DALLAS; HUNT COUNTY, TEXAS – Wednesday, April 10, 2024, during a civil custody hearing at the Hunt County Precinct 1, Place 2 Justice of the Peace Courthouse in Greenville, Texas, the Honorable Judge Sheila Linden determined that one deceased dog had been cruelly treated. Judge Linden awarded custody of the one deceased dog and $4,447.50 in restitution to the SPCA of Texas. Judge Linden determined that 18 additional living dogs that were seized from a Hunt County property on April 1,2024, for the investigation had not been cruelly treated and she awarded custody of the dogs back to their original owner, John Gunderson.

Originally, 19 living dogs and one deceased dog were seized from the property; however, on  April 3rd, Judge Linden ordered that one dog be released back to its owner, as it was determined that it was not involved in the incident that prompted the cruelty investigation.

The SPCA of Texas and Hunt County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal animal cruelty investigation, and on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for John Gunderson. One day later, on April 10th, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office took Gunderson into custody, and he was booked into the Hunt County Jail.

The investigation in this case began on March 24, 2024, after the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit received a complaint of animal cruelty against Gunderson for allegedly punching, strangling and drowning his dog, Ranger, a one-year-old male Belgian Malinois.

The complainant noted they had a video of the alleged act of cruelty being committed. On March 28, 2024, the complainant submitted the video to the SPCA of Texas.

SPCA of Texas ACI Unit personnel and Hunt County Sheriff’s Office personnel reviewed the video, which contained visual evidence of the individual that the complainant identified as John Gunderson striking a Belgian Malinois type dog (Ranger) with his fist, holding the dog off the ground, suspending it in the air with his hands by the neck, and forcefully taking the dog down to the ground and straddling it, utilizing his body weight to pin it to the ground until the dog stopped moving. The individual is then seen resuscitating the dog for about four total minutes, then assisting the dog to its feet, where it appears to be unstable and minimally responsive.

Because of the severe nature of this abuse, it was determined that all animals on the property be removed to evaluate them for signs of animal cruelty.

Search and seizure warrants for the dogs on a property outside of Caddo Mills, in Hunt County, Texas, were obtained on Monday, April 1, 2024, and were executed that same day with SPCA of Texas ACI Unit personnel and Hunt County Sheriff’s Office personnel on scene.

Gunderson was on the property at the time of the warrants’ execution and was cooperative with investigators. Without prompting, Gunderson explained that he recently had a dog named Ranger that was involved in a fight with two other dogs on the property and that he had to choke the dog out and hold his head underwater to get him to release his bite on another dog; however, the video evidence did not show Ranger biting another dog and there was no other dog in the immediate area when Gunderson performed these acts on Ranger.

The two other dogs that Gunderson identified as being involved in the fights with Ranger that day were examined and found to have minor wounds that were not life-threatening. Gunderson told investigators that he had treated those two dogs at home with antiseptic spray.

Gunderson stated that he decided to end Ranger’s life after the dog had fought with the other dogs and he took Ranger into his office and shot him in the head with a 9mm handgun. He stated that he opted to not take Ranger to a veterinarian to have him euthanized because he could not afford it.

Gunderson, who operates a 501c3 non-profit organization called “Caddo K9 Academy,” breeds and sells companion dogs and provides service dogs to veterans and first responders, according to his website.

A total of 20 dogs (19 live and one deceased) were seized from the property and were transported to the SPCA of Texas facility in Dallas for forensic evaluation.

Necropsy results show that Ranger was strangled, drowned and sustained blunt force trauma injuries to his side that caused a fractured rib, contusions and a collapsed lung, all of which were caused while Ranger was alive. The results also showed that the trajectory of a gunshot did not immediately kill Ranger, and that he choked on his own blood before succumbing to the gunshot wound.

Over the course of the investigation, the ACI Unit determined that Gunderson caused a considerable amount of unjustifiable pain and suffering to the dog, which meets the State’s definition of “torture.” This is a violation of Texas Penal Code 42.092(b)(1) – Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a felony of the 3rd degree, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000and between two to 10 years in jail. If convicted, Gunderson will be prohibited from possessing animals for five years after conviction.

“This is a dramatic case of someone taking advantage of the trust a beautiful animal had in him and destroying that animal in a most horrific way,” said SPCA of Texas Chief Investigator, Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit, Courtney Burns, CAWA. “We are thankful to individuals who take the time to report incidents of suspected animal cruelty so we can do our best to put a stop to it and try to save as many lives as we can.”

To support the SPCA of Texas’ efforts to rescue, heal and find homes for animals from cases of cruelty and neglect, please visit www.spca.org/give.

About the SPCA of Texas

Founded in1938, the SPCA of Texas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization that operates two shelters, one spay/neuter clinic, one mobile adoptions vehicle and an animal rescue center, all located in Dallas and Ellis Counties, and maintains a team of animal cruelty investigators who rescue hundreds of animals from cruelty each year in North Texas counties. Moreover, the SPCA of Texas serves as an active resource center for an array of services that bring people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives.

The SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other national humane organization. SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit www.spca.org.

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1. Hunt County Sheriff’s Office Personnel and SPCA of Texas ACI team work to transport Ranger’s remains, which were exhumed from a berm behind John Gunderson’s house. courtesy SPCA of Texas

2. Ranger, prior to death

3. SPCA of Texas ACI team loads 19 live dogs in crates into the SPCA vehicle for transport to the Dallas Animal Care Center for evaluation and care. courtesy SPCA of Texas