Imagine being sexually harassed at work. You're so desperate to get away from it that you agree to transfer to another location in a different state - and then you're harassed there as well.

That's what apparently happened to a woman working for PetSmart. She says she endured both harassment and retaliation. She apparently worked at a store in Vestal, New York, and endured sexual harassment by her manager, she says. She accordingly transferred to a store in Chesterfield, Virginia, where she says she was harassed yet again.

The woman apparently complained to PetSmart's corporate office. She says she was retaliated against for reporting the abuse, and was eventually terminated. She's since filed a lawsuit against the company.

According to AZ Central, her lawsuit claims that she was subjected to degrading verbal abuse, as well as threatening behavior. The events are reportedly described as "sexually degrading." Her claims also reportedly include negligent hiring, negligent retention and wrongful discharge.

The woman worked for PetSmart as a pet-care specialist for a period of about five years. Spokespeople for the company, which runs nearly 1,200 stores and employs about 48,000 people, did not comment on the woman's lawsuit.

PetSmart is one of the world's biggest providers of specialty pet products and services. It reported revenue of over $5 billion in 2010.

According to reports, the woman's lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The woman is requesting both compensatory and punitive damages.

Source: AZ Central, "Lawsuit accuses PetSmart of sex bias," Max Jarman, Oct. 14, 2011