A former PetSmart employee reports he was fired for theft of services after he brought his dog to work on an special overnight shift.  He worked the shift as a favor to his store manager in preparation for a visit by representatives of Martha Stewart whose company was considering a product line for Petsmart. He left his dog in the pet day care facilities so that he could check in on his dog from time to time. No other employee was working this special shift, so he was caring for his own pet. Is this theft? [via]

At 5 p.m. on Dec. 15, Favetta was asked to work a special overnight shift that night to prepare the store for a viewing by representatives for Martha Stewart’s company, which was considering adding its product lines to PetSmart. Favetta said yes.
“I brought my dog with me because I knew if I didn’t, he would have been home alone all day and all night until I returned home at 6 a.m. the next day,” Favetta said.
He did the shift, and Gizmo, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, spent the night in the empty store’s doggie day care facility. Favetta said he’d check in on Gizmo every 15 minutes or so, and then go back to work.’

Two weeks later, Favetta was asked to meet with his store and district managers, who requested a written account of his overnight shift. He complied. They reviewed it and fired him for “theft of service.”

“I was shocked,” Favetta said. “It makes me sick that because I brought my dog to work with me when the store was closed to do the company a favor, I was called a thief and terminated.”