“The company filed a notice with the Labor Department so it would be in compliance with the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act if the business does close, however, the family is unsure what will happen after his sudden death,” said Petland Discounts spokesperson Amy Eisenberg. “Neil is the sole proprietor and the family is still trying to figure everything out.”

Employees say they learned that stores would close two weeks ago after Padron died but that the writing was already on the wall.

“They were preparing us for it because it was probably going to happen anyway,” said Nastassia Sacco, manager of the Glen Oaks Petland Discount, the very first store..

Petland Discounts opened its doors in 1965 on Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks and expanded to more than 100 locations. However, Amazon and discount websites began to erode the Petland Discount business.

“Mostly online is killing us. Amazon, Chewy.com,” Sacco told the Eagle. “It’s been dead today. No one has come in. And when they do come in, they say, ‘I can get this cheaper online.’”

Sacco said she plans to search for jobs at pet stores in Long Island when the Glen Oaks store — along with every Petland Discounts — closes on April 18.