DENTON, Texas — The City of Denton has commissioned an independent review of its animal services department two weeks after its animal shelter euthanized a dog while its owner was still looking for him.
In a post to Facebook made earlier this month, the shelter said the dog, Gunner, was brought to the shelter on Sept. 3 after being found near the intersection of I-35 and West University Blvd. Staff assessed Gunner and found him geriatric with severe mobility impairment and poor bladder and bowel control, the post reads.
"Shelter staff attempted to identify Gunner's owner using his microchip, but outdated information prevented them from contacting his owners," the post states. "Gunner did not have any additional identifying information."
While the city has a 72-hour stray hold policy, the department said in the post that the ordinance allows for euthanasia before that period to alleviate suffering. Gunner was euthanized the next morning based on his condition and after consultation with a licensed veterinarian.
Later that afternoon, the post states that animal services were made aware of a social media post from Gunner's owner, John Gilcrease, looking for him. Staff then reached out to try to let Gilcrease know what happened.
"The City understands the loss experienced by Gunner's family and the concerns raised by our community regarding his euthanasia," the city wrote in a statement. "We recognize the emotional impact this situation has caused and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of care and transparency in Animal Services."
An independent expert, Shelter Savvy, will conduct a review of the department's operating procedures to objectively assess them and provide recommendations for improvement and compliance.
Gilcrease has launched a GoFundMe to pay for legal fees.
"Texas law states that we have 72 hrs to retrieve our family from a facility and they demolished our family by taking that right from us!" Smith wrote on GoFundMe. "He was picked up by a stranger, brought into a strange place, and killed by a stranger without his mom and dad by his side."
