Puppy drowns at boarding facility, and the company's response is shocking: "How it’s being handled is not right"

Santa Barbara, California – While Bruce the dog 's owners were away, the one‑year‑old English Bulldog spent his time at a pet boarding facility called Camp Canine. Then, without any warning, the puppy fell into a pool and drowned.

In a statement shared to Instagram, the company apologized for failing to keep the dog safe from harm.

"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," they wrote.

"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," they continued.

"We are profoundly sorry."

After the tragic incident, the daycare announced that it would review all safety measures around the camp, with the goal being to learn from the puppy’s death and take action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Chris and Ashley Merz, the puppy’s owners, regularly left little Bruce in the care of the California facility.

Despite the flowery words in Camp Canine's public statement, the dog's owners reportedly feel that the facility's handling of the situation and its aftermath was done in poor taste.

When they went to pick up their dog a few days after dropping him off, the pet parents were met with the shocking news that the English Bulldog had drowned to death in a pool.

As local news station NOOZHAWK learned from the police, Bruce had actually died several days before his owners were scheduled to take him home. They were not informed of the tragedy before pickup day, however.

Other troubling details soon emerged surrounding the circumstances of the death.

Bruce the dog's body was allegedly handed over in a bucket

According to Alison Genet, owner Ashley Merz's mother, the lifeless body of the beloved dog was shown to the couple in a plastic tub being stored in the trunk of a car. The bizarre handover was reportedly filmed by another patron.

Another tragic fact: the puppy was never taken to an emergency veterinary clinic after the accident to attempt resuscitation.

"Bruce was just the sweetest, sweetest boy," Alison said of her grandbaby. "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."

As a result, a family member set up a donation page on GoFundMe – and it was successful. In just a few days, the campaign raised about $13,300, far surpassing the $10,000 goal.