SLO couple killed in crash honored with room at Stanislaus County animal shelter
Matthew Chachere and Jennifer Besser were walking their beloved dog, Buddy, in San Luis Obispo in November when all three were hit by a speeding car and killed.
The couple, both E.&J. Gallo Winery employees, had moved to San Luis Obispo from Modesto. They had adopted Buddy, an Anatolian shepherd, from the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency a year before their deaths, according to Executive Director Vaughn Maurice.
The couple’s friends, family and co-workers at Gallo raised funds to donate to the shelter. Gallo Winery matched them, for a total of over $20,000, Maurice said.
“The donations were made in the couple’s names as a tribute to the love of their dog, Buddy,” he said.
One of the adoption bonding rooms at the shelter has been dedicated in Besser’s and Cachere’s names, and a plaque with Buddy’s picture hangs on the wall.
The funds were used to buy a freezer to store frozen treats for the dogs. The shelter also purchased water bowls that can be securely mounted to the kennels to prevent spills. The remaining funds were earmarked for a project to renovate the shelter’s spay/neuter clinic, which still needs additional funds, Maurice said.
Besser and Cachere were walking Buddy on Nov. 21, before heading to Modesto to visit family for Thanksgiving when they were killed.
The couple’s bodies weren’t found until the next day, lying in a creekbed underneath dense brush, several hours after police received a report of a dead dog in the area.
The driver of the vehicle that hit them, Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio, has been charged with two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to the crimes in March.
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 12:18 PM with the headline "SLO couple killed in crash honored with room at Stanislaus County animal shelter."
