WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – A possible rat infestation at a Family Dollar facility was caught on camera again.
A former employee sent WREG videos and photographs of numerous rats inside the company’s West Memphis, Arkansas distribution center.
Robert Bradford said he was fired after posting a video of him trying to feed a rat online. He said the rats were everywhere inside the warehouse.
“There are sixty-one aisles in the warehouse; you are going to see them from one to sixty-one,” said Bradford. “They are running around. They are on the floor, and they are in boxes. “
It was a similar claim a Family Dollar employee made on Monday when he sent WREG several photos of dead rats inside a Whitehaven store.
The employee said the rodents came from shipments dropped off at the South Plazas Drive location.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said it had received a complaint about the business in mid-December, and inspectors determined there was a rat problem.
“I think what has been happening is they aren’t paying their pest control companies to treat their facilities,” said Patricia Rogers.
Community Leader Patricia Rogers has been going after Family Dollar for years for allowing trash to pile up outside some Memphis stores.
She wasn’t surprised to hear about the rats. Rogers said it appears no one is policing the businesses, and environmental court judges aren’t doing enough to punish the company.
“When you are talking about underserved communities, this is what billion-dollar corporations do in our neighborhoods. They make money,” she said. “They have a name like Family Dollar, but they don’t treat us like family.”
We contacted Family Dollar and received this statement:
“We take situations like this very seriously and the safety of our associates and customers is a top priority. Regarding the store: Upon becoming aware, we began working with pest control services to resolve the issue. Regarding the distribution center: We are taking aggressive steps to address the situation.”
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said inspectors within the Food Safety Section of the Consumer and Industry Services Division told managers of the Whitehaven store they needed to improve conditions at the business before their next visit.