In a never-before-seen moment filled with sorrow and deep meaning, a golden retriever named Gilbert was laid to rest alongside his human family members, Melissa Hortman, a member of the Minnesota State House of Representatives, and her husband Mark, within the grand rotunda of the state Capitol last Friday.
Gilbert had bravely tried to protect them during a terrible incident on June 14th that ended in tragedy. This adorable dog is now known to be the first non-human to be given such a special tribute in the state of Minnesota’s history.
As mourners filed past the three memorial pedestals (two caskets and one small, gold-colored urn), many paused longer at the third. That urn held Gilbert’s ashes, placed between floral arrangements and folded U.S. and Minnesota flags.
“For the best boy, Gilbert,” read a sticky note on a box of Milk-Bone biscuits left outside the House chamber, part of a tribute that was as deeply personal as it was historic.
Kacy Deschene, a mourner from Champlin, said to PBS, “We’ve all had family, pets, and it’s tragic to have the whole family lost in in a moment like that.”
A Dog, a Family, and a State in Mourning
Gilbert’s story (intertwined with his human companions’ final moments) has moved Minnesotans and the nation. The dog was at home with Rep. Hortman and Mark Hortman when a gunman posing as a police officer entered their Brooklyn Park residence and opened fire. The suspect, Vance Boelter, has been charged with their murders and multiple other politically motivated attempted assassinations.
Gilbert, severely injured, was rushed to a veterinary clinic, but surviving family members made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize him. Allied Emergency Veterinary Service described the retriever as “sweet and gentle” and “deeply loved.”
Though Gilbert began life in training to be a service dog with Helping Paws Inc., his “career changed” after being deemed “too friendly.” That turned out to be a blessing for the Hortmans, who were fostering him.
This pic, more than any other today, is just destroying me. Noble Gilbert who was too friendly to be a worker. RIP good boy. pic.twitter.com/FPzGPZ2D5y
— eclecticwren (@eclecticwren) June 28, 2025
“Melissa wanted him to fail so she could keep him,” Rep. Erin Koegel told the Associated Press.
Their bond, built over the years, became a symbol of devotion. The Capitol service honored that bond with Helping Paws, sending golden retrievers to comfort grieving attendees. “We can confirm that he did not survive the attack at the Horton family’s home,” Helping Paws shared on Facebook. “This is a profound loss for the entire (…) community.”
Gilbert’s Place in State History
Friday’s lying-in-state was full of historical firsts. Melissa Hortman, former Speaker of the Minnesota House, is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol. Gilbert is now believed to be the first nonhuman ever to be granted the honor. Only 19 people (former vice presidents, senators, governors, even a Civil War veteran) had been previously afforded such recognition in Minnesota, according to the state’s Legislative Reference Library.
The sight of Governor Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz standing next to the caskets and urn captured everyone’s shared heartache and respect.
31 years! Happy anniversary, Gwen. The kids and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. pic.twitter.com/L1MmS8TYTc
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 5, 2025
This was more than a ceremony, like saying goodbye to a family member.
As the rotunda doors closed at day’s end, a final wave of mourners quietly brushed tears from their faces. The urn that held Gilbert’s ashes glimmered under the Capitol’s light, a quiet but powerful symbol of a life that touched so many.
