Brooklyn Park Vet Clinic Inspired To Give Back After Death of Hortman Family Dog
An assassin not only shot and killed Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband Mark in their Brooklyn Park home — he also shot the family pet.
Gilbert, a golden retriever, died of his injuries in the shooting.
Allied Veterinary and Emergency Referral in Brooklyn Park treated Gilbert before the animal’s passing.
The clinic is now raising funds to help injured service dogs.
Allied Veterinary and Emergency Referral in Brooklyn Park treated Gilbert, the dog owned by Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, before the animal died.
Gilbert “was a failed service dog,” said Diana Schaapveld, manager at Allied Veterinary and Emergency Referral. “Actually, he was in a program with Healing Paws to be a service dog but he was too sweet, and he did not graduate the program. So kind of in a nod to his service dog past we wanted help out the service dogs that we deal with.”
The money Allied collects through the fundraiser will be used to help treat dogs that need emergency care or get hurt on the job.
“Kind of navigating that tough emotions with the team and wanting to create something out of this tragedy that we could pay it forward, we thought of giving back and helping service dogs as a way for our team to be able to support and share Gilbert’s story,” Schaapveld said.
As of Monday, Allied’s “Gilbert’s Legacy: K9 Heros Fund” had raised $5,616.
