Animal advocates disrupt Denton City Council meeting over dog euthanized at shelter

DENTON — Protestors disrupted a Denton city council meeting Tuesday night over a dog.

The dog named Gunner, who was euthanized by the city's animal shelter this month, attracted the attention of millions over that controversial decision.

With a message on signs and shirts, dozens of people packed the Denton City Council chamber demanding action over the death of Gunner inside a city animal shelter.

The decision to euthanize the 12-year-old lab without giving his owners time to pick him up has outraged Denton residents and millions of people online.

But those who signed up to speak at Tuesday night's meeting say they were denied the chance through a procedural move by the mayor and city council.

"We had filled out our blue cards at 2:00 this afternoon and they shut us down," said Shannon Greer, an organizer for Justice for Gunner. "They killed their dog, they killed their dog and they're not gonna let them have four minutes, four minutes to speak their mind each?"

Supporters of the dog's owners continued to stand and protest while police removed some for speaking out as the meeting continued.

Earlier Tuesday, the city announced that it would conduct an independent review of what happened on September 3. That's when Gunner's owners John and Courtney Gilcrease say their dog wandered off the family's 8-acre property.

He was picked up and taken to the shelter by a man who was also at Tuesday night's meeting and met the owners for the first time. The shelter's staff decided to waive their holding period and euthanize Gunner, claiming the dog was in bad health, which his owners dispute.

The family and their supporters left Tuesday night's meeting, where they brought Gunner's ashes, more determined than ever to seek accountability.

"They think if they ignore it long enough it's going to go away," said John Gilcrease. "I will spend the rest of my life ... I will not go away if they're not gonna change it then I will. We have to make that change. We have to."