Bodycam footage reveals new context in Merced County horse euthanasia

What started as a disturbing two-minute viral video of horses being shot has turned into a more complicated story after new video has surfaced.

Animal lovers were shocked by the original footage that showed cowboys allegedly shooting dead four horses in Merced County located in California’s Central Valley. 

Hundreds of people commented on our social media post with strong reactions to what they saw. “This is disgusting!” wrote one outraged commenter. 

“It’s the fact he shot them all like they didn’t deserve any respect or decency or care. He made them suffer,” another user added.

However, newly released, unedited police body-camera footage obtained by YourCentalValley is providing additional context surrounding the euthanasia of four severely emaciated horses at the Atwater property. 

While the original edited clip sparked outrage online, the full 42-minute recording includes conversations and observations that paint a more complex picture of the investigation.

The footage begins shortly after animal control officers arrive at horse trader Don Gatz’s property on March 28, 2025. Like the shorter version that circulated in late June, the full video documents the euthanasia of four horses in poor condition.

It also shows one horse remaining alive for more than 40 minutes after being shot, while another reportedly required multiple gunshots before dying. But the expanded footage contains details that were absent from the edited release.

According to discussions captured on camera, one horse was believed to have cancer, another suffered from a jaw abscess and another was suffering from severe starvation.

During one exchange, an animal control officer also says investigators were unsure whether the horses actually belonged to Gatz. The officer explains that people sometimes leave unwanted horses at his property instead of arranging euthanasia themselves.

As officers inspect the animals, they note that at least one horse bears a brand marked with the number “30.” Gatz tells investigators he does not brand horses, explaining that he only brands his cattle with a horseshoe symbol.

The bodycam video also captures officers discussing plans to return to the property for follow-up inspections. Early in the recording, they mention coming back to monitor the remaining animals. Later, one officer says she intends to revisit the property within a week to confirm that a farrier had trimmed the overgrown hoof of one horse.

YourCentralValley reported that it contacted Merced County Animal Control seeking answers about why officials did not immediately confirm the deaths of the horses and whether the case remains under investigation.

Officials had not publicly responded at the time of the report.

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