Heartbroken Family Seeks Justice After Shelter Euthanizes Their Missing Dog

A Texas family is grappling with shock and grief after their cherished dog was euthanized by a shelter following a brief disappearance, and now they are seeking justice.

John Gilcrease, from Denton County, Texas, recounted the heartbreaking tale of how his 13-year-old Labrador, Gunner, was tragically put down after a shelter picked him up when he went missing.

Gilcrease stated that on September 3, Gunner did not come home. The family searched the area, contacted neighbors, and posted on social media in an effort to find him.

Finally, they received news that Gunner had been found and taken in by a local animal shelter, the Linda McNatt Animal Care & Adoption Center. Gilcrease felt a wave of relief, believing his dog was safe and being cared for. He called the shelter, and although they informed him they would be closed the following day, he could pick up Gunner on September 5.

However, when he arrived, the staff’s behavior was peculiar. After struggling to get a clear answer, he started to fear that his dog was no longer there—a concern that was soon validated.

“She took so long to answer that my rebuttal back to that was, ‘Did you kill my dog?’”Gilcrease recounted to CBS News. “And she said, ‘Yes.’”

“Knowing that they put down a family member of almost 13 years, I don’t know how I kept my composure,” he continued, noting that the shelter did not offer an apology and returned Gunner’s body to him in a plastic bag.
The shelter stated that they euthanized Gunner for health reasons, arguing that the dog was “old” and suffered from arthritis and incontinence. They reinforced this argument in a statement released on September 11: “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,” the statement read.

The shelter claimed that they chose to “humanely euthanize” Gunner due to his bladder and bowel control issues, asserting he was in “immense discomfort.” However, Gilcrease contends that his dog was likely just frightened.

Another contentious issue is that the City of Denton’s website states that owners have a 72-hour stray hold to reclaim their dogs before they become the property of the Animal Services Center. The decision to euthanize Gunner appears to violate this policy, but the shelter claims they make exceptions “when an animal is suffering or has a poor quality of life.”

“He was brought in Tuesday evening, and the very next morning they euthanized him,” Gilcrease stated. “It wasn’t 12 hours later.”

The shelter also asserted that they attempted to contact the family using the information on Gunner’s microchip, claiming the phone numbers and emails were unresponsive. Gilcrease disputes this assertion, stating that his information was up to date and that he had already reached out to the shelter after learning Gunner was there.

“I said, he has a chip. He has a tracking collar. My email. My phone numbers. My name,” he shared on TikTok. “Look me up on Facebook. None of that happened, and they euthanized my family dog.”

Gilcrease and his family have been heartbroken by the loss. “My children are damaged. I’m damaged. I can’t stop crying. My wife can’t stop crying,” Gilcrease, a father of four, told CBS News, remembering Gunner as a “harmless, goofy little lab that just captured our hearts.”

Gilcrease is now advocating for justice for Gunner. In a Facebook post, he announced that he was filing animal cruelty charges against the City of Denton Animal Shelter, insisting that staff members Mindy Henry and Nikki Sassenus should be fired for the “murder” of his dog.

“If they did this to me, they would do it to you! They broke the law!” he wrote.

As the story has gained traction on social media, many have rallied to support the cause, voicing their outrage against the shelter and demanding accountability. Over 40,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for an investigation.

According to the Denton Record-Chronicle, the city is looking into the matter and reports that staff did not consult a veterinarian before euthanizing Gunner.