Burnsville resident blames his dog's death on assisted living facility operator
On July 11, Logan Overcash said his Burnsville, Minnesota, apartment had become overwhelmingly hot. It was 90 degrees outside, and his unit wasn't much cooler, experiencing what he described as yet another day where the apartment's breaker box was tripping and shutting down.
Struggling himself, he noticed his dog, Kira, was looking worse and worse over the course of the day. He said he tried everything to get her to cool down before finally rushing her to the South Metro Animal Emergency Care hospital in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Logan Overcash provided WCCO with notes that a veterinarian shared with him, stating that Kira had died before she arrived at the animal hospital.
The vet went on to say that, in his opinion, "it is very likely that Kira died from heat stroke after becoming overheated in the apartment."
Logan Overcash places the blame for losing his dog squarely on Options Residential Inc., which operates the assisted living facility in Burnsville where he has lived for the past three and a half years.
"She's gone because of something that was easily preventable," Logan Overcash said. "What are we supposed to do? Year after year, year after year, I've complained about this."
Logan Overcash said that he has repeatedly complained about the heat to Options Residential management, documenting the fact that each summer his apartment reaches temperatures of up to 88 degrees.
An executive director with Options Inc. declined to speak with WCCO on camera. Over the phone, he said that Logan Overcash's apartment is the only one on the premises where the breaker repeatedly trips. He said that property managers have had conversations with him about plugging in too many devices that overload the system.
Logan Overcash acknowledged those conversations, describing them as managers "gaslighting" him. He and his mother, Tiffany Overcash, said that they only ever have basic appliances plugged in, blaming Options Inc. for what they believe is faulty electrical wiring.
"He [Logan] can't run his TV, and his refrigerator and turn on an air conditioner, and it's blowing twice in a day," Tiffany Overcash said. "They're putting the blame on someone who is a vulnerable adult."
Logan Overcash qualifies to live in the Options Residential Inc. facility because he has been diagnosed with PTSD, major depressive disorder and anxiety, according to Tiffany Overcash.
The Minnesota Department of Health oversees the assisted living facility. The agency last visited the building in February 2025, filing a report that does not include any references to utility or electricity issues.
However, local officials in Burnsville are now following up. A spokesperson for the city said that Options Inc. has not filed any electrical permit work with them in recent years, a potential red flag given that the Overcashs say that they replaced the breaker in his apartment in July 2024. That type of work requires a permit.
As Overcash considers legal options, Burnsville city inspectors are planning to visit the apartment in early August.
