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A Texas dog groomer and a beloved pooch were found dead inside a mobile grooming van in a horrifying double tragedy that has left a San Antonio neighborhood reeling.
Victoria Starr Ferraro, 60, who worked for Dog Gone Clean, had picked up a customer’s 10-year-old dog, Oliver Oken, earlier Wednesday, according to News4SanAntonio.
When hours passed without word from Ferraro, Oliver’s worried owner enlisted a neighbor to help search for the missing pair.
Their worst fears were realized when they found the groomer and the pup unresponsive inside the van.
They frantically called 911.
Bexar County sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical personnel rushed to the Davis Ranch community around 5 p.m. Wednesday, but neither Ferraro nor Oliver could be saved.
“Upon arrival, our deputies observed an unresponsive adult female and an unresponsive dog inside a grooming van,” the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office told The Post. “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.”
Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Ferraro had died from carbon monoxide toxicity. But the source of the deadly gas was not immediately known.
Oliver’s family told FoxSA 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 were grieving for her, of course, but wanted to stress that Ferraro “was a person with a family, loved ones and a life of her own” and that “this should have never happened.”
They are now calling for stricter safety precautions for mobile dog grooming businesses, including carbon monoxide detectors, alarms and proper ventilation.
The double tragedy sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with commenters mourning both Ferraro and Oliver.
“Father in Heaven, please help us understand the sad deaths of a lovely dog-lover and a sweet little dog. This one really hurts,” one person prayed.
“How devastating for two families!” exclaimed another.
“Buy a carbon monoxide detector for your vehicle!” said a third commenter.
