A dog owner was left shocked after dropping off her pooch at a pet shop for a bath before it was returned to her as ashes in a box.
The pet store said that the dog, called Luizinho, had suffered a sudden death while being dried after being washed.
But they reportedly hastily cremated the animal and returned its remains to its owner before the death could be investigated.
Luizinho was supposed to just have a wash when owner Rosane Martins, 38, took him and her other dog Belinha, both Shih-Tzus, to the pet shop in Campo Grande, the capital of the west-central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
The animals were to be picked up by Rosane’s unnamed husband a few hours later.
But then a vet called and asked if she was the dogs’ owner. She was then told that her beloved Luizinho had passed away.
Rosane explained: “I left Luizinho and Belinha at the pet, at 12:30 pm, and went to work. When it was 4:01 pm, I received a message. It was the veterinarian asking me if I was the guardian of the dogs.
“I asked if the dogs were ready, the doctor didn’t reply. He asked me to go to the place, they warned that an accident had happened with Luizinho. I insisted to find out what had happened and they said that my dog ​​had died.”
After receiving the news of the death, Rosane immediately went to the pet shop.
At the scene, she picked up her other dog Belinha and started to try to find out more about how Luizinho had died. Rosane said that the veterinarian’s version is that the dog died after a seizure while being dried.
She said: “The attendant picked me up and took me to Luizinho. He was covered with a towel, with a drop of blood on his neck and mouth.
“The vet intervened and said that he had had a seizure and died while drying off. My dog ​​was the most healthy, never had anything. I gave away my good dog and now he’s dead.”
Rosane then called the police, who went to the pet shop and told the owner to file a police report.
As it was near closing time, the owner reportedly decided to file the report the following day.
But before leaving the pet shop, Rosane said that one of the workers suggested that the animal be cremated.
Rosane said: “I accepted that he be cremated, they informed me that the procedure would take eight days.
“The next day, I went to the police station, and the police instructed me to remove the body and carry out a necropsy procedure to investigate Luizinho’s death.”
So she called the pet shop to cancel the cremation and get the remains of her dog back, but they told her that the dog had already been cremated.
Rosane said: “I wanted at least the ashes. But I thought the cremation process would take time. I asked for the body, and they informed me that they had already cremated my dog. They said they thought the procedure would take longer. I left my dog ​​healthy and received his ashes at home.”
The heartbroken owner told local media: “He was very good. My son slept with him, he was a cuddler. Luizinho loved going for walks, he went crazy when I took the collars. Now, I get home, my dog ​​is not there. I look, there is only the box of ashes from him.”
Rosane has since filed a complaint with the Civil Police and the Specialised Police Station for Repression of Environmental Crimes and Tourist Assistance is now reportedly investigating the incident.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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