A Ventura, California couple arrived at dog daycare expecting to bring home their one-year-old English bulldog, Bruce, but were instead told he had drowned in a pool and allegedly shown his body lying in a plastic tub.
Bruce’s owners, Chris and Ashley Merz, were not notified of his death before they came to Camp Canine in Santa Barbara at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday for pickup, Ashley’s mother, Alison Genet, told Noozhawk.
According to the family, Chris was informed at the daycare — which promotes itself online as “Disneyland for dogs” — that Bruce had drowned, then was shown the dog’s body inside the tub.
The distressing scene was recorded on video by someone who appeared to be another customer at Camp Canine.
Police told the family that Bruce is believed to have drowned sometime between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Genet alleged that rigor mortis had already begun by the time Bruce was removed from the pool, and that he was never brought to an emergency veterinarian.
“English bulldogs, by nature, aren’t natural swimmers,” Genet said, noting that Bruce had been attending and training at Camp Canine for six months before his death.
The daycare separates small, medium and large dogs into different yards, and the large-dog area contains two unfenced pools.
Bruce was typically placed with small or medium dogs because of his size but somehow ended up in the large-dog yard where he drowned.
Camp Canine’s owners told the family Bruce was not supposed to be in that yard yet had no explanation as to how he ended up there.
The Santa Barbara Police Department responded to the boarding facility on Montecito Street at approximately 4:45 p.m. following a report of a dog drowning.
“During the initial investigation, the responding officer met with the K-9’s owners, who provided information regarding their K-9 and the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident,” Lt. Ryan DeJohn said.
“The officer also interviewed the employees who were present when the incident occurred.”
The circumstances surrounding Bruce’s death are now under investigation by the department’s Criminal Investigative Unit and Animal Control Team.
Camp Canine has temporarily suspended its daycare operations in the wake of Bruce’s death and is reviewing its facility, safety procedures and emergency response protocols.
“There are no words that can fully express the heartbreak we feel following the tragic loss of a beloved dog while in our care earlier this week,” Camp Canine General Manager Jayne Sigman said in a statement posted to Instagram Saturday.
“A family entrusted us with a cherished member of their family, and they are now living with an unimaginable loss because we failed in our responsibility to keep their dog safe.
“We are profoundly sorry. Our hearts are with them as they grieve, and we know that no words can lessen the pain they are experiencing.”
Genet said her daughter was “inconsolable” and that the family was disturbed not only by Bruce’s death, but by how they say the aftermath was handled.
“Bruce was just the sweetest, sweetest boy,” she said. “A really good dog, and this is just a crazy tragedy. How it’s been handled… we’re upset about the tragedy, but how it’s being handled is not right.
“How it was handled afterwards wasn’t right, to not call the owners, and to inform them when they show up.”
The family is unsure whether anything will come of the police investigation but wants to warn others about what happened.
Ashley’s sister, Savannah, has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover Bruce’s cremation and memorial expenses.
