Hurst animal shelter’s beloved ‘goodwill ambassador’ goes missing

Employees and volunteers at the Hurst Animal Shelter were shocked when a fountain shaped like a dog drinking water went missing this week.

Animal Services supervisor Amanda Earl said the fountain, which stood outside the front door but no longer worked, was gone when she arrived at work at 7 a.m. Thursday.

“We couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Security video was not available. The theft was reported to Hurst police, but the fountain’s sentimental value far outweighs its monetary worth.

“It’s just sad. He was our goodwill ambassador. He wore different bandanas and costumes to welcome people to the shelter,” Earl said.

The fountain also served as a backdrop to many a photo of newly adopted pets and their owners.

A Facebook post about the theft already had over 2,500 shares by midday Friday.

“It's a sad day here at Hurst Animal Services. Our beloved dog fountain was stolen off of our front porch overnight. The statue has absolutely no monetary value - the fountain doesn't even work! - but this fountain meant more to us than that. He was an ambassador for the shelter. He faithfully stood guard at our front door for years ... and had a slobbery smile on his face for everyone who visited our shelter. If you know the whereabouts of our dog fountain, we would love to have him back, no questions asked,” the post read.

A GoFundMe page not affiliated with the city or the animal shelter was established with a $700 goal.

This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Hurst animal shelter’s beloved ‘goodwill ambassador’ goes missing."