A mobile dog groomer and a customer’s pet were found dead inside a grooming van in the Davis Ranch community of San Antonio, after an exposure to carbon monoxide that investigators have not yet traced to a source.
Victoria Starr Ferraro, 60, who worked for Dog Gone Clean, had picked up a 10-year-old dog named Oliver Oken from his owner earlier Wednesday. When hours went by with no word from Ferraro, Oliver’s owner asked a neighbor to help look for her and the dog.
They found both unresponsive inside the van. Bexar County sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical crews responded to the scene around 5 p.m. Wednesday but were unable to revive either Ferraro or Oliver.
“Upon arrival, our deputies observed an unresponsive adult female and an unresponsive dog inside a grooming van,” the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said. “Our deputies and medical personnel provided life-saving measures. Victoria Starr Ferraro, a 60-year-old female, was later pronounced deceased. The dog was also pronounced deceased. No foul play was identified.”
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Ferraro died of carbon monoxide toxicity. Authorities have not said what caused the gas to build up inside the van.
Oliver’s family said in a written statement that they were devastated “not only for their sweet boy Oliver but also the groomer who was caring for him.” They said they wanted people to remember that Ferraro “was a person with a family, loved ones and a life of her own” and added, “this should have never happened.”
The family is now calling for stricter safety requirements for mobile dog grooming businesses, including carbon monoxide detectors, alarms and proper ventilation in grooming vans.
News of the deaths drew a wave of grief from the San Antonio community and beyond, with many online commenters mourning both Ferraro and Oliver and urging pet owners and groomers alike to install carbon monoxide detectors in their vehicles.
