Gilbert was never meant for politics, nor the spotlight. But somehow, the golden retriever with the ever-wagging tail and soulful eyes found his way into both — and into the hearts of everyone around him.
In 2021, Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman welcomed the cheerful pup into her home as part of a Helping Paws service dog training program.
The plan was simple: train Gilbert to become a focused, dependable companion for someone in need.
But Gilbert had other plans.
He was too affectionate. Too friendly. Too excited to say hello to everyone. A natural-born lover, not a laser-focused service dog.
And while that meant he “flunked out” of the program, it was a blessing in disguise — because it meant Gilbert got to stay with the Hortmans permanently, becoming the family dog they didn’t know they needed.
“He was with Melissa through some of her hardest moments,” said Rep. Zack Stephenson. “After January 6, the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd — she didn’t just go out and get a dog. She got a dog she wasn’t even supposed to keep. That’s classic Melissa.”
Gilbert quickly became a Capitol fixture — barking into Zoom meetings, climbing into Melissa’s lap, or being the perfectly imperfect class clown in training. “This was that one day Gilbert behaved,” Hortman joked on Facebook, posting a picture of him looking unusually composed.
The Hortman family first joined Helping Paws when their daughter Sophie began training service dogs for a senior project. When Sophie left for college, Melissa’s husband Mark stepped up to finish the training of Minnie, a black Lab who eventually went on to change the life of a veteran with PTSD.
That veteran, Aric Elsner, later said, “She helped me reconnect with my kids, my life. I’m forever grateful.”
But the story of Gilbert — the lovable dropout — ended in tragedy.
On June 14, Gilbert was injured during the same horrifying incident that claimed the lives of Melissa and Mark Hortman in a shooting that also wounded State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. The suspect, Vance Boelter, was arrested after a statewide manhunt.
Gilbert was seriously wounded, and though he was rushed to receive care, the damage was too great. He was humanely euthanized by the Hortmans’ adult children.
“He was with his people until the very end,” said Alyssa Golob, executive director of Helping Paws. “He died surrounded by love.”
His loss struck deeply at the Capitol. Rep. Erin Koegel, choking back tears, said: “When I heard that Gilbert passed, too, I just knew — Melissa needed him. She needed him with her.”
The bond between them had been unshakable. When Gilbert was briefly removed for one last chance at training, Hortman’s colleagues joked about slipping a clause into a tax bill to legally “seize” him back. “When he officially dropped out,” said Rep. Jamie Long, “that was probably her happiest moment.”
Now, Helping Paws is launching a memorial fund in honor of the Hortmans and Gilbert — to support pairing service dogs with veterans and first responders battling PTSD. A legacy of service and love, carried forward in their name.
Gilbert may not have passed his service dog training — but in every other way, he served. He was a comfort, a light, and a symbol of the unconditional love we all wish for.
And now, he rests beside the ones who loved him most.
