A Santa Barbara dog daycare has suspended part of its operations after a one-year-old English bulldog drowned in one of the facility’s pools, prompting a police investigation and an outpouring of grief and anger from pet owners.
Bruce, owned by Chris and Ashley Merz, died while attending Camp Canine, a longtime daycare and boarding center on East Montecito Street.
Santa Barbara police responded to the business at about 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigative Unit and Animal Control Team are now investigating.
In a statement posted Saturday on social media, Camp Canine General Manager Jayne Sigman apologized to the Merz family and admitted the facility had failed them.
“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,” Sigman wrote. “We are profoundly sorry.”
Daycare services have been temporarily suspended, but overnight boarding operations continue for dogs already at the center, said Sigman, who has since retained an attorney and declined requests for further comment.
According to public statements from the Merz family, Bruce had attended Camp Canine for approximately six months and regularly participated in its daycare and training programs.
The family was not notified of his death until his regular afternoon pick-up time, they said, receiving the dog’s body in a plastic storage container.
That moment was captured in a now-viral Tiktok video that shows Chris Merz crying out in distress on a phone call. “Oh my god, they killed my dog!” he screams. “What do I do! I don’t even know what to do! Do I call the cops?”
The family also claims that Camp Canine did not call for emergency veterinary care when Bruce’s body was discovered, or transport him to a clinic. Rigor mortis had reportedly set in by the time he was pulled from the pool. English bulldogs are well known as poor swimmers.
The business has since been bombarded by negative online reviews, many of which called for greater oversight of dog daycare facilities.
According to employee comments on the job site Glassdoor, the business has long struggled with “severe” understaffing.
Employees said the center handles roughly 100 dogs per day with only about five employees on shift, making it difficult to safely supervise the animals, quickly break up fights, or respond to medical emergencies. The industry standard, they note, is typically one staff member to every 10 to 15 dogs, depending on their size and temperament.
In their critiques, the employees also cite lack of support from management, inattention to maintenance (such as an ongoing rat problem), and a tendency to allow aggressive dogs into the programs “because their owners are friends with the business owners.”
On the positive side, staff members highlight the joy of interacting with the animals and the ability to bring their own pets to work.
Sigman said in her social media post that Camp Canine is conducting a comprehensive review of its safety procedures and emergency response protocols.
“We are implementing immediate operational changes and working to strengthen every aspect of our care to help ensure a tragedy like this never happens again,” she said.
“Nothing can undo this heartbreaking loss, and no words can ease the pain it has caused,” Sigman said. “We can, however, ensure that this tragedy leads to meaningful and lasting change.”
A GoFundMe has been created to help the Merzes with Bruce’s cremation and burial. “Support will also help with legal counsel, so they can better understand their rights and seek answers,” it states.
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