Beloved Denver dog, Daisy, dies after being left in hot car; owner of dog-care business faces animal cruelty charge

A Denver family is mourning the loss of Daisy, a beloved 12-and-a-half-year-old dachshund who died after being left inside a hot car while in the care of a trusted dog walker.

Ted Gualtier, owner of Happy Tail Happy Dog, LLC, has been charged by Denver authorities with one count of cruelty to animals.

For Daisy's family, the criminal charge is only part of the story.

They are left trying to understand how a dog they trusted someone else to care for could have been left inside a car on a hot September day — and hoping something can be learned from their painful loss.

"The sweetest, most kindest, most loving little dog," said Donna Antonoff, Daisy's owner's sister.

Daisy had been a constant companion to her owner, Diane Gilcrest.

Diane says it remains too painful for her to talk publicly about what happened, so she asked her sister to speak on her behalf.

For about two years, the sisters said, Gualtier had cared for Daisy. 

"He walked her twice a day," Donna said.

The sisters said they trusted him.

That trust was shattered on Sept. 6, when temperatures in Denver climbed into the low 90s.

The sisters say Gualtier later told them he had put Daisy in his car while he went back into his house to get his own dog. He then became distracted and did not return to the car for about two hours.

Donna said she confronted Gualtier during a phone call.

"I said to him on that phone call, Ted, everyone knows you don't leave an animal in a car in that kind of heat — what were you thinking? I don't know what distracted him for two hours. That I would like to know," she said.

"Inexcusable. He made a terrible, terrible mistake," said Donna. 

Donna said she struggles to understand how someone who cared for dogs could forget Daisy was inside the vehicle.

"How could anyone have that lapse of judgment?" she said. "He just forgot her. He put her in that car, he went into his house, he got distracted and he never thought of Daisy. And that is something ... I can't forgive him."

Gualtier: "I am devastated"

Gualtier provided a statement about Daisy's death.

"A dog in my care died, and I am devastated," Gualtier said. 

"In 14 years of caring for hundreds of dogs, nothing like this has ever happened, and it is one too many," he said.

Gualtier said his facility remains open and that he is conducting a review of his operation.

He declined further comment, citing the pending legal process.

According to the family, Gualtier also emailed Diane after Daisy's death, apologizing repeatedly.

In that email, Gualtier described Daisy as "truly an angel,"  and said he would "carry her memory with me always" and said he took responsibility for what happened.

"I hope some good comes out of this"

For Daisy's family, the pain is still fresh.

But Donna and Diane are holding on to their memories of the dog they loved for more than 12 years.

"We got a lot of good ones," Donna said as the sisters looked through photographs of Daisy.

"Look at this one," she said as another photograph brought back a memory.

The sisters know nothing can bring Daisy back, but they hope her death will serve as a warning to other dog owners who entrust someone else with the care of their pets.

"Do the due diligence. Do the referrals. Maybe more than you would have done," Donna said. "I hope some good comes out of this."