Published: August 08, 2008 11:24 am            

'Just a dog'

Resident says police delay, 'disgusting' attitude of officer kept him from saving sick pup

San Marcos — As San Marcos resident Michael Gonzales recalls, one of the first things a police officer said to him after pulling him over for speeding early Wednesday morning was asking him “what he was on.”

Gonzales acknowledges he was hysterical after being pulled over on IH-35 going well in excess of the speed limits. But the reason, he said, was plain to see — the two- year-old teacup poodle in his girlfriend’s lap was gasping for breath, and the couple were rushing to an after-hours veterinary hospital in New Braunfels.

Gonzales and his girlfriend Krystal Hernandez say the dog, Missy, died during the time it took for officers to cite him for speeding. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the couple say police repeatedly told them it was “just a dog” and that they could buy another.

Police Chief Howard Williams confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he had launched an internal investigation into whether officers at the scene acted improperly.

Gonzales and Hernandez say they had gotten home late and fed the 3.3 lb. dog but that she ate too fast, started choking and having trouble breathing.

They called their local vet, who referred them to the New Braunfels facility. They saw the red flashing lights of the SMPD near the Centerpoint exit.

After finding a place to pull over, Gonzales said, “I proceed to tell him what the problem was and he had the nerve to ask me what I was on, because basically I was hysterical. The dog’s already stopped breathing and going limp and (the officer) is wasting my time.”

Gonzales said he pleaded with the officer to write the ticket quickly, or let him settle it later.

“I’m like, man, can’t you please hurry, can’t we finish this? Do whatever you need to do, document it on your (vehicle) camera. And he wouldn’t do anything. He said at that point that ‘it’s just a dog. You need to chill out. You can get another one.’ I felt really disgusted at that.”

He said about 19 minutes elapsed from the time he was pulled over until the officers released him. “Those minutes were crucial. It was devastating.”

Hernandez, who received the puppy from Gonzales following her high school graduation, said a female officer “kept telling me my dog was dead and I kept telling her she was alive and had a heartbeat. I had my finger in her mouth so she wouldn’t’ bite down on her tongue. I felt like she still had a chance if they could please help us.”

Hernandez said she even offered to leave Gonzales there and drive the rest of the way. “I said ‘please let me go.’ They told me no. We waited like 20 minutes and they never did anything and my dog ended up just dying there.”

Afterwards, Gonzales went to police headquarters and talked to the night shift commander, who he said had already seen video from the patrolman’s in-car camera. “He said legally (the officer) didn’t do anything wrong, but the way he handled the situation should have been handled better,” Gonzales recalled. “He said the most they can really do is set up a counseling session where he will speak to the officer about what he did wrong and how he could have done better. That’s it. A slap on the wrist.”

Williams would not comment further, citing the internal investigation. “We will probably know in a couple of days,” he said of the outcome.

If misconduct is found, Williams said the results will be released. If no misconduct is found, the results of the investigation will remain confidential under Civil Service rules.

Both Hernandez and Gonzales said they were stung by the “just a dog” comments. “My girlfriend lost her mother at age 36 to a stroke and lost her father when she was eight years old. That dog was the only thing she had,” Gonzales said.

        

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