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 13-year-old lab that his owners say was a friend to all of the families in their rural Denton County neighborhood.
"My dog walks across the fence and goes and plays in my neighbor's pool," Gilcrease said. "This neighbor over here feeds my dogs."
Last Tuesday was the last time Gilcrease saw Gunner.
"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.
When Gunner didn't come when called last Tuesday, Gilcrease 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 Thursday morning 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.
The shelter's statement goes on to say that the 72-hour hold on stray animals can be waived to "alleviate animal suffering."
"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 dog house is empty now.
He was given back to the family in a plastic bag with no apology, they said.
Gilcrease said the shelter had everything it needed to find them which shows what happened to them could happen to anyone.
The shelter claims a microchip in the dog had outdated information, something the Gilcrease family disputes in their online posts about the ordeal which already have 5 million views.
His owners want criminal 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?'"