Lost and found, but not in time: Family heartbroken after missing dog euthanized at North Texas shelter
DENTON COUNTY — A head-scratching decision by a Denton animal shelter has elicited outrage across the country.
There are a lot of questions and criticism on social media after the shelter's staff euthanized a family dog shortly after he was brought in.
"Just a harmless, goofy little lab that just captured our hearts," said John Gilcrease.
Gunner was a 12-year-old lab that his owners say was a friend to all of the families in their rural Denton County neighborhood.
"My children are damaged. I'm damaged. I can't stop crying. My wife can't stop crying," said Gilcrease.
Gunner and the family's three other dogs were known to wander around the 8-acre property.
The last time Gilcrease saw Gunner was Tuesday, September 3. When Gunner didn't come home that day, Gilcrease said he panicked.
"At that point, I'm starting to freak out so I jump in my car and I drive around for nearly 5 hours, up until nearly 1 o'clock in the morning," Gilcrease said.
When he got word the next morning that Gunner was at the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center in Denton, it brought relief.
"He's at a safe place," said Gilcrease. "They're gonna feed him. He's gonna be happy to see me in the morning."
The shelter was closed on Wednesday but when Gilcrease arrived on the morning of Thursday, September 5, he said he couldn't get a straight answer when the staff and the director didn't produce Gunner.
"Like, 'where's my dog,' and she took so long to answer that my rebuttal back to that was, 'Did you kill my dog?'" said Gilcrease. "And she said, 'Yes.'"
The shelter's director admitted to euthanizing Gunner in a statement posted online stating when the dog was "...found he was geriatric, had severe mobility impairment, and no control over his bladder and bowels."
Gilcrease still can't believe that explanation.
"'Your dog was old. He had arthritis. He can barely stand up. He pooped and peed himself.' I said, 'Because he's scared,'" Gilcrease said.
"Knowing that they put down a family member of almost 13 years," said Gilcrease, "I don't know how I kept my composure."
Gunner's body was returned in a plastic bag with no apology, he said.
Gilcrease said the shelter had everything it needed to contact his family, which shows what happened to them could happen to anyone.
City of Denton responds
The City of Denton issued another statement on Wednesday, September 11, with a more detailed timeline leading up to Gunner's euthanization.
The focus of our Animal Services team is always on the well-being and quality of life of the animals in our care. While our staff works tirelessly to serve each animal with compassion, there are times when they must make incredibly difficult decisions, including humane euthanasia, when it is in the best interest of the animal.
Since Friday, our team has been subjected to repeated threats and harassment. This behavior is disheartening, but we remain committed to providing compassionate care with the well-being of the animals as our top priority. We also want to clarify a few points regarding recent events:
On Tuesday, an individual brought a dog named Gunner to Denton Animal Services, claiming to have found him near I-35 and West University. Gunner was unable to walk without assistance and had no control over his bowels or bladder. After a full veterinary evaluation, it was clear that he was in immense discomfort. Our staff attempted to contact the individual listed on Gunner's microchip, but the email addresses bounced back, and the phone numbers were disconnected. Our staff also researched the name associated with the microchip and called all associated numbers but were unable to reach anyone.
Gunner remained in our care overnight, and he was given medication to manage his pain. Despite these efforts, his condition did not improve, and he continued to struggle with bladder and bowel control. With his continued pain in mind, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize Gunner the following day, in accordance with our policy and with his quality of life as our priority.
We are aware that there has been concern about the 72-hour stray hold period. While the hold period typically applies, there are exceptions, such as when an animal is suffering or has a poor quality of life, which allow staff to forgo the 72-hour requirement. Given Gunner's degenerative condition and severe suffering, our staff acted within policy to humanely euthanize him.
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, our City Manager has called for a comprehensive and independent review of our shelter's processes and policies to identify additional ways to support the animals in our care. We will share the findings of this review with the community once it is complete.
Gilcrease said he disputes the shelter's claim that Gunner's microchip had outdated information. He also said he wants animal cruelty charges filed against the shelter's staff for killing a dog that may have been old, but far from dying.
"I think Gunner's last moments were, 'I'm scared,'" said Gilcrease. "'Somebody brought me to a place I don't know. Where is my dad, and why am I on this cold table and why are they killing me?'"