An NJ Advance Media investigation documented 47 cases across 14 states since 2008 in which families claim they took their dog to the nation’s leading pet retailer for a grooming — everything from a nail clipping to a haircut — only to have it die during or shortly after the visit.

Most cases — 32 in total — occurred after the start of 2015, the same year the company was bought out by a private equity firm. But those numbers are hardly a definitive accounting of deaths because very few groomers are required to publicly report them.

PetSmart, which fiercely defends its safety record, has not admitted wrongdoing in any of the deaths reviewed by NJ Advance Media.

But the nine-month investigation found deaths during or after groomings at PetSmart stores — once portrayed by company officials as “entirely separate and unrelated” anomalies — appear to happen far more frequently than customers and the general public know.

At the same time, rising awareness already has PetSmart in the crosshairs on social media. Tens of thousands of people in recent months have organized on Facebook, and customers have shared their stories and criticized the company.

PetSmart declined to answer nearly all of the 125 specific questions for this investigation but said in a statement, "any assertion that there is a systemic problem is false and fabricated." Click or tap the image for the company's full response. (Keith A. Muccilli | For NJ.com)

Prompted by the December death of Scruffles, an English bulldog groomed at a PetSmart in Flemington, New Jersey, the news organization reviewed lawsuits, veterinary records and media reports. Reporters also interviewed more than 100 pet owners, current and former PetSmart employees, lawyers, veterinarians, grooming experts and animal advocates.

Among the findings:

English bulldogs and similar breeds known as brachycephalic dogs, or those with short noses and smushed faces, accounted for 20 of the 47 documented deaths. Those dogs can have trouble breathing, especially in stressful environments or areas that get hot.

Some former employees allege PetSmart’s groomer training — which the company touts as the industry’s very best — can fall short of what’s advertised. They say they have seen unprepared trainees rushed into stores because of short-staffing, putting dogs at greater risk of injury.

Increasingly, the company is pressuring groomers to meet sales quotas, the employees said, and many felt either ignored or retaliated against when they spoke up about safety concerns or wrongdoing by colleagues.

On multiple occasions, PetSmart has offered out-of-court payments for as little as a few hundred dollars to owners whose pets die. In return, some owners must sign non-disclosure agreements that require them to delete social media posts and negative comments.

No state requires all individual groomers be certified, so there’s a lack of transparency of safety records, no enforced standard training and little public accounting when things go wrong. Causes of death can be hard to prove, lawyers are hesitant to take cases and, because pets are considered property, owners can recoup very little money in court. As a result, exactly how many pets die, and why, remains largely unknown.

Capone, a 7-year-old English bulldog, died Feb. 1, 2017, after getting his nails trimmed at a Philadelphia PetSmart, his owner said. (Photo courtesy of Nick Pomilio)

“There has to be accountability, but it won’t bring what I miss back. It won’t bring Capone back and that’s what I want,” said Pomilio, who added that he chose not to take legal action against PetSmart because he didn’t want to fight a major corporation. “What can I do? They say they didn’t do anything (wrong).”

Capone's owner, Nick Pomilio, said he'll never forget the last look his dog gave him before dying. (Andrew Maclean | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

On several occasions, NJ Advance Media attempted to discuss its investigation with representatives of PetSmart. Those attempts began with a formal letter sent on May 17 laying out the news organization’s findings and 125 specific questions related to its reporting. The company declined that request and several follow-up requests for an on-the-record response.

On Sept. 17, three days before publication of this investigation, PetSmart released a statement that said, in part, “nothing is more important than the safety of the pets in our care.”

“Any assertion that there is a systemic problem is false and fabricated,” the statement said. “We extensively investigate any and every incident, no matter how minor. Our independent team of investigators, many of whom have law enforcement backgrounds, is committed to conducting these comprehensive investigations.”

The company declined to disclose the number of deaths it has documented since 2008. In its Code of Ethics and Integrity handbook, PetSmart lists its core values as doing the right thing, accountability, customer focus, teamwork, rigor and transparency.

Read a full copy of PetSmart’s response here. NJ Advance Media also has provided a detailed overview of how it conducted this investigation, which can be found here.

Despite the deaths and growing negative publicity on social media, the company maintains millions of loyal customers. Sue Conti, 69, of Carteret, New Jersey, said her 15-year-old Maltese, Gizmo, has been groomed its entire life at the PetSmart in nearby Woodbridge and she always has been “very pleased.”

Conti said she has heard about the pet deaths.

“He is fine when he comes out, so I don’t worry about it,” she said.

Most of the PetSmart employees contacted by NJ Advance Media declined interviews because the company forbids speaking with the media. Even those no longer working for the company often declined because of the close-knit nature of the grooming community.

The news organization interviewed 22 current or former PetSmart employees, 11 of whom agreed to be named for this story. The remaining 11 declined to be identified for reasons including fear of retribution by the company, other groomers or their current employer.

Cher Harris worked as a groomer at the Deptford, New Jersey, store 10 years ago and said she never felt a dog was in danger.

“I feel like it’s a witch hunt,” Harris said of the recent news coverage. “Everyone is looking for the slightest thing. … I feel like they’re out with their pitchforks trying to take down PetSmart.”

The company appears to share her viewpoint.

In July, it filed a counterclaim for defamation in a case brought by Danielle DiNapoli of Lambertville, New Jersey, the owner of Scruffles, who publicized her dog’s death through the Justice for Scruffles Facebook group.

Scruffles became unresponsive during a grooming at a PetSmart in Flemington, New Jersey, and was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local animal hospital, according to a lawsuit. PetSmart denies wrongdoing and said employees acted appropriately. (Photo courtesy of Danielle DiNapoli)

According to DiNapoli’s lawsuit, the same day she dropped off Scruffles for a grooming, the 8-year-old bulldog became unresponsive and was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local animal hospital. DiNapoli alleges in the lawsuit the death of Scruffles was “intentional and/or reckless.”

PetSmart maintains it was not responsible for the death and employees acted appropriately. The company said in court records that Scruffles’ death was caused by “pre-existing medical conditions” but it did not elaborate and noted DiNapoli had yet to provide documentation of a necropsy, the animal equivalent of a human autopsy.

Scruffles' owner, Danielle DiNapoli, and PetSmart are battling over responsibility for the death in New Jersey Superior Court. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

During the course of this investigation, PetSmart — which is based in Phoenix and operates more than 1,600 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, including 48 in New Jersey — announced several new procedures to “provide pets with an even safer” grooming experience.

The company said in February it would complete broader assessments of pets at check-in. PetSmart said it would refuse service if pets show a combination of lethargy, excessive panting or drooling, trembling or shaking, eye redness or resistance to entering the grooming or kennel area.

PetSmart also announced that some breeds known to have breathing issues, including English bulldogs, can only receive express groomings, providing them uninterrupted service in an effort to minimize stress and risk. The company said it would install cameras in all grooming areas by August 2019 and hold open houses and tours at all of its salons on Sept. 23.

(During the course of its investigation, NJ Advance Media visited four stores and requested tours of the grooming areas but was denied access.)

Finally, PetSmart commissioned an independent review board to assess its grooming and training standards and provide an “unbiased” report of its findings, which it said would be completed in the fall. It’s unclear if the company intends to make the report public.

Not everyone is convinced the changes will make a difference.

Katelyn Douglas said she worked as a PetSmart groomer in North Carolina for 16 months before quitting in April to protest what she called “numerous (pet) safety violations.”

“PetSmart wasn’t telling us to be more careful,” Douglas said. “They told us, if a dog is being bad, just take it to the back and smile. They didn’t say, ‘Hey, everyone needs to be making sure we’re doing this.’ It’s more of, ‘We need to be sure we look good if someone comes around with a camera phone.’ ”