The Denver Post reports in “PetSmart used dog grooming school to ‘trap’ employees, Colorado lawsuit says” that Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed a lawsuit against PetSmart, accusing the retail giant of deceptive business practices. The suit claims PetSmart’s “Grooming Academy” was less about education and more about locking low-wage workers into debt and employment contracts under the guise of training. Workers allegedly paid thousands of dollars for a certification that was required for them to work… at PetSmart. If they left before two years? They were on the hook for the full cost.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Welcome to Grooming Debt U
PetSmart allegedly advertised free training but then backdoored workers into a repayment contract that could cost them thousands. Surprise! Your starter job just became a student loan. - “Free” with Fine Print
The training was supposed to be free. But workers claim that if they left before two years, PetSmart treated them like delinquent borrowers, not employees. - AG Weiser Unleashes the Legal Leash
In a rare moment of actually doing his job, Weiser is going after a corporate bad actor instead of grandstanding on national politics. Finally. - Corporate Loyalty Through Economic Handcuffs
It’s not a non-compete, but it smells like one. PetSmart effectively made leaving the company financially punishing, especially for low-income workers. - Grooming Dogs, Not Workers
A place that sells chew toys and puppy shampoo allegedly engineered an indentured servitude scheme. Man’s best friend deserved better. So did their groomers.
My Bottom Line
Bravo, Phil Weiser. You finally did what attorneys general are supposed to do: protect the people in your state. Instead of campaigning with taxpayer money via lawsuits filed against presidents named Trump, you pointed your legal sword at a real enemy, corporate sleaze dressed up as career training.
PetSmart allegedly took workers, many probably scraping by, and told them, “Hey, come learn to be a groomer! It’s free!” Then, when life happened, maybe a better job, maybe illness, maybe burnout, they slapped them with thousands in debt. That’s not a business model. That’s a trap.
There’s a difference between investing in workers and chaining them to the dog-washing table with a payment plan. Here’s hoping this case doesn’t just clean up PetSmart – it sends a message to every other company out there peddling “free” training programs that double as economic leashes.
