Tragically, I have seen a recent increase in the number of dogs being shot by police. I have a feeling that it is becoming more acceptable for cops to shoot first and think later. Commonly heard phrases are “he was acting aggressive” and “I had no other choice”, but when you look at the incidents, you can clearly see that other options were, or should have been, available. I understand a cop humanely shooting a dog that is truly vicious, who has attacked others and may attack him. However, shooting a dog in his own yard, for barking, for being loose, for attacking other animals, or for just looking like a pit bull, is completely unacceptable. Our dogs are our family, and we should feel comfortable that the police will look out for what is best for them and us. We shouldn’t be afraid that they might be killed for normal dog behavior. What can be done to remedy this? Teach the police how to read dog behavior? Have more penalties for cops that shoot dogs? I believe that either of those choices would be helpful, and I believe that something needs to be done soon. I would love to hear input from other who have more experience and understanding in this area, and more ideas on what we, as dog owners, can do to stop this trend from continuing.
Here is a list of incidents where dogs were shot by police. In these stories, the circumstances show that firing a shot should have been the last option or should have never occurred. My commentary on the articles will follow each story.
Some recent incidents include:
Cops shoot Major’s black labs for “sport” Link
“Trinity was an innocent victim and random victim,” Calvo said outside his two-story, red-brick house in this middle-class Washington suburb of about 3,000 people. “We were harmed by the very people who took an oath to protect us.”
Calvo insisted the couple’s two black Labradors were gentle creatures and said police apparently killed them “for sport,” gunning down one of them as it was running away.
“Our dogs were our children,” said the 37-year-old Calvo. “They were the reason we bought this house because it had a big yard for them to run in.”
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Calvo said he was astonished that police have not only failed to apologize, but declined to clear the couple’s names.
His wife spoke through tears as she described an encounter with a girl who used to see the couple walking their dogs.
“She gave me a big hug and she said, `If the police shot your dogs dead and did this to you, how can I trust them?”‘ Tomsic said. “I don’t want people to feel like that. I just want them to be proud of our police and proud to live in Prince George’s County.”
From the article on The Washington Post:
“My government blew through my doors and killed my dogs,” Calvo said. “They thought we were drug dealers, and we were treated as such. I don’t think they really ever considered that we weren’t.”
Calvo described a chaotic scene, in which he — wearing only underwear and socks — and his mother-in-law were handcuffed and interrogated for hours. They were surrounded by the dogs’ carcasses and pools of the dogs’ blood, Calvo said.”
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“I heard a loud crash and then ‘bang, bang, bang,’ ” he said, recalling the sounds of the police shooting the dogs. “I hit the floor.”
As the police came in, Calvo said, they shot his 7-year-old black Labrador retriever, Payton, near the front door and then his 4-year-old dog, Chase, also a black Lab, as the dog ran into a back room. Walking through his house yesterday, Calvo pointed out a bullet hole in the drywall where the younger dog had been shot.
“I understand they have a job to do, but it didn’t have to go like that,” Calvo said. He said the police could have knocked on his door and asked him about the package. “I’ve never done drugs in my life. Anyone who knows me knows that I am so adamantly opposed to them.”
This is surely the most upsetting case of police shooting dogs I have ever heard. The major’s wife was unknowingly involved in a drug scheme where a box of marijiuana was delivered to their house. The couple’s two black labs were family pets, and there was no mention that they had in any way acted aggressively. The police assumed they were drug dealers, and therefore believed their dogs must be dangerous. The family still has not been apologized to, and there was no mention of regret for killing their family pets. The whole situation is not only upsetting because of the death of innocent dogs, but because of the SWAT team acting on a lack of evidence, and treating innocent people so horribly.
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Sheriffs shoot loose German Shepherds Link
Butte County Deputy Sheriffs shot and killed a German shepherd after five reports were fielded about dogs killing pets near the Paradise Pines Property Owners Association.
Sgt Mike Lydon said animal control was not available Sunday and Sgt. Tom Coleman responded finding two dogs killing cats and acting aggressively.
“The dog turned and approached him in an aggressive manner,” Lydon said. “At that point he shot.”
Sheriffs do have other options in animal control including tasers and pepper spray, Lydon said.
“Those are options, but sometimes you go for what you know will work,” he said.”
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“He was extremely loyal, he just didn’t like cats,” she said.
Cannon had two German shepherds. Both have escaped from their enclosed yard from time to time, but always without incident, she said.
“Casper, he’s a ‘Houdini,’” she said. “He used to climb a tree to get out.”
Cannon built a seven-foot tall enclosure to keep the escape artist in the yard, but Casper still managed to get out, she said. Cannon maintained that her dogs were nice and loyal.
“I think (the deputy) jumped the gun and shot him,” Cannon said. “What can I do. My dogs happened to get out. I know it was my responsibility to keep them in. So ultimately it’s my fault.”
Casper had never hurt a person, she said.
“All I know is my dog has never done that,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead. Eight years - he’s been here all his life. He didn’t bite anybody.”
Firstly, these dogs had no incidents of attacking people. The neighbor claims he was attacked, yet there was no proof of a bite ever occurring. I believe this was mostly fear of the neighbors because of the dogs’ breeds. Yes, it is upsetting when someone’s pet cat is killed, but it is vital to understand that a dog reacting on his instinct to eat small animals has nothing to do with being vicious towards humans. Secondly, I want to know what “acting aggressively” means. Barking? Running? There needs to be a clear explanation of what aggressive behavior would truly instigate an attack, and what behavior is just a warning or instinctual reaction to a stranger. Barking is not a pre-requisite to attack. The dogs may have been putting on a show to act tough and protect their prey, but if the owner were called to take them away, surely they would have come to her and a shooting could have been avoided. Third, the cop admits that there were other options. A taser or pepper spray could have easily stopped the dog if he approached to attack. In his defense he stated: “We go for what works”, which is unclear, since the other two options would have worked, and would have not killed the dog. A fitting punishment would have been to make the owner install a kennel system where the dogs could not escape, and to have to pay fines for having loose dogs. If the dogs were truly a danger, they should have been captured and taken to the shelter for evaluation. An important thing we should get from this story, however, is that we need to keep our dogs properly contained. The owner knew her dogs could escape, yet they were allowed to do so continuously, ultimately causing trouble in the neighborhood and an overall fear of them by the neighbors.
Sheriff’s Deputy shoots dog 3 times Link
Gutierrez demanded to see Bobby, saying he was there to kill him and did not need to provide proof that the dog had bitten or attacked anyone. He instructed Barboza to bring Bobby outside and tie him to a pole, while he retrieved his rifle from his vehicle. Barboza pleaded for his dog’s life. Gutierrez fired three shots, one through the dog’s neck and two in his head. Barboza’s father-in-law, wife and 3-year-old son witnessed the event.
According to reports, a school bus unloaded a group of children moments before the shooting. They all stood on the street and witnessed it.
I think this excerpt says it all. How could it be seen as acceptable for a policeman to point blank shoot a dog? Where is the animal control in this? If the dog was truly a threat, shouldn’t he have been taken by animal control and evaluated? In the article, the sheriff’s office defends the action stating “if a vicious animal cannot be safely impounded, then it may be destroyed.” Obviously the owner had complete control over his dog, and the dog could have easily been placed in an animal control vehicle. So why was he considered too dangerous? Apparently the dog was a “pit bull”, a dog “too dangerous” to be accepted by the animal shelter. However, looking at the dog’s photo, you can obviously see that the dog is a shepherd mix, with far longer hair than any pit bull would have. Breed bias is obvious in situations like these, where it becomes scary to realize how quickly unbiased fear and hatred of a type of dog can effect other breed and mixes as well.
Police shoot Doberman in his own backyard Link
The pet Doberman Pinscher shot and killed by a police officer in the backyard of a Lakeview home charged at the officers who came to check out a house alarm, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Police Department said Tuesday.
But Dr. Patrick Coleman, whose four-year-old dog, Jax, was repeatedly shot in the altercation, said it wasn’t in his Doberman’s docile temperament to lunge at strangers on his property. While Jax likely did walk out of the dog door into the yard and bark at the two officers, Coleman also said his pet was just a month into recovery after spinal surgery and not in physical condition to attack anybody.
Coleman said he suspects the officer — who fired off at least 8 rounds — was scared of dogs.
“I know he (Jax) didn’t get shot for attacking this guy,” he said, adding that the NOPD needs to look at their policy for approaching animals on private property. “I don’t want anybody else’s animal to get shot for barking in their backyard.”
I know that most dog owners leave their dogs out in the yard for at least some time during the day. It is your property, and your dog has every right to roam in his own area. It is saddening to hear of a pet dog, who has done nothing wrong, to be shot for being in his own yard when the cop was trespassing. I imagine that many of our dogs would bark if a stranger came into his backyard, and this is something that the police should be aware of when trespassing onto your personal property. This is another obvious example of the need for better policies when dealing with dogs on their own property, who are just in the way, and not the cause, of a problem.
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This is only a short list of recent incidents, but there are many more that involve police shooting pit bulls, or dogs they believe to be pit bulls, and claiming that they were “acting aggressively”. While I don’t doubt that many dogs can be scary when they bark or growl, and some truly are dangerous, killing the dog based on fear may not be the best decision. This may be proof that we need more trained animal control officers to handle dog-related problems, and deal with them through more humane methods. Tranquilizing, catch poles, tasers, or any other non-lethal tools would make much more sense. Let the dog be analyzed by professionals, and not by a quick emotion based response by one who is not trained to analyze dog behavior. While it’s not in my habit to focus on such a negative issue, I have just become overwhelmed by the increase in these shootings, and feel like owners should be aware of this trend. Keep your dogs safe, and don’t let them roam, and keep an eye on them when they are outside in their fenced backyard. Thank you for reading and feel free to leave feedback on any ideas for possible solutions.
