Family devastated to learn fate of missing dog after he wandered away from home

A family from Texas have been near devastated complete their pet canine who was euthanized aft nan animal wandered distant from their home.

Gunner, a 13-year-old Labrador, went missing past Tuesday successful a agrarian area of Denton County, northbound of Dallas.

The family ain 8 acres and usually let their 4 dogs to roam nan property's grounds freely.

But it was only aft Gunner was called successful for his meal and he didn't respond that nan family began to panic. 

'At that point, I'm starting to freak out, truthful I jump successful my car and I drove astir for astir 5 hours,' Gunner's proprietor John Gilcrease told KTVT.

He was capable to find Gunner had been taken successful astatine a adjacent shelter, nan Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center.

'He's astatine a safe place. They're gonna provender him. He's gonna beryllium happy to spot maine successful nan morning,' Gilcrease said he thought to himself.

However, nan shelter was closed connected Wednesday, truthful Gilcrease was asked to travel and prime his canine up connected Thursday greeting - but he was excessively late. 

When Gilcrease returned to prime Gunner up arsenic arranged, he had already been euthanized, contempt nan shelter having a 72-hour clasp connected stray animals.

Gilcrease explained really initially nan shelter would not springiness him a consecutive reply arsenic to what had happened to his beloved pet. 

Eventually, nan head of nan shelter admitted to euthanizing nan pet.

In a connection nan shelter tried to warrant its actions saying Gunner was recovered to beryllium 'geriatric, had terrible mobility impairment, and nary power complete his bladder and bowels,' truthful he was put down.

The shelter explained they decided to waive their accustomed 72 hr argumentation to 'alleviate animal suffering.'

Gilcrease believes that immoderate perceived aesculapian issues nan shelter recovered connected Gunner were down to fear.

He claims they said: 'Your canine was old. He had arthritis. He tin hardly guidelines up. He pooped and peed himself,' and I said "because he's scared",' Gilcrease said. 

'My children are damaged. I'm damaged. I can't extremity crying.'

Adding to nan trauma, Gilcrease claims he wasn't moreover fixed an apology for what happened and was fixed nan dog's assemblage successful a integrative container to return away. 

'I deliberation Gunner's past moments were, "I'm scared. Somebody picked maine up, personification brought maine to a spot I don't know. Where is my dad? And why americium connected this acold table? And why are they sidesplitting me?"' Gilcrease said, who is now pushing for animal cruelty charges to beryllium revenge against nan shelter.  

The City of Denton has asked nan shelter to reappraisal its policies and processes pinch nan findings to beryllium shared pinch nan community.