A California couple, Robert and Kimberly Gebalas, are demanding answers after their five-year-old Australian shepherd, Herschel, died of suspected heatstroke while staying with a pet sitter during the family's holiday in Hawaii. The dog had been left in the care of Critical Thinking Dog Services, a service the family had used many times before without issue, and they grew suspicious after the sitter contacted them mid-trip requesting early payment. The couple now believe Herschel may have already been dead before that message was sent, and the case has caused them significant distress, with Kimberly describing suffering a panic attack before flying home.

Herschel died of cardiac arrest, likely triggered by heatstroke, in Chino Hills, San Bernardino County, on a day when a heatwave pushed temperatures to a dangerous 97°F (36°C). Sitter Eddie Peña, who described the Gebalas as friends rather than paying clients, said he cared for Herschel as he would his own pet and that the dog was at his mother's house with fans running when he died. Critical Thinking Dog Services has since closed permanently, with its Google listing and Instagram page taken down, and the Daily Mail has sought further comment from the business.