Northside ISD declined $7K surgery for police K9 Donna. Hours later, she was euthanized.
A $7,000 surgery could have kept a Northside ISD police K9 working. Instead, records reveal the district’s police chief decided to euthanize Donna, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois.
A tip led KSAT Investigates to uncover key details about Donna’s final days that the district initially blacked out of public records.
Working dog advocates and experts argue the district chose to save money instead of Donna’s life.
What happened to K9 Donna?
Donna was born in Europe in 2019, and two years later she joined the Northside ISD police department. An invoice shows the district paid $10,000 for her.
She was a trained narcotics dog, and her snout helped keep Northside ISD students and schools safe.
Donna’s five years of service ended on August 11, 2026. In an internal memo, Northside ISD police announced the 7-year-old K9’s death.
“K9 Donna was known for her intelligence, hard work, high energy, and keen sense of smell,” wrote Northside ISD Lt. Ruben-Richard Tello.
The memo did not reveal what led up to the 7-year-old dog’s death.
KSAT Investigates requested a copy of Donna’s personnel record from the district, including her veterinary records.
The district initially blacked out most of the information in her record, citing “applicable confidentiality requirements.” After we asked what statute protects a dog’s medical confidentiality, Northside ISD re-released the records with minimal redactions.
“I think the taxpayers pay for that canine’s service,” said Jason Johnson, the founder and CEO of Project K9 Hero. The non-profit helps provide medical care and support for retired police K9s and military dogs.
KSAT Investigates showed the records to Johnson and Bart Sherwood, the program director of Train A Dog Save A Warrior, a non-profit that helps veterans train their service dogs.
“Somebody needs to speak up for the animals,” said Sherwood.
The price of saving Donna
Despite having several masses removed over her lifetime, veterinary records show Donna was healthy.
On August 10, records show Donna was taken to the emergency vet because she was vomiting, had diarrhea, and couldn’t keep down food or water.
Northside ISD K9 Donna with her handler, Officer Joseph Garcia
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The following morning, records show the vet told Donna’s handler, Officer Joseph Garcia, that she had an obstruction in her small intestine and recommended surgery to remove it.
“Many working dogs go through this, and many working dogs recover from it,” explained Johnson.
At the time, records show Donna’s emergency vet bill was between $3,000 to $4,000. The vet said the surgery would cost an additional $7,000.
Later that morning, records show Lt. Trello took over Donna’s case. Trello asked if Donna would be able to return to work as a narcotics dog after recovering from the surgery.
“I stated that I would expect her to be able to return to this type of work following an appropriate recovery period,” the vet wrote in her notes.
The vet also added that if the surgery was successful and there were no other significant health issues, she expected Donna to return to a normal quality of life and could live a few more years.
Trello asked the vets for alternatives to surgery and costs to present to Northside ISD Police Chief Richard Palomo, which records show were transferring to another facility or euthanasia.
Less than six hours later, records show Donna was euthanized and cremated.
“I feel that it was a missed opportunity to do the right thing,” said Johnson. “And I think a decision was based solely on financial circumstances and nothing else.”
Sherwood believes Palomo made the wrong decision.
“I think he’s a cold-hearted bastard,” Sherwood said. “$7,000 was cheap to save the life.”
“Do you think K-9 Donna got the treatment she deserved?” KSAT Investigates’ reporter Daniela Ibarra asked Johnson.
“It’s hard to say because I feel like she wasn’t given the chance,” he replied.
Northside ISD defends decision to euthanize
Johnson and Sherwood suggested the department could have fundraised to cover the costs of the surgery.
KSAT Investigates emailed Northside ISD and stopped by the police station to ask for an interview with Palomo to talk about why he made the decision to euthanize instead of paying for a potentially life-saving surgery.
He did not make himself available and provided the following statement:
“The decision to humanely euthanize K9 Donna was heartbreaking and one we did not make lightly. Donna was not simply a working K9; she was a trusted partner and a valued member of our law enforcement family who served our department and community with loyalty and dedication.
When Donna was diagnosed with a small intestine obstruction, surgery was among the options carefully considered. However, given her medical condition, and prognosis, there was significant uncertainty regarding how she would tolerate the procedure, the likelihood of a successful recovery, and the quality of life she could expect afterward. We also sought the perspective of a K9 subject-matter expert who had previously recommended that we retire Donna due to declining olfactory acuity as we considered Donna’s overall health and stage of life.
Our decision was based on the totality of the circumstances and, above all, on what we believed was most compassionate for Donna. We did not want to put her through an invasive procedure and difficult recovery when the outcome remained uncertain.
We are deeply grateful for K9 Donna’s faithful service and for the special bond she shared with her handler and our department. Saying goodbye was incredibly difficult, but Donna’s welfare and dignity remained at the heart of our decision. Her service and loyalty will always be remembered.”
Northside ISD
On Monday afternoon, Palomo issued an “urgent message” on Facebook, where he defended the decision to euthanize Donna in a pre-recorded video statement.
“Presented with two heartbreaking options, we considered Donna’s medical condition, her age, the information available to us at the time, and her quality of life,” he said.
Last week, KSAT Investigates followed up with Northside ISD to ask when Donna’s retirement was recommended.
“A K9 subject-matter expert recommended that Donna retire this fall,” Northside ISD Assistant Superintendent for Communication Barry Perez said in an email. “NISD PD was preparing for that transition when this unexpected medical emergency occurred.”
“If (Palomo had) already known the dog was set up to be, you know, retired, then he made a really bad decision,” said Sherwood.
Perez said the department did not seek a second veterinary opinion or consult with Northside ISD’s board because Donna was experiencing a time-sensitive medical emergency.
With Donna’s passing, Northside ISD now has two K9s – Gini and Sam.
“What do you think Northside ISD needs to do differently, if anything at all?” Ibarra asked.
“I think they need to make sure that any dog that’s taken in for an emergency, you know, is covered, period,” responded Sherwood. “So whatever the emergency cost is, it’s covered.”
Johnson believes Northside ISD needs to re-evaluate its K9 program.
“If you can’t have the proper funding to provide for your K9s, and perhaps you shouldn’t have a K9 unit,” he said.
KSAT Investigates is reaching out to Northside ISD board members to ask what they knew about Donna’s case and whether district policies should change.
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POLL: Should school districts pay for costly medical care for service animals, K9 units?
If this tragedy bothers you, as it did me, feel free to contact monica.guerra@nisd.net and express yourself and demand that the chief of police be terminated.
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