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A couple is mourning the death of their 1-year-old English Bulldog after he drowned at a daycare and boarding facility in Santa Barbara, leading to public outrage and the temporary closure of the business.
The drowning occurred on July 17 while Bruce, the English Bulldog, was staying in the care of Camp Canine, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Officers were called to the scene at about 4:45 p.m. after receiving a report of a drowning canine, according to police.
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Police told Chris Merz, one of Bruce's owners, that they believe Bruce may have drowned in one of the facility's dog pools between 1 and 2 p.m., according to Noozhawk, which interviewed the family.
A video circulating on the internet shows the moment Merz learned about his dog's death shortly after he arrived to pick up his dog from daycare.
"Oh my god, they killed my dog," Merz could be heard screaming in the video.
In a GoFundMe created for Bruce's owners, the fundraiser alleges that Camp Canine did not get a hold of the owners to info them of their dog's death.
"They were given their dog’s body in a storage container in the trunk of a vehicle, and discovered he had not been transported to an emergency veterinary hospital before they were notified," reads the GoFundMe page.
Following the drowning, Jayne Sigman, the general manager of Camp Canine, released a statement on Instagram apologizing to the family and community regarding Bruce's death, as well as announcing that it would be temporarily suspending its daycare operations.
"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," Sigman's post reads.
"Effective immediately, we have temporarily suspended daycare operations while we conduct a comprehensive review of our facility, our safety procedures, and our emergency response protocols."
Sigman noted within the post that Camp Canine will continue to provide care to its boarding guests and will be in communication with the families of the boarded dogs.
The Santa Barbara Police Department noted that its Criminal Investigative Unit and Animal Control Team were still investigating the incident.
Since Bruce's death, the GoFundMe has raised over $12,000 in donations to support Bruce's owners with cremation costs as well as any additional legal counsel costs.
"My sister and brother-in-law are now left grieving the unimaginable loss of a beloved family member, while trying to understand exactly what happened that day," reads the GoFundMe.
As of July 18, Chris and Ashley Merz have retained an attorney, according to the Santa Barbara News Press.
According to an update on Bruce's GoFundMe, the family will hold a protest outside Camp Canine on Wednesday, July 22 at 10 a.m.
"Your voices, presence, and continued advocacy make a difference. Together, we can continue working toward accountability, awareness, and positive change," the post reads.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dog drowns at a Santa Barbara dog daycare, now closed
