Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and her golden retriever Gilbert were lain in state on Friday at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul. Gilbert is the first animal to receive the honor, and Hortman, 55, is the first woman to hold this distinction. A MAGA gunman posing as a policeman, Vance Boelter, allegedly assassinated the Hortmans and mortally injured their dog on June 14. Gilbert was euthanized and cremated by the Hortmans’ children after the attack. Gilbert’s remains are interred in a golden urn engraved with pawprints, situated between the caskets of his former owners. Law enforcement officers and a sentry composed of 12 golden retriever service dogs are on rotation to guard the display throughout the day. Gilbert himself was training to be a service dog but “flunked out of school” because he was deemed “too friendly,” according to KARE11. “She needed him in heaven with her,” Democratic Rep. Erin Koegel tweeted. The Hortmans are survived by their children, Sophie and Colin, who encourage others to pet a dog, especially golden retrievers, to honor their parents.
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