A social media post led to Boston Inspectional Services shutting down a Dorchester Family Dollar store with a serious rat problem.
Showing a little-seen side of Boston
Michael Dubose Williams, a popular content creator, spotted a picture on social media of the rat problem, so he decided to investigate the issue himself. He went to the store on Blue Hills Avenue and created Instagram videos documenting what he saw.
“I seen a packed store, but then when I went to the food section, nothing but rat traps, mice traps,” said Dubose Williams who has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
“On my Instagram, I try to show things that’s not being seen in the city of Boston – especially our neighborhoods,” Dubose Williams said.
The video spread quickly across the Internet. Eventually the post reached Boston’s Inspection Services team, which promptly went to inspect the store.
“Unsanitary conditions throughout”
“We saw droppings, dead rodent carcass, just unsanitary conditions throughout,” said ISD Health Director Thomas McAdams. “We noticed some bags of food or candy that had been gnawed, chewed through.”
McAdams was one of the people on hand to investigate the issues. He said there was excessive clutter and a pool of standing water in the basement due to a broken sump pump.
“A couple of things they want – food, water and shelter – just like we do, so it’s a source for the rodents,” said McAdams of the wet basement.
Inspection Services shut the store down, and it will not open until standards are met.
Signs on the store read “We’re closed now” and “We can’t sell food.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the city had reached out to Family Dollar, but the company had not responded to them. WBZ-TV also contacted Family Dollar for comment but has yet to hear back.
“I don’t want them to think I’m just here to shut down their store, but the people have to have somewhere safe to shop,” said Dubose Williams.
