A Pennsylvania woman claims her dog was mauled to death by a pit bull at PetSmart after she took him there to be groomed.

Betty Miller says she received a phone call soon after she dropped off her 12-year-old Bichon named Brewster at PetSmart's grooming salon in Dickson City last Wednesday.

The call came from a nearby veterinarian who told her Brewster had died after being attacked by the pit bull.

The 12-year-old Bichon named Brewster died last week after being mauled at PetSmart's grooming salon in Dickson City, Pennsylvania

The beloved family pet had been rushed to the vet by PetSmart staff after the mauling, but he had already died after suffering internal bleeding.

Brewster's owner slammed PetSmart over the way they handled the ordeal, saying the groomers failed to contact the family directly to tell them of the deadly attack.

'They did not reach out to us, and I was very angry about that,' Miller told WNEP-TV.

'Why would you want to bring a pit bull past a small dog who's really just bait? He was bait.

'I felt so guilty the day it happened because we would say to him, 'You want to go bye-bye?' and he'd hop in that car.

Betty Miller says she received a phone call soon after she had dropped Brewster at PetSmart's grooming salon in Dickson City (above) last Wednesday

The beloved family pet was rushed to a nearby vet after the mauling but he had already died after suffering internal bleeding

'He didn't know it was going to be his last ride. It was hard, very, very hard. He's been with us for 12 years. He was just a great dog.'

PetSmart issued a statement following Brewster's death saying they had launched an investigation into the 'tragic accident'.

'We are truly saddened by the loss of Brewster. The health, safety and well-being of the pets in our care is our top priority,' the statement read.

We have high standards of care in place and are actively gathering more information to determine any policy or procedural violations.

'We welcome all dogs, regardless of their breed, into our grooming salons provided they are well-behaved. We will remain in close contact with Brewster’s pet parent as we learn more.'