Surgeons and staff at Allied Veterinary and Emergency Referral in Brooklyn Park say there’s no question that state Rep. Melissa Hortman loved her dog, Gilbert.

“I see somebody who’s very caring about their dog,” explains Diana Schaapveld, the manager at Allied. “I see Gilbert’s happy, loving face, a sweet and gentle boy.”

The four-year-old golden retriever initially came to the Hortman home as a service dog trainee in 2021.

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“You are raising a puppy from day one, with the intent to give them away,” says Kristina Kiefer, a veterinary surgeon at the clinic. “That’s an incredible investment in a very giving heart, and she was willing to make that sacrifice, the family was.”

But with his “happy-go-lucky” personality, Gilbert eventually became part of the family.

“I’m sure she was thrilled to be able to have him as part of her family, but also, she had gone into it, hoping he would make somebody else’s life better,” Kiefer notes.   

It was at the Allied clinic where Gilbert, gravely injured, was brought after the shootings last Saturday, which took the lives of Hortman and her husband, Mark.

The veterinary team says they did every life-saving measure they could do, but in the end, the beloved family pet succumbed to his injuries.   

“All of us here are still actually trying to deal with the emotional trauma and fallout of being indirectly involved,” Kiefer says. “First thing was to address his shock and his critical condition. Then get him to the point where the family could make decisions about whether they should continue, return to a normal life, or give him a humane goodbye.”

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The staff says they made sure Gilbert was surrounded by love, and that he was comfortable in his final moments.

Now, the clinic is giving back in a unique way, setting up a fundraiser to help service dogs, including police K-9 units in the area.

The facility is using its “angel fund” — made up of donations sent there — to help with medical treatment for service dogs injured on the job.

“More often than not with these guys, what’s we’re seeing they need knees fixed or back problems, just from the wear and tear of they’re doing,” Schaapveld explains. “With these surgeries, they can continue doing the work they do.”

The fundraiser has already collected hundreds of dollars; the goal is to raise $10,000, enough for two major surgeries.

The effort, being done with the blessing of the Hortman family.

Staffers hope they’re making a difference.

“It’ll be a very personal thing to be able to see one good thing to come from this, our ability to pass on that story and that legacy,” Kiefer says.

You can find information about the fundraiser HERE.