Victoria Starr Ferraro and a customer’s puppy were found unresponsive inside a mobile grooming van in the Davis Ranch community.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A medical examiner has determined that a mobile dog groomer found dead alongside a customer’s puppy inside her work van died from carbon monoxide toxicity, providing the first official explanation for one of the deaths while investigators continue examining how the deadly gas accumulated.
The groomer was identified as 60-year-old Victoria Starr Ferraro, an employee of Dog Gone Clean. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that carbon monoxide toxicity caused her death, according to an updated report from WOAI. Authorities have not publicly explained what produced the carbon monoxide or how it built up inside the mobile grooming vehicle. The puppy’s official cause of death also had not been released as of Saturday.
Ferraro had gone to a customer’s home in the Davis Ranch community on San Antonio’s Far Northwest Side on Wednesday afternoon for a scheduled grooming appointment. Investigators said the dog’s owner became concerned after several hours passed without hearing from Ferraro and asked a neighbor to check on the grooming van.
Ferraro and the dog were found unresponsive inside the vehicle. Bexar County sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical personnel responded at about 5 p.m. to the 12000 block of Dusty Boots Road near Cactus Hills. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but Ferraro and the puppy were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators have said they do not suspect foul play. The carbon monoxide finding answers a major question about Ferraro’s death but leaves investigators with another: what caused the toxic gas to enter or accumulate inside the van. Authorities had not publicly identified a mechanical failure, equipment problem or other source of the carbon monoxide.
Early reports about the deaths did not identify Ferraro and said the cause of death was unknown. Local reporting was updated Friday after the medical examiner identified her and released the carbon monoxide finding. Authorities have not announced whether additional testing of the grooming vehicle is underway or when more information about the source of the gas could be released.
Reports have differed on the puppy’s first name. An early syndicated report identified the dog as Olive Oken, while updated reporting from WOAI identified the dog as Oliver Oken. The updated local report said Ferraro had arrived at the home to groom Oliver before both were later discovered inside the van.
The puppy’s cause of death remains a separate unresolved question. Although the dog was found in the same enclosed vehicle as Ferraro, authorities had not publicly released a veterinary or other official determination establishing what caused the animal’s death. Investigators also had not announced evidence showing precisely when the exposure began.
The investigation remains open as authorities seek to determine the circumstances that allowed carbon monoxide to accumulate inside the grooming van. No foul play is suspected, and officials had not announced any criminal charges or identified another person as responsible for the deaths.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 14, 2026.