I have never trusted those drying cages

and I could not imagine putting a dog inside and just leaving it. I have used them for incredibly fluffy dogs when I've taken the dogs to the dog wash at a local store, but always for a very short time, checking the temperature often, and under my supervision. There was definitely some sort of disconnect here. They basically baked this poor dog to death.

Dog dies after forgotten inside Petco’s drying cage during routine grooming: owner

After not hearing from the Richmond-area facility several hours after dropping Colby off, Marks said she called the location and was asked to meet them at an area animal hospital. There she found Colby, dead.

An assistant manager for the Chesterfield County Petco allegedly told her that the groomer left to attend a graduation ceremony after placing the dog inside of the heater.

"This is her exact words: Your groomer had to go because she had a graduation to go to," Marks told WTVR.

The heating machine was supposed to turn off at 15 minutes. More than an hour after the dog died, however, his body's temperature was still at 105 degrees, Marks said.

The vet said the dog appeared to have died from a heat stroke.