She asked for pump breaks. Petco said "absolutely." Her lawsuit says what happened next
A former Petco veterinarian says the company let a pregnancy-based hostile workplace fester, then fired her one day after she pushed back over lactation breaks.
The lawsuit, Varon v. Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-00111, was filed April 28, 2026 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The plaintiff, Dr. Nicole Varon, says she joined Petco in July 2021, was promoted to Hospital Medical Leader in September 2023, and was tapped as a mentor in the company's PACKS Mentorship Program for new veterinary graduates. By her account, she was a top performer and her team won an Epic Achievers Award in 2024.
Things changed, the filing says, after she became pregnant in August 2024 and a new veterinary technician — described in the suit as a close personal friend of the area medical director — joined the clinic. Beginning in November 2024, Varon alleges, the technician made a string of vulgar and pregnancy-focused comments. According to the filing, the technician referred to ultrasound images of Varon's unborn child as "baby porn," repeatedly asked, "Is your hole dirty?" while Varon was at her desk, and made remarks comparing Varon's pregnant body to that of another pregnant doctor. Varon, who says she has a history of an eating disorder, told managers the body comments were especially harmful.
She and other employees reported the conduct, the suit says. A...
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