Latest news with #HelpingPaws
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Service dog training organization flooded with donations following fatal shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were killed Saturday morning in what Gov. Tim Walz called a politically motivated attack, trained service dogs in their spare time with a working group called Helping Paws. The Hortmans ended up keeping the last dog they trained, Gilbert, after he flunked out because he was too friendly. Gilbert was shot multiple times by the man who is accused of killing the Hortmans. He was injured so severely that the Hortmans' adult children had to put him to sleep. Rep. Melissa Hortman with a golden retriever. Helping Paws, Inc. Gilbert and the Hortmans' story has nearly 400,000 likes on the "We Rate Dogs" Instagram, and Helping Paws has been flooded with unsolicited donations. The organization reached out to the family and got a call back from the Hortman's adult children Sophie and Collin. "They gave us their blessing, and they said, This is what our mom would want, if something good to come out of this. And we love your organization so much, and Gilbert was such a big part of all of our lives for four years. And my mom would bless this. Our mom would bless this," said the Executive Director of Helping Paws Alyssa Golob. At a candlelight vigil for the Hortmans, Helping Paws dogs were out in full force. "A woman came up and said, 'You know, I made a donation to your organization,' and she's like, 'I just needed to put my rage somewhere'," said Golob. Golob says the organization usually gets 50-100 contributions a month. Since the tragedy they have gotten 5,700 individual donations in just days — so many they have not yet totaled the dollar amount. Helping Paws says it wants to work with the family to set up an appropriate memorial to Gilbert and the Hortmans.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who was Gilbert? Minnesota lawmaker's beloved golden retriever euthanized after tragic shooting, here's why
Melissa Hortman, a senator from Minnesota, was assassinated by a suspected assassin who also severely wounded her cherished golden dog, forcing his euthanasia. The Minnesota shooter identified as Vance Boelter killed the Democrat and her husband Mark. He also shot Gilbert, who was adopted by the Hortmans in 2021. State Representative Erin Koegel disclosed that the couple's kids put him down when they discovered 'Gilbert wasn't going to survive.' Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin also condemned Gilbert's demise, adding that Boelter's 'cruelty knows no bounds,' as per Daily Mail. Boelter, 57, who is accused of posing as a police officer, is also suspected of shooting and injuring state Senator John Hoffman and his spouse, Yvette, at their residence. The congressman met Gilbert while working as a foster home trainer for the neighborhood shelter Helping Paws. Also Read: US lawmaker Melissa Hortman broke down in tears hours before fatal Minnesota shooting: Watch viral video here She and Mark, 58, began training Gilbert following the successful training of another dog, Minnie, to become a service animal. Koegel clarified that Gilbert 'flunked out of school' and he instead joined the Hortman family. Boelter's motivation for shooting Gilbert is still unclear, however the dog was fatally wounded when his master was killed. After learning about Gilbert's death from Koegel, Martin slammed Boelter over the 'unspeakable' act of violence. 'Vance Boelter shot the dog while assassinating Melissa and Mark. The cruelty knows no bounds. My heart aches,' Martin wrote on social media. A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County was released from seal on Sunday, charging Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. Three of those offenses carry maximum 40-year prison sentences. According to jail records, his court date is set for Monday at 1:30 p.m. local time. In the early hours of June 14, Boelter visited the residences of two more congressmen with the intention of killing them, as per Acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson, who also declared six new federal charges against him for assassination stalking, and shooting offenses. If found guilty of federal murder or terrorism charges, Boelter might be put to death. In 1911, Minnesota eliminated the death penalty for state charges.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox News
Dog shot during Minnesota lawmaker's murder put down days after attack
Only days after a gunman shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the family's rescue dog Gilbert had to be euthanized. Vance Boelter allegedly shot Gilbert, the family's golden retriever, during the attack at the Brooklyn Park home. Fellow Minnesota House Rep. Erin Koegel commented on social media platform X that he was put down following the murder. "Her children had to put down him after learning their parents had been murdered. Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay! She needed him in heaven with her," Koegel said. Helping Paws, a local non-profit in Eden Prairie, Minn, took to Facebook after hearing of Rep. Hortman's death to share some kind words and a photo of Gilbert and Hortman together. The group said they remembered Hortman for her kindness and compassion. They said she always strived to make the world a better place. "This morning, we learned of the tragic and senseless death of former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark," the post began. "Melissa served her community in more ways than one. She was a Helping Paws Foster Home Trainer, a neighbor, and a friend. The Hortman family raised and trained Minnie, who is now a working service dog partnered with a Veteran. They also helped raise and train Gilbert, a service dog in training who was eventually career changed and became a cherished member of their family. At this time, we do not have confirmed information about Gilbert's condition," the nonprofit wrote Saturday, after Hortman's death. Koegel told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the House sergeant-at-arms informed members that Gilbert had to be put down. Hortman's adult children released a statement Monday night, saying that one way to keep their parent's memory alive would be to: "Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do." Vance Boelter, 57, was hit with multiple federal charges after officials captured him Sunday in what police described as the "largest manhunt" in the state's history. Police found him after the massive two-day manhunt in the woods near his home. He is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearm-related crimes in federal court. In addition to the federal charges, Boelter is facing second-degree murder charges filed in Hennepin County, where he is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis, and of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home in a related attack.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Melissa and Mark Hortman's work lives on through trained service dogs
Melissa and Mark Hortman served their community in many ways, including training dogs to be service animals for people in need. WCCO spoke with the volunteer group and a veteran who has benefited from their efforts. Minnie, 11, is a special Labrador. She's the perfect companion for veteran Aric Elsner. "She's just the greatest gift, and I've told many people, and I still say this, this dog saved my life," Elsner said. He served in the Minnesota Air National Guard for more than 25 years and lives every day with physical and mental pain. "I had a lot of health issues, PTSD was one diagnosis, and I was diagnosed with a very painful musculoskeletal condition too," Elsner said. That's when Helping Paws came into his life. He was matched with Minnie. "If I'm anxious at home or I have a bad dream, she's right there," Elsner said. Minnie went through two-and-a-half years of training at Helping Paws, working directly with the Hortman family, who volunteered to train her. It started as a high school service project for their daughter, but when she left for college, Mark Hortman finished training Minnie. "Their love for helping others, their love for doing something above themselves, is just living on every day with the gift that I got from their family," Alyssa Golob, executive director with Helping Paws, said. Gilbert never graduated from training school, but went on to be a beloved pet of the Hortman family. Melissa and Mark Hortman and Gilbert were shot and killed on Saturday. "It's evil on its own, and then you add in an innocent dog, and that's a certain kind of evil," Golob said. Minnie is just one of the many examples of Melissa and Mark Hortman's legacy living on, continuing to serve Minnesotans for the better. Since Saturday, Helping Paws donations have been pouring in, totalling more than $10,000. The money will be used to continue connecting veterans with service dogs.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Minnesota murders: More shocking details revealed; suspect Vance Luther Boelter killed Melissa Hortman's dog Gilbert
Minnesota murders: Melissa Hortman's dog died in the frenzied shooting by Vance Luther Boelter. In a shocking revelation, it has now come to light that the Minnesota murders suspect Vance not only killed Democratic former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, he also gunned down the family's beloved rescue dog, Gilbert, in the unhinged shooting spree. And Hortman's children had to put down Gilbert the first thing after they learned about their parents' murder. Erin Koegel, a member of the Minnesota House since 2017, said one of the first things Hortman's children had to do after the shooting was 'put down [Gilbert] after learning their parents had been murdered,' she posted on X. Gilbert was a rescue dog and Hotman adopted the Golden Retriever from the local dog shelter called Helping Paws. Hortman had been a foster home trainer there. 'Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay! She needed him in heaven with her," Koegel wrote. 'This morning, we learned of the tragic and senseless death of former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Melissa served her community in more ways than one. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Yaşlılar İçin Kurulum Gerektirmeyen Mobil Merdiven Asansörleri (Nasıl Bulunur Rehberi) Knowledge Knower Undo She was a Helping Paws Foster Home Trainer, a neighbor, and a friend. The Hortman family raised and trained Minnie, who is now a working service dog partnered with a Veteran. They also helped raise and train Gilbert, a service dog in training who was eventually career changed and became a cherished member of their family. At this time, we do not have confirmed information about Gilbert's condition," Helping Paws posted a tribute to Hortman on Facebook before Gilbert died. The massive manhunt for Boelter ended on Sunday night when Boelter was found in a wooded area near his home and he surrendered to the police. Boelter has been charged with multiple counts of murder after authorities took him into custody.
