A San Diego jury has sided with Petco in a lawsuit brought by the family of a 10-year-old boy who died after contracting an illness from bacteria from a rat purchased from the retailer.
KNSD-TV and KFMB-TV report that the jury found Thursday that Petco was not negligent or liable in the death of Aidan Pankey on June 12, 2013, after he was rushed to a hospital with severe stomach pains.
The San Diego County medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death was streptobacillus moniliformis infection, known as rat-bite fever, after exposure to an infected rat.
The jury found that Petco did enough to warn the boy's family of the possible risks and dangers of owning a pet rat, and therefore was not negligent in the boy's death.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.