Sad Story: A Dog Named Bruce Drowned at Camp Canine

What Happened?

Imagine a place where dogs go to play while their humans are at work — kind of like a school for puppies. That place is called Camp Canine, a dog daycare and boarding facility (a fancy way of saying a place where dogs stay and play) on the Eastside of Santa Barbara.

Something very sad happened there. A 1-year-old English bulldog named Bruce drowned in one of the facility’s pools on a Thursday. Because of this, Camp Canine has temporarily stopped its daycare operations — meaning dogs can no longer come just for the day, but ones already staying overnight can remain.

What Did the Facility Say?

The general manager of Camp Canine, a person named Jayne Sigman, shared a message on Instagram (a social media app) on Saturday. Here is what she said in simple words:

• “There are no words that can fully express the heartbreak we feel after losing a beloved dog in our care earlier this week.”
• “A family trusted us with a cherished member of their family, and now they are living with an unimaginable loss because we failed to keep their dog safe.”
• “We are profoundly sorry. Our hearts are with them as they grieve, and we know no words can lessen their pain.”

Sigman also said Camp Canine is doing a comprehensive review (a big check-up) of the facility, its safety rules, and emergency response steps (what to do in an emergency) to make sure this never happens again.

Important Point: Camp Canine is located at 803 E. Montecito St. and will still take care of dogs that were already boarding there, but daycare is paused.

When asked for more comments, Sigman said it was an “incredibly heartbreaking week” and pointed back to the social media statement.

Who Was Bruce?

Bruce belonged to Chris and Ashley Merz from Ventura. Ashley’s mom, Alison Genet, talked to a news site called Noozhawk. Ashley owns a hair salon in downtown Santa Barbara called Santa Barbara Hair Co.

• Chris and Ashley were too sad to talk to the news.
• Alison said her daughter was “inconsolable” (so sad she couldn’t be comforted).
• Bruce had been going to Camp Canine and training there for the past six months.

How Did the Family Find Out?

Here is the timeline in easy steps:

1. Bruce was supposed to be with small or medium dogs because of his size, not in the large dog yard.
2. Alison said Camp Canine owners told the family Bruce was not supposed to be in the large yard — but that’s where he passed away.
3. At around 3:30 p.m., Chris went to pick up Bruce.
4. When he arrived, the owners said Bruce had drowned and showed Chris the dog’s body in a plastic tub in the back of a car.
5. Another person at Camp Canine recorded this moment on video.
6. Police told the family Bruce drowned sometime between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
7. The facility did not call or contact the family before Chris showed up.

Important Point: The family says Camp Canine did not call them about the tragedy before Chris arrived to pick up Bruce. They were told in person.

Alison also shared:

• By the time Bruce was pulled from the pool, his body had stiffened (called rigor mortis).
• Bruce was not taken to an emergency vet (a special animal doctor for emergencies).
• English bulldogs, like Bruce, are not natural swimmers — they aren’t born knowing how to swim well.

What Does the Facility Look Like?

According to Alison:

• Camp Canine has separate yards for small, medium, and large dogs.
• The large yard has two pools without fences around them (unfenced means no barrier to keep dogs out).
• Bruce would normally be in the small or medium yard because he was that size.

What Did the Police Say?

The Santa Barbara Police Department said they went to the Montecito Street facility at about 4:45 p.m. after someone reported a dog drowning.

Lieutenant Ryan DeJohn said:

• The incident is being investigated (looked into) by the Criminal Investigative Unit and Animal Control Team.
• The officer met with Bruce’s owners and talked to the employees who were there when it happened.

Alison said the family isn’t sure if the police investigation will lead to anything, but they wanted people to know what happened. She said: “Bruce was just the sweetest, sweetest boy… this is a crazy tragedy. How it was handled afterwards wasn’t right — to not call the owners and inform them when they show up.”

How Is the Family Getting Help?

Ashley’s sister, Savannah, started a GoFundMe (a website where people donate money to help others) to help the family pay for Bruce’s cremation (turning his body into ashes to keep) and memorial services (a ceremony to remember him).

Summary

A young bulldog named Bruce drowned in an unfenced pool at Camp Canine, a dog daycare in Santa Barbara. The facility paused daycare and apologized, saying it failed to keep Bruce safe. The family says they were not called and learned of the death upon pickup. Police are investigating. Bruce’s owners are grieving, and a fundraiser was created to help with memorial costs.

FAQ

1. What is Camp Canine?
Camp Canine is a dog daycare and boarding facility in Santa Barbara where dogs play or stay overnight.

2. Why did Camp Canine stop daycare?
They paused daycare after Bruce, a bulldog, drowned in a pool there, while they review safety.

3. Were Bruce’s owners told right away?
No. The family says the facility did not call them; Chris learned about it when he arrived to pick Bruce up.

4. Are police involved?
Yes. The Santa Barbara Police Department is investigating with their animal control and criminal investigation teams.

5. How can people help the family?
Ashley’s sister made a GoFundMe to help pay for Bruce’s cremation and memorial.