s really about PetSmart having some accountability here.” 
 
 Zarate has since pleaded not guilty to charges of animal cruelty and animal abuse. He’s scheduled to be in court Wednesday, where a date for his trial will be set, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. 
 
 In addition to unspecified damages, with the lawsuit Zier and Peacock are seeking to prevent this from happening again. 
 
 “The goal is to change the systems, either internally or to have some sort of larger oversight and regulation of the industry. It really isn’t about the money,” Cordova said. 
 
 TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report. ||||| Henry’s sweet face and adorable eyes are yet another reason to avoid PetSmart. 
 
 Reportedly, the dachshund died after being taken to the store for a routine grooming session, and a PetSmart employee was arrested on suspicion of felony cruelty to animals. 
 
 "Henry" died allegedly while under care at PetSmart on the Peninsula. Employee arrested pic.twitter.com/6zrqGkgFrM — Damian Trujillo (@newsdamian) May 17, 2016 
 
 According to reports, just minutes after Henry was dropped off at a California PetSmart store for a routine haircut, PetSmart employee Juan Zarate emerged from the grooming office with Henry, who was bleeding from the mouth and having difficulty breathing, and took the dog to an on-site veterinarian. Henry is said to have died shortly after the vet began treatment, still in the store. 
 
 New outlets covering the incident say that authorities determined from an X-ray of Henry’s body that he had sustained two broken ribs and a punctured lung. 
 
 Allegedly, police called to the scene took Zarate into custody after an investigation led them to believe that his “deliberate actions” played a part in Henry’s sudden, unexpected death. While details are still emerging, one thing is clear: Grooming tragedies are common, and they can be deadly. Always do your research and be vigilant before entrusting your dog to a groomer’s care, or learn some basic techniques in order to groom your dog yourself. 
 
 And remember: PetSmart cares about making money, not about animals. 
 
 In a statement released by the company in the wake of Henry’s death, PetSmart said, “Any incident of animal cruelty goes against everything we believe as a company.” 
 
 What do you think? Watch this video footage taken by eyewitness investigators at one of the horrific breeding mills that supply PetSmart with the animals they callously sell: 
 
 What is PetSmart doing to help these reptiles who suffered in the “care” of their supplier? 
 
 All types of animals are suffering in the pet trade and in chain stores like PetSmart, whether they’re mice, birds, reptiles, or dogs like Henry. 
 
 NEVER spend your money at stores like PetSmart, which profit from the sale of animals. 
 
 You can make a difference by “voting with your wallet.” Please, pledge never to buy pet supplies from retailers that sell any animals. Let PetSmart officials know that you’ll instead buy supplies from businesses that don’t sell animals, such as Target, Walgreens, or online retailers. 
 
 And if you’re planning to add an animal companion to your family, please visit a local shelter or rescue organization—never buy from a pet store or breeder. ||||| Bay Area owners of slain dachshund file lawsuit against PetSmart 
 
 Video: Owners of slain dachshund sue PetSmart 
 
 Terrie Peacock wiped away tears streaming down her face Tuesday as she recalled the distress and shock she felt when a San Mateo pet groomer emerged from an appointment with her year-old puppy, Henry, with blood foaming from the pooch’s mouth. 
 
 After their beloved dachshund died, suffering from two broken ribs and a punctured lung in what was supposed to be a routine nail-trimming at PetSmart, the owners are hitting the national pet retailer with a lawsuit. 
 
 “It’s been a living nightmare. We treat our pets like children,” Peacock said as she held her other dachshund, Bella, in her lawyer’s Burlingame office. PetSmart “knew that there were others that believed that their pets had been harmed and they did nothing about it. And as a result, our son died.” 
 
 Henry, a pet of Terrie Peacock and Stefan Zier, died from injuries after a grooming session at PetSmart. Henry, a pet of Terrie Peacock and Stefan Zier, died from injuries after a grooming session at PetSmart. Photo: Terrie Peacock And Stefan Zier / Terrie Peacock And Stefan Zier Photo: Terrie Peacock And Stefan Zier / Terrie Peacock And Stefan Zier Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Bay Area owners of slain dachshund file lawsuit against PetSmart 1 / 5 Back to Gallery 
 
 Peacock and Stefan Zier, her partner, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against PetSmart and the company groomer arrested on suspicion of killing Henry, citing “an alarming number” of serious injuries and sometimes deaths after appointments at PetSmart offices across the nation. 
 
 “I was helpless. He was dying right in front of us,” Zier said of the moment when he saw Henry struggling to breathe in the lobby of the PetSmart offices in San Mateo. “What we want from this is there to be systematic change. We want these people (groomers) to be trained.” 
 
 Juan Zarate, a 38-year-old San Francisco resident, was arrested in mid-May at the store in the 3500 block of South El Camino Real after it became evident that “deliberate actions committed by Zarate likely contributed to the animal’s death,” said Sgt. Richard Decker of the San Mateo Police Department. 
 
 Zarate was charged with felony animal cruelty. He pleaded not guilty, posted bail and is awaiting trial, said Alison Cordova, the attorney representing the couple. 
 
 POPULAR ON SFGATE: CNN anchor cuts interview short after guest drops the n-word 
 
 Peacock and Zier said they were never given an explanation by Zarate or PetSmart as to how Henry suffered the extensive injuries that led to his death, Cordova added. 
 
 A PetSmart representative declined to answer questions about the case, saying in a statement, “As a practice, PetSmart does not comment on pending litigation.” 
 
 The bereaved couple say the lawsuit isn’t about money. They don’t want anyone else to have to deal with the trauma they’ve experienced since Henry’s death, Zier said. 
 
 The organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals receives complaints about incidents in which pets are killed or injured during grooming at PetSmart “all the time,” said Rachel Bellis, a manager of local affairs for PETA’s cruelty investigations department. 
 
 Pet grooming is an unregulated industry and many groomers don’t actually have a license, Bellis added. 
 
 Cordova noted that 42 complaints filed by PetSmart customers with the website Consumer Affairs since 2010 cited animal injuries and sometimes death caused by the company’s grooming services. 
 
 “A lot of the grooming incidents where animals have died — been strangled to death by collars, died from heatstroke from being left in the drying chambers — they happen so often at these stores so we are always pushing for states to have stricter laws on (grooming) practices,” Bellis said. 
 
 Zier and Peacock’s lawsuit against PetSmart details the litany of complaints against the retailer. In May 2016, a customer reported that a PetSmart groomer cut his dog’s genitalia during a grooming session. Days later, another report was filed that said a PetSmart groomer “scalped” a dog, leaving it without any fur. The dog died from its injuries. 
 
 “We never had children together,” Zier said. “I hope people can understand, these are our children. We pray he doesn’t die in vain.” 
 
 Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twiter: @SarRavani
– Pet grooming is an unregulated business and requires no license, and a PETA spokesperson tells the San Francisco Chronicle that the organization gets complaints "all the time" from people who say their pets were injured or even killed during grooming at PetSmart. Now a California couple whose dachshund Henry died at a San Mateo PetSmart in May are filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the retailer and a groomer not for money, they say, but for "systematic" changes. "We want these people to be trained," says Stefan Zier, who with his partner Terrie Peacock has been mourning Henry's death ever since. "I was helpless—he was dying right in front of us," Peacock says. "It's been a living nightmare." According to police, groomer Juan Zarate emerged three minutes after taking the 1-year-old dog into the grooming room for a routine nail trimming to say that Henry was having a medical emergency. The dog had two broken ribs and a punctured lung, was bleeding out of his mouth, and died in minutes. Zarate, who was charged with felony animal cruelty after police ruled that his "deliberate actions ... likely contributed to the animal's death," pleaded not guilty, posted bail, and is still awaiting trial, according to the couple's attorney. They allege that since 2010, reports of animal abuse at the national chain range from severe cuts and overheating to strangulation, which is how an autopsy ruled Henry died, reports CBS Local. (One man sued PetSmart for $1 million over a bit of dog poop.)