Woman Claims Starbucks Killed Her Dog

One woman has determined that the coffee-chain giant, Starbucks, is responsible for the death of her beloved pet dog.

Deanna Salas-Solano, a 58-year-old woman from Denver, Colorado, is convinced that Starbucks employees are responsible for the death of her dog, Alexander, who died after hot tea spilled from a Starbucks cup. Ms. Salas-Solano recently filed a lawsuit against the coffeehouse giant and her story is already going viral.

When Ms. Salas-Solano collected her Venti tea from a Starbucks drive thru, she immediately noticed that the boiling hot beverage had a loose lid and hadn’t come with a heat sleeve. “The hot temperature of the cup began to burn her hands. Hot tea began to spill out of the cup through the unsecured lid and onto [her] body,” reads the lawsuit. When it hit her skin, the steaming hot tea began blistering Ms. Salas-Salano’s skin and her injuries would later be classified as second-degree burns.

The lawsuit against Starbucks describes the extent of Ms. Salas-Salano’s pain: “She immediately experienced intense pain including on her stomach, legs and lap...At or about this time, she began screaming for help and writhing and moaning in pain.”

Included in the lawsuit, which has already been filed in Denver, are several photographs that Ms. Salas-Salano documented after the Starbucks incident. The photos are quite graphic and show the extent of the blistered burns on Alexander’s body and on Ms. Salas-Salano’s stomach and thighs. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ms. Salas-Salano revealed that the wounds required skin grafts to properly heal.

To make matters worse, as more of the scalding liquid began to spill from the overfilled cup, Ms. Salas-Solano’s beloved dog sprang onto her lap. In the process, Alexander sent the hot tea flying and was covered in burning hot liquid, “causing the dog to yelp in pain.”

Despite her own injuries, Ms. Salas-Salano decided to take care of her pet before tending to her own burns. The lawsuit details Ms. Salas-Salano’s desperate and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save her dog’s life: “Alexander was taken to an emergency veterinarian hospital. [He] ultimately succumbed to the injuries caused by the tea, dying a short time later.”

According to Ms. Salas-Salono’s attorney’s, this particular Starbucks coffeehouse has already been cautioned by health and safety officials after locals complained about the scalding hot beverages and loosely fastened lids.

Nevertheless, Starbucks representatives remain unfazed by the lawsuit and a company spokesperson has openly questioned Ms. Salas-Salano’s version of events. “We have video evidence that clearly contradicts the claims made by the plaintiff and believe they are without merit. We look forward to presenting our case in court,” declared the Starbucks representative.

Ms. Salas-Salano’s story has received a mixed response from online commenters and social media users. Many Daily Mail commenters are skeptical of Ms. Salas-Salano’s claim, with one user, Brett, writing: “If it was so hot, why would you not just drop it while it is still outside your window. If it had no sleeve, she would have felt the temperature as it was handed to her, which is outside the car. They don't reach into your car for a reason, a liability reason.”

Source: Daily Mail
Photo: MailOnline