‘Crazy tragedy’: California couple left their bulldog at a daycare, only to return and find its body in a plastic tub

A couple left their 1-year-old English bulldog at an animal daycare. However, the canine allegedly lost its life by drowning in a pool. The owners were reportedly not informed of this incident right after and learned of it when they returned. They saw their dog’s body in a plastic tub.

According to the New York Post, a dog named Bruce belonged to a Californian couple. Bruce’s owners, Chris and Ashley Merz of Ventura, were allegedly not told anything about their dog’s demise. Apparently, they came to know that their dog had died when its body was shown inside the plastic tub. Ashley Merz’s mother, Genet, alleged that police were informed of the incident between 1 and 2 pm that the dog had drowned, and when they arrived, rigor mortis had set in.

It appears that Bruce was in the large-dog facility instead of the small- or medium-sized. The small dogs had a small pool, but Bruce somehow managed to get into the large-dog facility and reportedly drowned. The police department has started an investigation into the matter.

Camp Canine owners allegedly did not explain how Bruce ended up in the large-dog facility

Camp Canine’s owner told the family that Bruce allegedly ended up in the large-dog facility and was reportedly unable to explain how it happened while under their supervision. Santa Barbara Police Department, after the initial investigation, stated, “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.” Police added, “The officer also interviewed the employees who were present when the incident occurred.”

Camp Canine has reportedly suspended its operation, and its general manager has also spoken on the dog incident, stating, “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. 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.”

Ashley’s mother, Genet, also said some consoling words for the couple while showing displeasure towards how the daycare handled the situation, saying, “Bruce was just the sweetest, sweetest boy. 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: not to call the owners, and to inform them when they show up.”

Apart from Ashley’s mother, her sister has set up a GoFundMe for the memorial and cremation expenses of Bruce. Investigations into the matter are ongoing, and further details might come to light once the investigations are complete.