Dog helping boys grieve dad’s death is shot dead, family says. ‘Hope you find Daddy’
CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to remove the reference of Gus as a service dog. Certified therapy dogs are not recognized as service dogs by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The story continues below.
A family’s therapy dog was shot dead, and Minnesota authorities are investigating, deputies said.
Deputies responded to a call around 6 p.m. June 15 about a family dog that was shot, according to a news release from the Carver County Sheriff’s Office.
Family members said they were walking their dog to the end of their driveway at their rural residence in Young America Township and lost sight of him, Sheriff Jason Kamerud said.
About 15 minutes later, Gus, identified by his owner to KMSP, came home with gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff.
“To the person who felt the need to shoot our dog … the injuries he sustained from your 3 shots from your .22 were so severe we had to put him down,” Gus’ owner Arielle Brandenburg said in a June 15 Facebook post.
Brandenburg said that Gus was a certified therapy dog who got her “two little boys through the biggest heartache of their lives.”
Brandenburg told KMSP that the boys’ father died a year and a half ago and Gus, the cattle dog and red heeler mix, helped them “through the intense grief process of losing a parent.”
“I hope you find Daddy and keep him company,” Brandenburg said her son told Gus.
“You truly took away a family member this morning and a piece of my heart,” Brandenburg said.
Deputies ask anyone with information on the incident to call 952-361-1212. To leave an anonymous tip, call 952-361-1224.
Young America Township is about a 50-mile drive southwest from Minneapolis.
This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Dog helping boys grieve dad’s death is shot dead, family says. ‘Hope you find Daddy’."
