The family of a 10-year-old San Diego boy who died from a bacterial infection he reportedly got from his pet rat is suing retailer Petco, Fox News reported.
A lawsuit against Petco Animal Supplies Inc. was filed Monday seeking an unspecified amount for the amount of suffering the Pankey family, whose son, Aidan, died June 12, 2013, shortly after being rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pains, the Associated Press reported.
The San Diego County medical examiner's office determined that the cause of death was streptobacillus moniliformis infection, commonly known as rat-bite fever. The family believes Aidan contracted a serious infectious disease from a pet rat he bought from Petco's Carmel Mountain Ranch store.
The pet retailer issued a statement expressing its condolences
"We are deeply saddened by the Pankey family's tragic loss," Petco said. "The health and safety of people and pets is always a top priority, and we take the family's concerns very seriously."
The boy and his grandmother purchased the rat from the pet store on May 27, 2013, and woke up the night of June 11 in severe pain with a fever and stomach problems, the AP reported. According to the lawsuit, Aidan was pale, lethargic and could barely walk. He died at 1:09 a.m. the next day.
"He was a bright, energetic, friendly, happy kid who actually had a prior rat, who was a female, and he had this idea in his young head of having his female rat get married," Attorney John Gomez told the AP.
The family waited eight months to file a lawsuit because attorneys were awaiting the lab results from the federal Centers for Disease Control which tested the rat to confirm it was infected, the AP reported.
Sharon Pankey, Aidan's grandmother, told 10News the rat came back positive for rat-bite fever.
Gomez said the family wants to raise awareness among parents.
"It's a means to ensure this doesn't happen again," Gomez said of the lawsuit. "Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want tighter controls."
