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NAD Files Complaint Against PETCO

Published Jan 16th, 2008, by National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a complaint on November 27, 2007 with the U.S. Department of Justice against PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. (PETCO).  The complaint alleges that PETCO refused to provide qualified sign language interpreter services for four deaf couples who registered for PETCO's dog training class in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The couples provided and paid for interpreter services to ensure effective communication and meaningful access to PETCO's dog training class.

“It's important for businesses, like PETCO, that offer education or training classes, to ensure that their programs are accessible,” said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD President.  “In this case, providing qualified interpreter services was necessary.”

The dog training class consisted of six one-hour sessions.  The four couples had requested that PETCO provide sign language interpreter services to ensure effective communication and meaningful access to the instruction.  In response to the accessibility request, an attorney for PETCO informed the four couples that they would be given a Parenting Guide with “detailed instruction and photos which parallel the oral instruction provided by [PETCO's] Canine Education Instructors.”  One individual, frustrated by PETCO's response said, “Questions unique to each individual's relationship with their animal are best addressed by a real, live professional rather than digging through a manual trying to find this information.  Otherwise, why have canine education classes at all—why not just tell all of your customers to refer to the Parenting Guide?”

The NAD requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate this complaint and order PETCO to cease its discriminatory practices and reimburse the deaf couples for the interpreter services they provided and paid for to ensure effective communication and meaningful access to PETCO's dog training class.

http://www.nad.org/ComplaintAgainstPETCO