Long Beach police shoot dog four times on his own property

90lbs is pretty big for a pit bull, but hey don't let that stop you from calling a big dog a pit bull.

Anyway, Long Beach police were getting their suspect chase on - reports stated there was a random guy running around with a knife. Not knifing anyone, just clearly a bit unstable.

Police responded and then were all hey let's go into this person's yard! So they go into this person's yard and are all holy crap, there is a dog here! and respond to the dog's presence by shooting him four times!

Tampa police kills dog on his own property

Some dude in Tampa was able to see blood on the tooth of a dog standing less than 10' away because he has amazing super eyesight. He then claims this must be because the dog bit someone else, although no one else was bitten so I guess he was wrong.

The story gets interesting because apparently the dogs were either earlier shot dead and confiscated or were shot dead and confiscated after they stared menacingly at this random dude who "loves dogs" but "hates pit bulls". Nevermind that pit bulls are genetically dogs. CRAZY.

So back to the interesting part. The dogs were actually on their own property when they were shot by police. A police officer leapt into the yard to serve an eviction notice and then was all surprised when the two dogs living on the property felt this was rude. One bit his leg and so he shot that dog. The other dog didn't do much but look silly and was later confiscated by animal control.

Epic reporting skills on this one.

Alton police shoot and kill two dogs, taser a third

A man is facing misdemeanor charges after his dogs escaped from his house during a police interview and were shot or tasered.

Someone reported that a dog was running loose. Police responded and approached a home with a barking dog, assuming it was the house with the loose dog. As they talked to the resident, a dog escaped from the screened in porch and was safely subdued with a Taser by one officer. When the woman was so stupid as to not confine her dogs in another room and they got out, charging an officer as territorial dogs are want to do, this officer selected a gun to deal with the animals. He shot both of them, inevitably resulting in their deaths.

Memphis police defend shooting, ASPCA expert disagrees

This is a follow-up article to this one, in which one Lab mix was shot, another shot at and still missing.


Properly trained officers rarely need to use lethal force against a pet, said Randall Lockwood, a vice president with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Washington.
"In 99 percent of encounters, simply having the baton in the hand is enough to get the dog to back off," Lockwood said a day after two Memphis police officers shot at two charging dogs behind a house in High Point Terrace after responding to a burglar alarm.

 The MPD released figures Friday that show its officers have shot at dogs 48 times this year. Thirteen of the animals were killed, four were critically injured, 11 were injured superficially and 20 weren't hit.

Read more

Police shoot dog during drug raid

Lubbock police assisting the DEA in a drug raid shot a pit bull defending the property. Animal control was contacted and the dog was killed in an unknown method.

Fascinatingly enough, no mention of whether drugs were found, arrests made, if Lubbock is somehow safer from the real threat of drugs.

Pennsylvania police shoot dog on her own property

A Labrador Retriever is dead after being shot by a state trooper responding to an unrelated call.

The officer was following through on an issue involving the dog owner's wife, who did not live at the property. When the owner of the dog opened the door, the dog slipped out and approached the officer. Unbeknownst to the officer, she was wearing an electronic collar which, if it was in good working order, would have stopped her from accessing any area outside of the invisible electric fence. Again, the officer had no idea about that.

A neighbor who did not witness the shooting claims the dog is generally friendly.

Kentucky police shoot dog hit by car

A mixed breed dog struck by a car was then shot by police and killed.

Witnesses state the dog was wagging his tail and apparantly friendly after the encounter with the vehicle. In lieu of contacting animal control, which is the general policy for injured dog calls, the officer contacted his supervisor and asked if he could shoot the dog.

So he did.

The dog was wearing identification tags and a collar. Which is weird, because police called waste disposal first.

Hagerstown police shoot dog on property

Hagerstown police were attempting to serve a warrant. When knocking on the door proved unsuccessful, they entered the fenced in backyard where a dog, a Labrador Retriever, was located on the porch. The dog charged the officer and was shot in the face, the bullet lodged in his neck.

Police assisted the owner's of the dog in taking him to a local vet clinic. The city has requested the veterinary bill be submitted and possible reimbursement provided.

Kane County deputies shoot and kill two dogs

Two dogs were running loose. One placed its paws on a man's chest. A deputy "nudged" the dog with her car. Then she got out and shot the dog. Another deputy tracked down both dogs, shooting and killing them.



The dogs did not bite anyone and, so far as the article is concerned, the only human contact the dogs had was the incident with the paws on the man's chest.

Madison police shoot dog during drug raid

A dog was killed during a drug raid in Madison, Wisconsin. Not much information on the shooting or dog, except that s/he was described as "angry and aggressive". Two men were also arrested.

Memphis police shoot dogs on their own property

Two Memphis police officers responding to a burglary call arrived at the home, checked the front door, then proceeded to unlatch and enter the fenced in backyard. The two dogs who lived at the premises and had access to the yard through a dog door ran at the two officers entering the yard. One dog was shot, the other may have been shot but escaped through the gate left open by the officers. She is now loose and possibly injured.

The owner of the dogs was not immediately told about the shootings when she arrived and only discovered the wounded dog when she was allowed into her house. She did not know her other dog had ran off. Officers attempted to retain the owner for "questioning", prohibiting her from taking the injured dog to a vet.

The shot dog is expected to survive. The remaining dog, a black Labrador Retriever remains on the loose, possibly injured. Hopefully, she will be found alive and well.

Farmington police shoot dogs attacking suspect

This is a really sad story out of Farmington, New Mexico that may have still occurred even if the dogs owners had been home at the time.

Police were attempting to arrest a suspect after they found $100,000 worth of methamphetamine in his house. The suspect attempted to evade arrest by jumping into the neighbor's backyard.

Unfortunately, two territorial dogs lived at the house and were housed primarily in the backyard. They attacked the suspect but apparently did not attempt to attack police who followed. Police had to make a decision and ended up shooting the dogs, killing one and wounding the other.

The person arrested and his "drug gang" sold about 10lbs of meth weekly. At the very least, the dog stopped him from escaping.

Youngstown police massacre two dogs protecting puppies

In the first shooting, the dog had taken up residence in an abandoned home with her puppies. She had bitten one person who got too close to her litter. An animal control officer had spent seven days trying to capture her, to no avail. It is unclear what methods were used to try and catch the dog. When police arrived, the dog protected her puppies the only way she knew how, by trying to get the threat to go away. She charged at the officers and was shot twice. The puppies were confiscated.

The second shooting is far more disturbing. The dog and her mate lived near a junkyard and had attacked one of the employees there. Police were called. One dog was tranquilized but the other dog proved to be quite aggressive.

So the following happened:

• Dog was shot once, dog backed away from the threat and ran to hide from the officers
• Officers pursued injured mother dog, shooting her once while she lay under a shed.
• When the dog stood up, not aggressing, she was shot a second time, then third time.
• After shooting the dog four times, she officer shot her another two times until he was out of ammunition.
• The dog has now been shot six times. 
• The officer shoots the dog four more times. 
• At this point, the dog charges officers, trying to escape the shed.
• She crawled to hide underneath a patrol car.
• The officer either drove over the dog or managed to drive away, revealing the dog.
• So she could be shot another three times. 
• She finally died.

This dog was shot twelve times. And no, she was not a pit bull. The three puppies were confiscated.

Papillion shoot dog in empty house

Papillion police shot and killed a dog who was doing a dogly duty and protecting his territory. The police were serving a warrant for the dog owner's son. No one was home at the time. The landlord of the property asked police if they wanted her to unlock the door or take the keys. Instead, they used a battering ram to bash in a door, freaked out the dog and shot him twice.

When the owner of the dog arrived, it would be another hour before they released the still-breathing dog to him. By that point, it was too late and the dog died at the vet hospital.

The dog growled but did not bite anybody.

Pemberton Township police shoot dog

A mixed breed dog was shot by police after he charged officers. The dog had gotten out of his enclosure and attacked a passer-by.

The dog was taken to a veterinarian where he was later euthanized.

(The dog was described as a German Shepherd Akita mix, but for labeling purposes, he is a "mixed breed").

Northport citizen angered over dog's shooting and care

On September 5th, two dogs got out of the fenced backyard where they were housed. They frightened neighbors, causing one to contact police. When police arrived, one of the dogs charged at the officer. He shot the dog once, the bullet traveling through the dog's ear and into his leg, shattering several bones. Animal control came out and picked up the dog, then let him sit in the shelter through Labor Day weekend without seeking treatment.

The owner has a history of being unable to confine his dogs. The shot dog had escaped previously and been hit by a car. Truly, how these dogs managed to stay alive is rather miraculous, all things considered.

The dog's front leg had to be amputated.

La Marque police officer shoot dog playing with people, hits woman

A La Marque police officer showed poor judgment when she shot at a dog amidst a crowd of people. The officer believed the dog was attacking people. In lieu of asking witnesses about the situation and judging whether fatal actions were required, she opened fire.

One of the bullets ricocheted and hit a woman in the collarbone, leaving bullet fraagments permanently embedded in her body. She is okay.

Some articles mentioned the dog was shot as well but is expected to survive.

Maricopa police chief gets his guns back b/c of clerical error

A restraining order filed against a Maricopa police chief was the result of a clerical error. The chief has had his guns returned to him.

According to the police chief, witness reports that he had snared the dog were, in his words "a lie".

Dozens of Maricopa citizens protested against the police chief, claiming he has been far too heavy-handed with dogs.

Clairton police kill loose dog

A dog housed in a backyard with only three sides fences escaped and bit one passer-by, threatened others. When police and animal control were called, attempts at corraling the dog failed and one officer shot the dog dead.

In response to the shooting, officials gathered together members for a dog task force. There will not be door-to-door checks and the like to enforce licensing and vaccination laws.

Biting dog shot by Anderson County deputy

A deputy responding to a hang-up 911 call encountered a dog on the property. As he was exiting the property, the dog nipped him in the leg. The officer was able to shoo the dog away, but the dog attacked again. When the dog bit for a third time, the officer shot the dog once. The dog was later euthanized.

The owner claims she was attempting to corral the dog, an 11-mos old pup, although she failed after the dog attacked the man three times.

Indian lakes police chief shoots loose dog

A dog with a history of getting loose was shot dead by the city's police chief. According to the police chief, the dog was "threatening" civilians.

Family files restraining order against Maricopa police chief

The police chief of Maricopa has been ordered to give up his gun and stay away from four residents whose dog he shot in September.

The dog was on her property when witnesses state the police chief whistled the dog over, caught her with a catch pole, then shot her dead. This dog would be one of two dogs the chief has killed in the past few months.

Salisbury police use taser to subdue dog

A loose dog who had attacked another dog and acted aggressively towards officers was safely subdued with a taser and taken to animal control.

Tulsa police did not put child in danger during dog shooting

About a week ago, a Tulsa police officer shot at a dog 10' in front of a child standing in a doorway. One shot hit the cement, the other hit the dog (article does not mention if dog died).

The dogs have a long history of getting loose. Officers were called out because the dogs appeared aggressive. The dogs were hanging out on their own property, though, when police arrived - one on the porch, one on the front yard. They acted territorial and barked at the officer, then both dogs went back into the house.

When the officer knocked on the door, he encountered a belligerent 10-yr-old as well as one of the dogs. The dog approached the officer aggressively.

The mother claims the officer shot the dog 3' away from her child while the officer (and forensic reports) show that the officer was 10' away from the dog.

Here's another article: The dog did die.

Sallisaw police shoot dog who bit child

A mixed breed dog was running loose when he was approached by three boys who thought the dog was friendly. When the dog began to growl, the children started to back away, turning their backs on the dog. The dog jumped on one of the boy's, scratching his ear and biting his arm. The dog was easily scared off by a woman yelling. He was later shot dead by the victim's father, a police officer.

Springfield police officer shoots dog who charged him

Here's what we know:

- Two dogs escaped from a hole in the garage, the same spot where they had escaped before.
- This is at least the third time the dogs have gotten out, two of which resulted in complaints to animal control of dog-at-large.
- Officers were chasing the dogs, agitating them further.
- At some point, one of the dogs moved toward one of the officers, barking. He was shot once in the shoulder. He later died from blood loss.

In an example of classy dog guardianship, the dog's body was dumped unceremoniously in front of officers with the demand that they deal with the body. That's love for your dog, right there.

Police shoot loose dog out of fear he might snarl up traffic

The Kootenai County sheriff department decided the best course of action while dealing with a small dog running loose during rush hour was to shoot him dead. So they discharged a weapon amidst a busy highway and killed the dog.

Dog shot by police in 2006 dies of unrelated causes

In 2006, police arrived at a home because of a dog bite report. The victim had been bitten by a family member's dog and had gone to the hospital. Her own dog had been tied up out front. When the officer arrived, the tethered dog growled once and the officer responded by shooting the dog in the head. He was on a 5' tether.

The city never formally apologized though they did pay for all veterinary costs.

Recently, the dog died from pancreatitis, unrelated to the gunshot wound.

Crookston officer shoots loose dog

A dog was shot and killed by a Crookston police officer after he aggressively charged.

What we know:
- The dog was less than a year old and weighed 50 lbs
- Children had tied up the dog with a chain and a choke collar in front of their property
- The dog got loose and did nothing more than approach a car
- The driver of the vehicle called police
- An officer felt threatened by the dog when he growled, so the officer shot the dog once, then again, and a third time because "the dog was breathing"
- The owner of the dog has a history of dog-related complaints

No word on whether the owner will be charged with anything.

Tracy police shoot loose, aggressive dog

Two dogs got out of their yard and attacked a woman's cat she was walking as well as her dog. The dog was not injured significantly but the cat did die. The woman received minor injuries while trying to grab her cat from the dogs.

Police arrived and tasered both dogs. When that did not work, an officer shot one of the dogs and the other dog ran off. The shot dog was later euthanized while the remaining dog was taken to a shelter.

The owner is being cited for lack of dog licenses and it is uknown if any other charges are pending.

Charlotte police shoot aggressive dog

There is not much information to this story except the following:

- Dog running loose
- Dog bites teenager (wounds are not major, thankfully)
- Dog may have bitten deputy (also no major wounds)
- Dog was shot and killed

Hartlepool police call vet to euthanize dangerous dog

A man was left with significant injuries after his dog mauled his arms. Police were called and found the dog to be highly aggressive. They were given consent by the owner to euthanize the dog. The dog was cornered in a backyard and, who knows how, but a vet was called out and euthanized the dog via euthanol/euthanasia solution.

Auburn police confiscate four dogs without incident

Four dogs who had attacked a teenager were confiscated by police without incident. The dogs had gotten loose and approached a teenager. The young man claims that one of the dogs instigated the attack, with the others following suit. Witnesses were able to safely intervene without getting bitten and the victim was taken to the hospital to receive 30 stitches for numerous bites.

When it was decided to confiscate all four dogs, police arrived at the home with animal control. The owner clearly had little control over the dogs, with one getting loose and wandering around the property and one breaking a screen window with his head. Still, none of the dogs aggressed towards officers and were safely taken to the shelter without incident.

Cook county safely confiscate several dogs during a fight-bust raid

No dog was shot or harmed when police raided a day-care where illegal dog fights were held. Nine dogs were confiscated, including one "very aggressive" dog and several puppies. Dogs had injuries ranging from severe bite wounds to broken limbs to an eye out of socket. All the dogs were in poor health and are currently recovering at a local shelter.

Beaumont police shoot dog at park

Two dogs who had been dumped by their owner two days prior to this attack were running loose. They engaged in a fight with a leashed dog and redirected onto the owner when he attempted to help his dog. Police were flagged down. The man was able to fling his dog over a wall and began climbing the wall as well, with one of the dogs still biting him. When he was safely over and police arrived, one dog was shot and killed, while the other ran off and was confiscated by animal control.

In a strange statement, authorities claim the owner might be charged.

Steubenville police shoot dog attacking another dog

A dog is dead after getting into a fight with another dog and being shot by a police officer.

What we know:
- Both dogs were loose, one a stray (the attacked dog), the other either let out or escaped from his yard.
- The owner of the larger dog attempted to separate the two but without avail.
- Police were called and an officer used a taser on the attacking dog.
- When a taser failed, the officer shot the dog twice, killing him.
- Apparently there is a pregnant female on the property where the attacking dog lived.
- The stray dog ran off

Trophy Club police shoot and kill loose dog

A dog who had gotten loose and was barking aggressively at a police officer was shot twice and killed.

A bit of background:
- The dogs have a history of getting loose.
- Apparently the owners just expect police to round up their dogs every time this happens, as according to the family, that's what they've done in the past.
 

Memphis security guard shoots at dog, misses, hits car

A security guard fired at two dogs who were one foot away from him, managed to miss the dogs one foot away from him and instead hit the passenger car door of the mayor pro-tem's wife. She wasn't in the car.

There were no witnesses to the shooting. According to the security officer, he was approached aggressively by two loose dogs. When they got within a foot of him, he discharged his weapon twice, missing both times. The dogs ran off.

While no children were there at the time of the incident, Lowery wonders, what if?

But the district says the guard just as easily could have protected children from a potentially vicious dog.

Except that in this case, had someone been standing in front of the car, they would not have been protected from a potentially vicious dog. They would have been shot.

Massachusetts state police shoot dog

State police troopers were serving a warrant.

As they got near the house, they were approached by a dog. Either the dog was let out of the house or he normally hung out on the porch. Regardless, he approached and growled at an officer who shot the dog twice. Lawrence police and animal control were called to safely transport the dog to a vet hospital where he is expected to survive.

The man they had come to arrest, however, was already sitting in jail.

Arlington police officer shoots loose dog at school playground

Two neighborhood dogs escaped via a hole in a fence.

The dogs wandered about. At some point, witnesses claim the large dog lunged at two people. Police were called. The dogs ended up wandering close to a school and, at some point, ended up on school grounds.

There were no outside witnesses, other than police and animal control, who both claim the larger dog approached an officer aggressively. The dog was shot and is expected to recover. The female dog ran back home. No word on whether the owner will be charged for the dogs getting out.

Winnipeg police lure loose dogs into back of car, female gives birth

Two loose dogs were saved by police after the officers bought food at a supermarket and lured the two dogs into the back of a police cruiser.

A shooting call required a 4-hour detour for the officer and dogs in which the female ended up giving birth in the back of the cruiser.

The "owner" was cited for having at-large dogs and he picked up all the muttskie puppies and the adults at the shelter.

Bozeman officer cleared in dog shooting

Previous entry

In August, a Bozeman police officer shot a dog twice with a shotgun when the dog charged at him. An internal investigation has cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Witness reports:
- Dog had circled and lunged at an individual and their child, sparking the 911 call
- Dog had chased a skateboarder
- One witness claimed the dog was not charging and force was excessive.
- Dog was 6' from officer

The officer claims the dog was charging at him.

The dog was shot twice, then pepper sprayed, then tasered and finally sent to a vet where he

Eminence, KY: Police chief shoots dog

A dog had gotten loose from his chain and was wandering around a neighborhood, dragging four feet of chain behind him.

The dog is owned by a sheriff's deputy.

Witness reports claim the following:
- A car pulled up alongside the loose dog, a man got out and began swinging a cane at the dog.
- The dog was walking on the sidewalk and did not menace anyone
- Police shot the dog as he walked on the sidewalk

The man with the cane claims the dog attacked him, although the news article does not report any particular wounds.

The article leaves out why the chief of police shot the dog as well as why there was a crowd of people walking with the cane-wielding man.

Apparently the dog survived since the owner wanted the city to pay for the animal's medical expenses. The city refused.

Latrobe shoot two dogs attacking third dog

A man whose dogs have a history of getting loose was working in his garage when, once again, all six of his dogs got loose from their backyard. Three returned home while three others entered the backyard of a woman's home. There, they attacked a small dog, killing him. A fourth dog, described as shaggy and brown engaged in the attack as well but left the yard before police arrived.

Two of the dogs acted aggressively towards responding officers, at which point they shot the dogs. They were taken to a veterinarian where they were later euthanized. The third dog was relinquished to animal control and euthanized.

The owner was cited for having dogs at large.

Investigation continues in Kingsport, TN dog shooting

In June, an officer shot a dog while responding to an unrelated call.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continues investigating the shooting, which left the dog dead.

Witness and the officer's account of what occurred differ.

Witness reports:
- The officer placed one foot over the electric fence, saw the dogs, stepped back over, withdrew his service weapon and fired upon the dogs.
- The dog was walking toward the officer.

The officer reports:
- Three dogs charged at him
- He was 20' inside the yard when he shot the dog.

This is the second time this officer has shot a dog. In the second shooting, the dog broke from his cable and cornered officers. This officer was the only one who opened fire on the dog.

Columbia Heights police shoot tethered, restrained dog

Several children trespassed into a neighbor's yard (unknown whether this was front/back or if fence surrounded property, assuming not w/ the chaining) and began throwing rocks and other objects at a chained dog. At some point, one of the children got close enough to the dog for her to scratch and/or bite the child once on the stomach.

Police were called.

Police entered the property and approached the dog who acted aggressively. The police were able to catch-pole the dog. They then tasered the dog. Finally, even though she was secured on a chain and with a catch pole, officers shot her three time, killing her.


The dog's owner is suing. Meanwhile, the chief of police argues that shooting a chained, tasered dog was the only option available to the officers.

Essex dog shooting going to court

Essex police officer Mr. Wooten will be headed to court in November for shooting and killing a neighbor's dog. His own dog had gotten loose and fought with the neighbor's dog on his property. The officer broke up the fight and took his dog home. He later returned and, approximately ten feet from a 2-yr-old child, discharged his weapon, killing the dog. The dog had never left his property.

Even though there is no question regarding the circumstances of the shooting (the dog was on his property, the officer walked on the property to shoot the dog even though the threat had passed), Officer Wooten has not faced any disciplinary actions nor is he facing any significant charges - at most, he may face $2,000 in fines and up to a year in prison.

The dog was a Labrador Retriever mix.

Archdale police shoot and kill dog

A loose dog was shot and killed by police.

Lauderhill police shoot at charging dog

Somehow a dog got off his property wearing a really thick chain. The dog menaced passer-by and police were called. The officer attempted to yell at the dog, telling him "no" and "go home". When that failed and the dog charged again, the officer shot the dog in the head. He ran back into his garage until animal control came and checked on him. HIs owner took him to the vet and he is expected to recover. The owner was cited for a loose dog and not having utd vaccines.

Anderson police shoot two dogs who killed loose cats

Two stray/loose dogs were shot and killed during on different days after they had killed several loose cats. Another dog was later captured, unharmed. The dogs were not aggressive towards the officers, though one witness claimed one of the dogs, at some point in time, chased her.

Southbridge officer shoots attacking dog

A dog who broke free from his chain was shot and killed by an officer. The dog had been "menacing" civilians and police were called. When the officer arrived, the dog charged and bit the man on the arm. When the dog tried to bite him again, he shot the dog, killing him.

Off-duty St. Bernard parish deputy shoot and kills loose dog

A large, loose dog who "menaced" people was shot dead by an off-duty St. Parish's deputy. The dog was loose and had chased after several people. When the dog charged the deputy, he shot him.

Kettering police shoot loose, biting dog

A dog running loose attacked one adult and bit the pant legs of a juvenile. Police were called. The officer noticed the dog acting aggressively and withdrew his service baton. When the dog charged, he hit the dog with it. The dog returned for another charge and was shot by the officer in the ear. The dog was later caught with a catch pole and returned to his owner who was only cited for failure to license and for allowing a dog to run loose.

Temecula police shoot dog on her property

A dog who ran out the front door and barked at an officer was shot five times. She was rushed to the veterinarian where she was euthanized.

Clackmas, OR: Police dog handler shoots one dog, another tazed

Police were tracking down three shooting and burglary suspects. At one home, when a K-9 handler entered the backyard, they encountered two dogs who had run out of the house. The dogs were in their backyard on their own property. The smaller dog attacked the police dog causing minor injuries. At one point, the K-9 handler shot the smaller dog, requiring her to be euthanized. Another officer tasered the larger dog and the owner was able to bring the dog safely inside.

Maricopa, CA: Police chief shoots two dogs, one chained

The police chief of Maricopa is accused of a vendetta against certain types of dogs. He has shot two dogs in the past few weeks, including one dog who was chained in his own yard.

Kansas City, MO: Officers try tranquilizer, use catch pole with aggro dog

A 10-yr-old girl is credited with saving the life of her younger brother as he was being attacked by a dog. The dog had escaped at some point during the day and the children may have been trying to get him in the backyard. There was another dog chained, so possibly both dogs were normally chained. The dog bit the boy in the face and the 10-yr-old latched on to the dog's neck with her arms and physically pulled the dog off.

When animal control arrived, the girl pleaded with them not to shoot the dog. Instead, they attempted to use a tranquilizer gun, failed, and then used catch poles to wrangle the two aggressive dogs.

Troy, NY: Dog killed on own property

Troy police and US Marshals had surrounded the home of a woman. They were looking for someone who wasn't there nor had ever lived on the property. When the house owner noticed who was at the front door, she placed both her dogs in the yard. Unfortunately, officers were in her backyard as well and when one of the dogs either playfully leaped or lunged aggressively (depending on whom you ask), he was shot and died on the porch.

Flossmoor: Loose dog shot, then euthanized

Two dogs were running loose in Flossmoor when one of the two inflicted minor bite wounds on two people. Police were called to the scene where they encountered one of the two dogs biting someone. The dog was shot and then sent to a veterinarian where he was euthanized at the request of the owner. The owner was charged for having at-large dogs, failure to obtain a license or rabies license as well.

Nova Scotia update

This dog is back home.

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. — A dog shot by police in a Nova Scotia community as it was ravaging a baby deer is back home with its owner.
Bridgewater deputy police chief John Collyer says the animal slinked it's way home sometime Thursday.
Collyer says the owner then took it to a veterinarian who treated it for a gunshot wound - the bullet apparently passed through the animal without hitting any vital organs.\

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gLYDXpHGwnCeubzFr9rFEpLS3iWA

Chicago, Illinois

Police shot and killed a pit bull this morning while serving a search warrant for firearms in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, officials said. Two juveniles also suffered minor wounds as a result of the shooting, according to published reports.

they were confronted by a pit bull, according to a news release from  Chicago Police News Affairs. An officer fired at the dog and fatally wounded the animal, police said. Two juveniles at the residence each sustained a graze wound, police said

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/09/police-shoot-pit-bull-executing-search-warrant.html

Clara City, Minnesota

A Minnesota police chief says he had to shoot and kill an 8-month-old puppy in its own front yard. The pit bull died early this week. Its owners and neighbors said it was gentle and wouldn't hurt anyone.

"I went up there and he said, 'I had no choice, your dog's vicious, tried to attack me,' [and I] said, 'You're a liar,'" said the dog's owner, Frank Chapman.

Chapman said Chief Ralph Bradley shot his dog for no reason. He said Bradley came into his yard and tried to coax the dog out into the street. When the dog did not go, Chapman says Bradley shot the dog in his yard and left its body there for all to see.

"The dog was laying over there by the flower bed. He shot him," said Anita Grossman.

Grossman witnessed the shooting. She said Bradley shot the dog twice with his shotgun and showed no remorse.

Bradley said he did fire three warning shots at the dog, named Diva, with his pistol. For 45 minutes, he says, he tried to think of ways to control the animal. He said he even used his Taser to try to distract the dog.

"I was close enough on the dog that it was in his face and then what I do is I pull the trigger and that sets off a current. In most cases, in fact in every case I've ever done that, the dog will turn and run. In this case the dog just became agitated," said Bradley.

Bradley admits to shooting the dog after it charged after him. He said the second shot was so the animal would not suffer.

Bradley says Chapman will be cited for not properly restraining his animal and for not having its rabies vaccinations. He says Chapman has 72 hours to remove the buried dog from the front yard.

Chapman said he plans to file a complaint with the city attorney, to get justice for his puppy.

http://wcco.com/pets/pit.bull.shot.2.1158455.html

Ottawa

OTTAWA — An Ottawa police officer shot a pitbull-type dog Wednesday morning after responding to a call related to a dispute between neighbours in a Gloucester housing development.
The dog is expected to survive after the shooting in the 2700 block of Equus Way, near Hunt Club Road and Bank Street.
The dog’s owner said the dog was shot unnecessarily after it followed a fleeing female officer, but another witness — the opposing neighbour — said the dog sped past the officer before turning as if to run at her again.
Police said the officer had responded to a report of a disturbance at about 10 a.m.
Patrice Daigle, who lives in the housing development, said she called police after her neighbours, the dog’s owners, were “hammering” on her door, where they had taped a letter complaining that she was encroaching on their parking space.
Daigle accused her neighbours of trying to intimidate her and terrorizing the neighbourhood with their dogs.
However, the injured dog’s owner, Jamie Goyette, 27, said he and his sister, Lisa Goyette, wanted to speak to Daigle about the parking issue, but she had refused to answer her door.
They stuck a polite letter on the door, they said.
Lisa Goyette said she and her brother spoke to the two police officers who responded to the call before returning to their unit to get some information for one of the officers.
The dog, named Shorty, snuck through the door and ran outside, they said. The officer started to run and Shorty followed, they said.
“I was right behind the dog because I saw her squeak out the door,” Jamie Goyette said.
The dog followed the officer, barking, but did not lunge at her, they said.
A few metres from their door, the officer fired two shots, at least one of which hit the dog in the chest, they said.
“I don’t see how a dog that’s three to five feet away, barking at you, is a threat,” said Lisa Goyette, 24, who runs a home daycare and noted there are several children in the neighbourhood, including her two sons.
The officer should have stood still or used other tactics such as yelling, kicking, or spraying the dog with pepper spray, she said.
Their neighbour, who was talking to the other officer at the time of the shooting, had a different view of the incident.
Daigle said the dog chased after the officer and “overshot her” before turning and heading toward the officer again.
“I think it was going for her, but it was going so fast, it went past. It turned around to come back at her, she shot it,” Daigle, 54, said.
Nobody wants to shoot a dog, “but things had gotten way out of control,” Daigle said.
Witnesses said the officer claimed the dog bit her immediately after the shooting. The Goyettes said the dog did not bite her.
The officer did not receive any serious injuries. As is standard practice, the Professional Standards Section is investigating the shooting.
Police would not immediately confirm how many shots were fired, nor how many hit the dog. No charges were laid, according to police.
Other neighbours said they had seen up to four dogs, including at least one other pitbull-type dog, at the rowhouse unit where the Goyettes live.
Neighbours said they often heard the dogs barking. The animals had gotten loose in the past and caused problems for area residents, neighbours said.
“I am not against pitbulls, they can be wonderful dogs, but … they’re using them for their own purposes,” Daigle said. “They’re terrorizing the neighbourhood.”
The Goyettes said Shorty, a small dog, was harmless. Jamie Goyette said he has had the dog for eight years and she was friendly with children.
Lisa Goyette said the dogs were never let out of the house without leashes and only one person had complained to officials about their barking.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A Sioux Falls police officer shot two pit bulls, killing 1 of them, after a routine stop at a golf course for a parking violation turned into an hourlong animal chase.
Police spokesman Sam Clemens says the officer spotted the dogs running loose on the course Tuesday night. He says the pit bulls became aggressive when the officer tried to capture them and then ran away.
Officers with the police department and Sioux Falls Animal Control chased the dogs across the Big Sioux River, through the lots of several businesses and onto a bike trail before finally cornering the animals. Clemens says the dogs chased a boy on a bicycle during the incident but did not catch him.
Clemens says an officer fired one shot with a shotgun, hitting both dogs, when they appeared ready to attack. One dog died. The other ran into nearby trees and disappeared, later returning to its home. The dog was declared a vicious animal and will be impounded.

Nova Scotia

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. — Police in a Nova Scotia community say they had to shoot a dog after concerns the animal could attack residents of a neighbourhood.
The incident started around 7 p.m. Wednesday when police were called to a street in Bridgewater.
A white husky had attacked a fawn and was starting to eat the young deer.
An officer shot the dog over concerns it might attack another animal, or even some of the people in the residential neighborhood.
The dog made its way into a nearby wooded area, but it hasn't been seen since then.
Police are telling people to be careful in case the dog is still alive.

Salem, Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- A Salem police officer shot and killed a pit bull that had been running loose and threatening people near Liberty Elementary School.

KGW graphic

Police say Officer Jacob Pratt was waiting for an animal control stick to arrive last night when the dog charged him.
The owners arrived shortly after the shooting and said they didn't know how the dog got out of their fenced back yard.

Cook County lawsuit upheld

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling in favor of a family whose dog was shot by a police officer in Cookeville during a 2003 traffic stop.

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in a ruling released Thursday denied an appeal by David Bush, a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer who was found guilty of excessive force when restraining driver James Smoak.

While the family was ordered to kneel on the highway shoulder, their dog escaped from the vehicle through an open door.

Cookeville police officer Eric Hall shot the 55-pound mixed breed pit bull, which could be seen wagging its tail in the video. Hall said he thought the dog was about to attack.

A federal jury in 2008 awarded the family $9,000 in compensatory damages and $192,000 in attorney's fees. The Smoaks settled with the city of Cookeville for $77,500 in a separate lawsuit.

Las Vegas, NM

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) - A Las Vegas man faces charges after his dog attacked a wheelchair-bound man.

Las Vegas police say 36-year-old Alexander Alires faces a felony charge of having a dangerous dog and misdemeanor charges of having a rabid or unvaccinated dog, a vicious animal and an animal at large.

Police say the dog was believed to be a pit-bull-mastiff mix.

According to police, the dog attacked another canine and then 74-year-old Jose Gurule, who was in a wheelchair.

Police said an officer was called, and the dog tried to attack him, but he shot and killed it.

Alires told authorities he thought the dog had been chained up.

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=10994705&nav=AbC0

Rutland officer absolved of culpability in shooting of chained dog

Rutland police officer absolved of any wrongdoing in this shooting.

A police review says a Vermont officer was justified when he fatally shot a dog in Rutland.

But the dog's owner, John Ragosta, tells the Rutland Herald he's not convinced Officer Frank Post's actions were legitimate in the Aug. 7 shooting of his German shepherd, "Stooge."

The finding absolves Post of any wrongdoing.

Post and his German shepherd, "King Bricks," were called to assist state police who trailed a truck driving 97 mph to Ragosta's driveway. Police believed the driver fled across Ragosta's yard.

Police say Post's dog was attacked by Stooge. Post used pepper spray and he and a trooper kicked and pulled at the dogs in unsuccessful attempts to break up the fight.

Post said he decided to use lethal force after Ragosta's dog lunged at him.

Note: The Rutland Herald provided information for this report.

Five Points, Florida

FIVE POINTS — A female pit bull that attacked and bit a five-year-old boy Thursday afternoon near Five Points was shot and killed by a deputy as the deputy rescued the child, according to police reports.

“The child received several bite injuries and was treated at Lake Shore Hospital for non-threatening injuries,” said Columbia County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Sgt. Ed Seifert. The sheriff’s office has not released the name of the child.

According to Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reports, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. Thursday at an address on County Road 25, where sheriff’s office deputies responded after receiving reports that a 5-year-old child was being attacked by a dog.

“Sgt. Stacy Croft arrived at the home and found the child actively being attacked by a female pit bull,” Seifert said. “Croft put his own safety aside and rescued the child from the dog. The pit bull then charged Croft. Croft, fearing for safety, was forced to euthanize the dog with his service weapon, firing one shot.”

Croft was not injured in the attack.

Seifert said the dog belonged to a neighbor across the street from the boy’s home, and the boy was in the neighbor’s backyard when he was attacked.

At press times, reports were not available with information on the dog’s vaccination records and if there were any previous reports of the dog being aggressive.

http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2009/08/28/news/doc4a9753e756833359802561.txt

North Belle Vernon, PA

NORTH BELLE VERNON, Pa. -- John Gida was walking his two Malteses on Arch Street in North Belle Vernon Friday morning when a neighbor's bulldog attacked, biting Gida and one of his dogs.Gida's wife, Kim, heard the commotion and raced outside to help, but was unsuccessful.A worker at a nearby garage tried to fend the bulldog off with a 2x4, but when that didn't work, a police officer was forced to shoot and kill the bulldog."The dog would not stop. It kept on pounding on me and pounding on me. I thought, 'I'm going to die' because it would not stop," said Kim Gida.

John and Kim Gida

One of the Gidas' dogs suffered 14 puncture wounds and remains in intensive care at an animal hospital.John Gida was also hospitalized.The bulldog's owner told Channel 4 Action News that he feels badly about what happened, but felt the dog should have been put down properly and not shot on the street.The dog's owner added that he was on a dialysis machine at the time and could not get outside fast enough when the bull dog broke free from its collar while tied on the porch.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/westmoreland/20610504/detail.html

New York police shoot dog

A police officer sent out on a complaint of a “vicious, loose dog” on Willoughby Avenue shot and killed the animal this afternoon after it lunged at him, the police said. The police said there was a 911 call at 1:29 p.m. about the dog, who was in front of 54 Willoughby, near Clermont. When the dog lunged at the first officers who arrived at the scene, one of the officers shot the dog once in the chest, killing it instantly, the police said. The Breaking News Network, a service maintained by people who monitor police scanners, said the dog was a Rottweiler, but the police public information office did not know the breed. No one else was injured.

http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/officer-kills-vicious-loose-dog/

Racine, Wis

RACINE, Wis. -- Racine police said an officer responding to a report of unleashed dogs shot two pit bulls, killing one and wounding the other.Sgt. Mark Van Schyndel said police received the report Friday at about 5:45 p.m.He said that two pit bulls charged at the responding officer. Sgt. Van Schyndel said the officer had to shoot them to defend himself.Van Schyndel said one dog died and the other was hurt. Countryside Humane Society picked up both animals.The officer was not hurt.

Macon, GA

The owner of the ducks told police two dogs dug a hole under his fence and attacked the ducks. He said he killed one of the dogs to protect the ducks. The other dog ran away, according to the report.

The dog later was located behind another house with other dogs, according to the report.

Animal control attempted to collect the dogs, but one of the dogs charged at the animal control officer, according to the report.

The police officer shot the dog and it ran off into the woods. Officers were unable to locate the dog, according to the report.

http://www.macon.com/local/story/820833.html

Walnut Ridge, AR taser

WALNUT RIDGE, AR (KAIT) - Animal control officers in several Region 8 cities are dealing with more unleashed animals.

In Walnut Ridge, animal control officers tell Region 8 News the problem is so bad, they impound the animal if they pick it up 3 times. In most cases it's dogs that are picked up. If no one claims the dog after 5 days, it is euthanized.

So Region 8 News went to Walnut Ridge to investigate. Shortly after we arrived, we found a dog wandering without a leash inside of the city limits. While we were getting video of the dog roaming around, a Walnut Ridge animal control officer pulled up.

Our cameras were rolling as the animal control officer tased the dog. He says the animal was acting aggressively. The officer says he was within his rights to tase the animal.

Watch the video and tell us if he acted appropriately in our Web poll.

http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10965647#WNPoll86567

Sonoma, California

The owners of a dog that bit a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy have filed a complaint claiming that the dog should not have been shot to death by a Sheriff’s deputy during the incident.

Jackie Cohen, owner of pit bull mix named “Simon,” said she received confirmation of her complaint Saturday.

Simon bit Deputy Mike Shanahan as the deputy responded to a call of a domestic disturbance at the Ludwig Avenue house. Shanahan shot Simon five times.

Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Brown said the dog was shot because it was a threat, “charging, barking, growling” while trying to bite the deputy.

But Cohen maintains Simon only bit the deputy because he perceived a danger to his family. She described him as sweet and friendly.

“He was my dream dog,” she said.

Cohen’s complaint alleges excessive use of force against her dog and her family and questions how the incident was handled.

“I was full of fear for my life and my dog’s life,” she said of the shooting. “I no longer feel like I could trust the police in any regard.”

According to Sheriff’s Department records, two deputies arrived at Cohen’s house on Ludwig Avenue in response to a report of a domestic dispute. An unidentified caller told dispatchers there was a loud verbal argument and that the caller feared for the woman’s safety, Brown said.

When the deputies walked up to a chain-link fence surrounding the property, a man yelled at deputies to wait, Brown said.

“A man yelled, ‘Hold on, we have dogs,’” said Brown, reading from a report on the incident.

The deputies entered the gate and told the man to hold the dogs. “They were told that if the dogs attacked they would have to shoot them,” Brown said.

Then two dogs, one with the appearance of a pit bull, charged Shanahan, biting his leg, locking on to it, and causing him to fall and break his other leg, Brown said.

Not so, said Cohen, who claims Simon “loped” toward Shanahan instead of charging. “This guy still had plenty of time to turn around and retreat and he made it so that Simon was between him and the exit,” Cohen said. “He was spraying pepper spray in his face.”

When it bit Shanahan, the dog immediately disengaged and did not lock on to Shanahan’s leg, Cohen said.

“It wasn’t like he grabbed him and started shaking him like a rag doll,” she said. “The deputy was flailing out of control. This man loaded five bullets into my dog.”

Cohen said Simon, a mutt with some pit bull in him, was protective of the family but an overall gentle dog. “A dog’s instinct is to protect and it doesn’t matter if it’s a teacup Chihuahua or a pit bull.”

“He protects our family, he protects our property. Everybody knows that. The PG&E lady doesn’t come over without checking. We have a gate that he pushes against and doesn’t get out,” Cohen said. “A dog’s instinct is to protect and it doesn’t matter if it’s a teacup Chihuahua or a pit bull.”

“He had the sweetness of a lab,” she said of the dog which she estimates was about one-fifth pit bull.

Sheriff’s Capt. Matt McCaffrey said a preliminary review of the incident indicates Shanahan acted appropriately. A formal investigation will now take place, he said.

“We are never happy when we have to shoot an animal, especially someone’s pet,” McCaffrey said. “But it was a dog that attacked and bit a deputy.”

Cohen said that Simon was buried beneath a peach tree at the family’s home.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090817/ARTICLES/908179894/1350?Title=Complaint-filed-against-deputy-who-shot-dog

Jeannette, PA

Jeannette, Pennsylvania

A Jeannette dog owner claims that a police officer "overreacted" when he shot and killed a 150-pound Rottweiler that wandered from its yard Saturday.

But police said the shooting was justified because neighbors of the dog, Rocky, were fearful about leaving their homes along Scott Avenue and the canine "lunged" three times at Cpl. Brad Shepler as he and an animal control officer attempted to place the dog in a confinement noose.

"They tried to place the dog in a noose three times, and I have the officer and the animal control officer both telling me that the dog came at them three times," said police Chief Jeff Stahl.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do but put the dog down. We were responding to a call that people and their children were afraid to leave their homes because the dog was running loose there," Stahl said.

But the dog's owner, Bob Petrillo, said Rocky was not vicious and played with neighborhood children.

"I'm not saying the policeman is a bad guy, but in this case I believe there was no need to shoot him and I think the incident needs to be brought to light," said Petrillo, of 707 Scott Ave.

Petrillo said he bathed Rocky about 3:30 p.m. before he laid down to take a nap.

"I guess Rocky jumped up against the door and unlocked the handle door. Rocky went down and played with some neighborhood kids and was crossing the street when police arrived," Petrillo said.

Petrillo said he heard from neighbors that Shepler left his car door open and Rocky jumped inside.

"Why didn't he just close the door and they would have had him contained? Instead, the officer began kicking on the windows and door of the car to get him out and he pooped on the seat and ran," Petrillo said.

Petrillo said Shepler and an animal control officer chased Rocky about one-quarter mile before the shot was fired. He said the dog was shot in the back of his head.

"It's a shame because it was unnecessary," Petrillo said of the shooting of his 22-month-old dog.

However, Stahl said, police have concluded the shooting was justified.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_638820.html

Longmont, Colorado

Officer shoots, wounds pit bull

LONGMONT, CO — A Longmont police officer shot and wounded a pit bull that charged him early Monday morning, according to police reports.

Officer Nate McManus was responding to a domestic violence call on the 1800 block of Meadow Street, where another officer was talking to a woman. As McManus approached, the woman’s dog charged him, barking and growling, Cmdr. Tim Lewis said Monday.

McManus drew his gun, waited until the dog was within a couple of feet of him and fired. The woman was able to corral the dog and told police it suffered a minor injury to its right hindquarters.

According to police reports, she told supervisors she would have done the same thing in McManus’ position, Lewis said. Police officials plan to review the incident, which is done whenever an officer fires a weapon, Lewis said.

http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=17605

San Bernadino police shoot dog

San Bernardino police arrested one man and shot and killed a pit bull that attacked police dogs Monday night.

Officers responded about 5 p.m. to the 1400 block of G Street after they received a call of shots being fired in the area.

When officers arrived, they heard the shots going off, police said. They walked closer and a suspect started running from them.

Police found the man, as well as a rifle, and arrested him for negligently shooting a weapon.

During the chase, two police dogs were attacked by three pit bulls, police said. One of the police dogs received a couple of stitches in the neck and one of the pit bulls was shot and killed by an officer.

No officers or citizens were injured, police said.

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_13146964?source=most_viewed

Lubbock police shoot attacking dog

A dog left to his own devices chewed his way out of the backyard and began roaming. A concerned neighbor called police who responded to the call.

When the dog began acting aggressively and attacking one of the officers, the officer attempted to use a stun gun. When that did not work, he did shoot the dog, killing him.

California police shoot dog during medical marijuna raid

Police were raiding a medical marijuana dispensary where apparently the jerkwad of an owner had a dog guarding the pot. The dog, being a territorial creature, charged at officers. The dog was shot and is expected to survive.

Tampa police shoot charging dog

Police discovered an intoxicated teenager and, as they were returning the child to his home, the family's dog accidentally escaped the front door and charged at one of the officers. He shot the dog once in the head, killing him.

Granger

GRANGER--A Granger police officer guns down a pit bull after it attacks several people.
Two women were attacked by two pit bulls Wednesday morning around West A and West Second Streets.
One dog later attacked a public works employee and even went after a police officer.
The officer shot the dog; police weren't sure how bad its injuries were.  Both dogs were impounded.
It's legal to own a pit bull in Granger, but they must be on a leash and muzzled at all times.
Police did find the pit bulls' owner.
KNDO is following this story to find out if the owner will face charges.

http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10927664&nav=menu484_2_10

Saginaw police shoot dog during drug raid

Police said an investigation of a complaint that Saginaw residents were growing marijuana in their backyard on Gaylord on Monday resulted in two arrests, the seizure of "several" suspected marijuana plants and a dead pit bull.
Saginaw Police Sgt. Kevin Revard of the gang task force said officers arrived about 11:30 a.m.
Revard said homeowner Krystal Houck initially denied officers' requests to search the backyard, where Revard said "multiple" dogs were present, for marijuana plants. While police waited for a warrant to search the yard, Houck's dog, Scooter, left the fenced area moving in the officer's direction.
Revard said Scooter "charged" the officer, who backed up until he was stopped by a car in the driveway. The officer "was trying to get onto the hood of the car," Revard said.
Houck said the policeman ordered her to grab the dog but shot the animal before she could. She and neighbors Anthony T. Astbury Jr. and Scott Mauro objected to the use of lethal force.
Revard said he supports his officer's decision.
"These dogs are very protective of their territory," Revard said. "The dog wasn't chained up or in a pen.
"I'd rather see my officer going home safely to his wife and kids."
The dog "was totally out of control. The officer did what he had to do," said Saginaw Police Chief Gerald H. Cliff.
Scooter "laid there suffering" for over an hour, waiting for Saginaw Animal Care Center employees to take it to a veterinarian, Houck said, adding police refused to let her take the dog herself.
Police said Hauck couldn't leave because she was part of the investigation and they feared the dog might react unpredictably because of its injuries. It was later euthanized.
While there, police arrested a 21-year-old former Michigan resident from Fort Myers, Fla., who was wanted on a probation violation and Nicholas C. Roesner of Saginaw, 25, a friend and parent of Houck's child, on an outstanding warrant for keeping an unlicensed dog. Houck said they had licensed Scooter after a resident filed a complaint about it.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/08/police_investigate_suspect_res.html

Troubled officer leaves sheriff's office

An officer who shot his dog while drunk has left the Yolo Sheriff's department. Reasons for the departure remain a mystery.

Earlier this month, SWAT was called to the sergeant's home after neighbor's heard gunshots. They found the sergeant intoxicated and one of his dog's shot. Two dogs were taken from the property.

Bozeman police shoot and kill dog

A dog is dead after an encounter with a Bozeman police officer

Police were called by someone who was afraid of a loose dog, who barked and acted aggressively, though did not attempt to lunge, charge or bite anybody.

Police arrived and found the dog loose, barking. The officer attempted to yell at the dog. Then strangely, he shot near the dog, then shot the dog, THEN used pepper spray and a taser. Huh? Reversal of operations, there. The dog later died from his injuries.

Rutland police shoot chained dog

Rutland police were pursuing a suspect and were accompanied by a police dog. At some point, the K-9 handler encountered a chained dog. The dogs engaged in a fight. The officer pepper sprayed the chained dog and then shot the dog, killing him.

Santa Rosa police shoot dog in home

Santa Rosa police responded to a domestic disturbance call. When officers entered the home, the territorial dog attacked one, biting the officer on the ankle and calf. The officer attempted to pepper spray the dog and, when that filed, shot the dog, killing the dog.

Evansville police shoot attacking dog

Evansville police officers were chasing after a suspect on foot. They asked a couple if they could enter their home, permission was given. When the family's dog began to act agitated, police told the couple to place their dog in the backyard.

This is where things get sketchy.

According to the owners, they were not told that there was a police officer in or near their backyard's gate. According to police, the dog immediately charged and busted through the gate where an officer was standing.

The dog bit the officer on the arm and the officer responded by shooting the dog 7-8 times.

Kingsport officer shoots another dog

Back in June, a Kingsport police officer shot and killed a dog.

Now he has shot another dog. This situation is a bit different as all witness accounts describe the dog as very territorial and aggressive, including the owner of the dog. Police were approaching a house for sale which they believed someone was living in illegally. The person there asked them to let him put his dog away because the dog bit people. But instead of chaining the dog or putting him inside, he put the dog in a dilapidated porch with an easy point of egress for the dog.

The dog charged at officers and attempted to bite them. The dog was shot and later euthanized at a veterinarian.

Police dog shootings put focus on training

Two recent articles from different cities regarding shootings of dogs by police:

Atlanta Journal Constitution

News Telegram

Very interesting stuff. No duh stuff, too.

El cajon police use stun gun on aggressive dog

A loose dog who was acting aggressively towards people was shot with a taser instead of a gun.

14-yr-old dog shot because he looked sick

Appalling story out of Shelley, Idaho where police shot and killed a 14-yr-old dog because, get this, "he looked sick" and the officers wanted to put him out of his misery.

Seriously?

Yes, the dog was old, but if I see a sick child or sick geriatric person, my first inclination isn't to pump 'em full of bullets.

The appropriate course of action would have been to round the dog up and rush him to a veterinarian.

Instead, an officer shot the dog.

This did not kill the dog so now the dog was actually suffering and ran off. He then had four more bullets pumped into his body before dying.

Boo on you, Shelley police, you should be ashamed.

Update on Long Beach dog shot on her driveway

Previous blog entry here.

Updated news story here.

Owners of dog don't fault the officer for shooting their dog. It was the first time she had gotten out, she was utd on all her shots and license. Animal control did not fine or charge the owners, presumably because the dog was actually on her own property but I'm not sure.

I still would like to know what those less lethal methods were!

Anyway, the dog is doing quite fine and looks like a happy perdy lady.

Off duty officer shoots charging dog

Anyway, here we have an off-duty police officer jogging (well, you don't see the officer jogging). He's jogging in an area where he's had problems with loose dogs before.

He's jogging along when a dog comes out of the front yard and approaches him. The officer has seen this dog before and has been run at by the dog before. When the dog was five feet away, the officer discharged his weapon and shot the dog in the head. Several feet away, children were playing in the front yard of where the dog lives.

When animal control arrives, they describe the dog as friendly, wagging his tail and in generally good spirits despite a bullet hole in his face. Even the animal control officer states that the dog was probably just running out to say hi with the caveat that a charging dog is intimidating no matter how friendly that dog might be.

In Los Angeles, shooting dogs comprise 25% of the reasons for discharging a weapon. This is a pretty common percentage when it comes to how often police officers in larger, urban areas discharge their weapons. I don't know that the stats include off-duty police officers, though.

The dog will be fine.

Ludowici use guns instead of catch poles

Ludowici police in Georgia don't have an actual animal control facility. They don't have catch poles. They have no truck in which to transport animals in.

So when they are faced with loose dogs, especially those who are exhibiting fearful/aggressive behaviors, they feel their only recourse is to use guns.

And that is what happened to Jasmine who happened to be running loose and possibly chasing/approaching people. She never bit anyone but when animal control arrived, they felt it was better to shoot her instead of try to restrain her....which they couldn't do anyways b/c they don't own a catch pole.

I mean, this is just absolutely ridiculous - what a great way to set up an entire system for failure.

Midwest city police shoot and kill biting dog

Two large dogs who had escaped from their property attacked two people. One person required hospital admittance while the other suffered minor injuries.

One dog had gone back into the backyard where s/he was corralled and taken to animal control and later euthanized. The other dog attempted to attack officers as they were putting a catch pole on him. He was shot dead.

Atlanta police shoot dog in own backyard

An officer responding to a house alarm  entered the backyard and was approached by the resident dog. He shot the dog.


ETA: I found this article, which is much more detailed, including information like that the officer who was sent into the backyard to check things out was afraid of dogs.

I agree with this:
"I'd like for the police to get training on this. It strikes me as bizarre that there aren't things in place, protocol and trainings in place, that teach officers who are obviously going to come into contact with family animals, the way to respond in a responsible way," said Feichter.

From the guardian of the dog who was killed. Apparently there were two dogs and a petsitter. The alarm went off and the pet sitter couldn't get it turned off. Police came just to check things out so they knew two dogs were present. One officer went to the backyard where the shooting happened.

Howard county sued by owners of dog killed in no knock raid

Back in 2008, a couple's dog was shot and killed during the execution of a no-knock warrant performed by the paramilitary SWAT. They are now suing Howard County over the raid. The two were acquitted of any charges and it was an acquaintance at the resident in possession of drugs, not the couple themselves (who have no prior criminal record).

I'm not necessarily buying all the claims made in the lawsuit, but SWAT has been known to shoot dogs through screen doors and, in another Maryland case, shot and killed dogs running away from them so I don't find it surprising they might take out the dog(s) first.

The article also refers to the February 2009 incident in which Howard County SWAT invaded a home and killed the family's dog. In the article above, officials claim Howard County SWAT had a really good reason to invade the home - stolen weapons. That were never found, by the way, and that had nothing to do with the family actually in residence at the time (the step-son was the guilty party and hadn't lived there for three years).

Kirksville police kill dog

Hey, at the very least, Kirksville police showed some laudable self-restraint in trying a whole host of alternatives before drawing a weapon....and this with a dog who had actually bit someone!

The dog was loose in a backyard. I'm not sure if the backyard was unsecure or what but, for whatever reason, the dog was wreaking havoc in the backyard. Officers attempted to catch pole the dog without success (not sure how that works, it's generally pretty successful with a confined animal). They then tried pepper spray twice. And then they shot and killed the dog.

Surfside officer aims for dog, shoots woman instead

While getting the mail, holding his daughter, an off-duty Surfside officer was approached by a neighbor's dog. He withdrew his service weapon and shot at the dog, missing and hitting a woman in the neck instead.

Dog on his own property is shot by Long Beach police

A dog was loose in his own driveway when, for some reason, police were called. The officer shot the dog, who retreated back into the garage where he lived. The dog will survive.

Lakewood police taser dog twice

A loose dog exhibiting classic fearful and, quite frankly, non threatening displays was tasered twice by Lakewood police. The police also insist the dog is a pit bull when the dog is clearly a Boxer. I mean, clearly.

I'm glad they didn't use a gun which is always more lethal than a taser, but doesn't Lakewood have an animal control? The taser's video shows a dog who I could have gotten six feet from and lassoed with a catch pole. The taser's video also shows a dog who is clearly not a valid threat and is acting like a scared dog willing to flee.

Now the owner has to prove his dog isn't dangerous even though his dog did not bite or scratch any human being and simply had the misfortune of being in a town where police confused Boxers for pit bulls and don't act sorry about it.

Palm Bay police shoot dog with bean bag and bullet

A dog scaled a 6' fence and was acting fearful aggressive towards police officers. The officers had already entered the property and my guess is the dog was overwhelmed and overstimulated when he reacted. Partial video shows a very frightened dog, not a dog about to go on a rampage (not saying he isn't dangerous, by any means).

Interestingly, the officers who fired at the charging dog took two different tactics. One chose to fire a bean bag at the dog while the other fired a bullet. The bean bag, which is supposed to be a pretty painful deterrent, hit the dog in the head, the bullet in the leg. Animal control was able to come in and catch pole the dog.

Jackson County, Oregon kill dog

So we have a dog who is "menacing" a cable employee. Jackson County deputies arrive. They used pepper spray, which caused the dog to back off. When the dog tried to escape, charging at the officers, he was shot and killed.

Lafayette police kills dog

(The dog was erroneously reported as a pit bull in THIS article)

A large dog who may have spent most of his time chained up outside got off the chain, escaped and frightened a woman so much she and her child climbed up on a car to escape. Police were called. The officer was charged by the dog, he withdrew his service weapon and shot the dog seven times. I'll agree with witnesses that seven times is extreme, especially in a residential area.

Lots of conflicting reports: Dog is friendly, according to some neighbors. Dog is not friendly, according to others.

Canadian police shoot dog

A dog-aggressive dog was shot after attacking a police dog during a marijuana operation bust.

And that is all that is really given in the story.

St. Petersburg police kill biting dog

Another chained dog, another biting dog.
The dog was chained and got loose. She bit a couple of people before police came out. The dog charged the officers and it wasn't until the dog was hanging off one's hand that the dog was shot and killed.

Rushville police chief shoots dog playing w/ other dog

An escape artist of a dog was shot and killed by the Rushville chief of police.

The dog was not acting aggressive towards neighbors or the public and was, in point of fact, spending his time playing with another dog. The dog has a history of getting loose and also of avoiding capture except by his owner. Which is why animal control called his owner and told her of the loose dog situation.

By the time she arrived at the location, her dog was dying.

According to witnesses, the dog was playing with another dog and wouldn't jump into the chief of police's car. The chief claims the dog charged toward him, at which point he shot him once. The dog was down when the chief of police shot him again.

Leesburg, GA police shoot charging dog

Once again, we have a case of an owner unable to contain his dog.
 As the owner was rounding up the dogs, one charged the two officers. I am not certain if the officers gave the owner a chance to corral his wayward dog or if they just saw the dog charge and drew their weapons.

The dog is expected to survive.

Horsham, PA police use alternatives to subdue dog

So a really angry dog broke through a window and threatened the general calmness of a neighborhood. Police were called.

Okay, here's where I have to admit I smiled:

When the first responding officer arrived and noticed the large, loose dog acting aggressive and charging at him, he went back to his patrol car. Now I understand this isn't always an option due to the fact patrol cars don't just follow you wherever you go. When it is an option, though, I've read countless stories of officer choosing to use lethal force in a situation when they could have retreated back to their squad car and reassessed the situation (and this was in absence of the dog being a threat to anybody else).

So, good first thinking!

When the dog became aggressive towards other people, the officer and other responding officers took action by trying a taser on the dog. It worked. They then used a nifty device called a catch pole to completely restrain the dog.

The owner did arrive shortly thereafter and restrained her dog - oh god, I bet she was embarrassed. The dog remains with the owner.

Good job, Horsham PD.

(I personally think the reason the dog went ape-shit was probably boredom and an inflated sense of self and possibly feeling overly emo about his last name, Livshits).

Blanchester police taze dog

Blanchester, OH police chose to taze a dog in lieu of shooting him. Why?

“Miller and Ptl. Casey Gray then approached the dog in the back yard of 204 S. Columbus St. and Miller tried to grab its collar and the dog tried to bite him,” Reinbolt said. “Due to the number of people in close proximity, the officers used sound judgment and stunned the dog with an electric taser to subdue it instead of attempting to shoot it,” the police chief said.

Charlotte police shoot biting dog

 But there was a loose dog and he did bite the officer to which the officer responded by shooting the dog.

Tallahassee police kill dog let loose by owner

So a man stole his ex-girlfriend's dog, threatening to kill him. When she reported this, police arrived at the ex-bf's home. He refused to come out. Instead, he let loose his dog.

One officer was able to deter the dog but then the dog locked onto another officer. The dog did not bite but was acting aggressive and lunging at officers. One officer did shot the dog in the chest. He was taken to a vet and euthanized.

Danville, VA fire officer who shot miniature doxie

I'm surprised, really. Rarely do these cases result in disciplinary action, let alone the complete discharge of an officer.

I blogged about this earlier. Initially higher-ups in the police department defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed a 5-10lb miniature doxie who had approached him from behind.

Now they are singing a different tune. The officer has been fired.

New York, 25% of shots fired aimed at animals

Like LA, when New York police officers discharge a weapon, a quarter of the time they are taking aim at animals, mainly dogs.

In 2008, NYPD shot 30 dogs and have shot 15 this year. While officers only hit people 23% of the time, they hit dogs 55% of the time.

This is all public information, generally. But the NY Times article is in response to a recent shooting of a dog. Police were responding to a noise disturbance (really, a "men fighting in the hallway" disturbance). Eight officers arrived. When they knocked on the door of the man in question, the guy let the dog out.

Now, this is what I find interesting - the dog ran past five officers. Here we are, in a narrow hallway, with eight officers and the dog runs past five of them? A really aggro dog isn't going to be all "Oh hey, these five humans right here in front of me aren't worth my attention, but those three in the back? The ones near the exit? They must be eaten!" Wrong. I don't know if the first five officers were all "hey, a dog" as he zoomed by and the three were all "zomg! a dog!" and decided to shoot the dog seven times or what.

The ricocheting bullets injured three officers and the dog's owner and obviously the dog got killed. Discharging three weapons in a narrow hallway over a dog who just patently ignored five different humans is really dangerous.

The dog was purported to be friendly, though his owner has a litany of complaints. Even friendly dogs could react poorly to a hallway full of testosterone-laden, stressed out dudes/dudettes w/ weapons. Shame on the owner for letting the dog out in the first place, clearly not a real class act.

SWAT shoots chained dog, hits bystander w/ bullet

A man has been wounded and a chained dog is now dead after Palm Beach SWAT (paramilitary) "served" a search warrant in an "ongoing investigation" by opening fire on a dog.

The dog was chained.

This story is missing an appallingly large amount of information. What was the search warrant for? Did police enter the property or remain on the porch? If the dog did attack, why is there no mention of injuries? What are these "non-lethal" methods SWAT speaks of?

The wounded man was hit by a ricochet and was not part of the investigation. He's very lucky. This is, of course, a problem with discharging weapons in a residential area. Over a chained animal, no less.

And even though four officers took out a chained dog, injuring a bystander, none of the officers have been put on paid administrative leave.

Oh and news agencies have different takes on this story:
West Palm Beach man recovering....
vs.
Police kill pit bull during search warrant

Kansas City police shoot dog four times

There is a lot of information missing from this story, so I'll just share the bare bones:

Police shot a small dog four times in his own backyard, killing the dog.

I don't know why police were there or why they felt the need to shoot a 15-lb dog.

Kingsport officer shoots and kills one dog, conflicting reports

The "for sure" part is that officers were chasing suspects on foot. One officer ended up at the fence line of a property.

Here's where accounts differ:

Owner of the dog claims there was one dog, his. He claims that his dog was not acting aggressively and was approaching the officer in a curious, but non threatening manner. He says that the officer stepped back over the fence, drew his weapon and shot the dog dead.

The police officer claims there were three dogs and the "fence" was very low. The dogs charged aggressively, the officer drew his weapon and shot one of the dogs, killing him.

Anderson officer kills dog

A chained dog was shot and killed by an Anderson police officer. The dog had just been involved in an attack on a 6-yr-old child. The owner of the dog was drunk while walking the dog when he broke free from his leash and attacked the child. After another person beat the dog off, the woman was able to drag her dog to the backyard and chained him.

When officers were attempting to transfer the dog to animal control, the dog charged. The dog was chained. The dog was shot once in the head and killed.

Dog shot during arrest

A dog was shot and injured when he and a companion dog jumped out of the vehicle they were in and charged at an officer during an arrest. The dog was not killed nor did the dog bite the officer

Prince George County officers cleared in death of dogs

Officers who shot two dogs to death during a botched no-knock raid have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Neither dog had been aggressive toward the officers - one dog was shot as he ran away in fear.

You can read more about the raid here. The victims, the mayor of Berwyn Heights (and his wife and mother in law), were cleared of any wrongdoing due to the fact that they hadn't done anything wrong. As part of a drug trafficking scheme, a package of drugs (that SWAT knew about) was left on the stoop of the mayor's home and, when she went to pick it up, moments later her home was raided and life changed.

I don't want to go over more details, except to make a comment on what Sheriff Jackson has to say:

"I'm sorry for the loss of their family pets," Jackson said. "But this is the unfortunate result of the scourge of drugs in our community. Lost in this whole incident was the criminal element. . . . In the sense that we kept these drugs from reaching our streets, this operation was a success."

Sheriff Jackson seems to be forgetting that the package containing drugs had already been intercepted by authorities. That is, police already knew about the package and what it contained. Already, the drugs were safe from public dispersal. The entire raid could have been prevented by confiscating the package and, I don't know, doing a bit of legwork in investigating the mayor...which would have shown he wasn't a drug trafficker.

Instead, police intercepted the package, allowed it to be put on the doorstep of this house, then allowed SWAT (a paramilitary group, people) to raid the home w/ a no-knock warrant. I mean, it's absolutely disingenuous to argue this case is a shining example of preventing the "criminal element" from distributing drugs. It's a shining example of what is wrong with the "drug war" and a disturbing story of how our rights to due process and privacy can so easily be trampled upon.

Atlanta city refuses to pay vet bills of shot dog

In October, while pursuing a suspect an officer entered the backyard of a homeowner without permission. In the backyard was a dog. The dog reacted in an appropriately dog-like manner by barking at the officer. The officer then shot the dog four times.

She survived and her owner has $5,000 in vet bills she would like the city of Atlanta to pay.

Through the mayor's office, the law department issued a statement saying that after reviewing the facts and the law, the officer did nothing wrong, so the city is not responsible for compensating Dummett for the vet bills.

Santa Rosa police kill dog with history of aggression

A dog that has a history of biting people and attacking animals was shot to death during a burglary investigation.

Hinds Community College guard kills dog

A student at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi permitted his dog off leash. The dog ran up to a golf cart being driven by an armed guard. The dog bit at the tires of the cart. The armed guard shot and killed the dog

Baltimore police kill dog during warrant, find nothing

Baltimore police were issued a warrant to search a house. In lieu of knocking, they kicked in the door and started shooting at a large dog in the house. The dog actually ran upstairs to avoid police where she was followed and shot several more times. The dog died. She was shot in front of screaming children and the homeowners.

The warrant was issued to try and find marijuana. Yes, pot. Maybe weapons.

Police completely trashed the house for nothing. No drugs. No weapons. Zero indication that these people were violating any laws.

Beside killing their pet, police left the police in shambles. It is unlikely the police department or city will reimburse this family for the damage - they *might* reimburse them for the destroyed door. It's doubtful that an apology will be issued....that might imply, you know, that police did something wrong (like breaking into a home w/o any drugs or weapons).

I mean, just imagine it -you're sitting at home with your kids, your dog by your feet. All of a sudden, armed invaders kick in your door. You pause, frightened and confused. Your dog jumps up, maybe barks in alarm. Your kids start crying. Then, before you can even ask a question, these armed intruders aim their weapons at your barking dog and shoot. More than that, they follow the frightened animal where she has tried to escape to nurse her bullet wounds and they continue to shoot her until dead. And they're the police, the ones who are supposed to be protecting you from bullet wounds and vandalism. Scary stuff.

Now, maybe I'm missing something here and these people are really crappy folks. I'd be surprised to find that out, though. I'd be especially surprised to learn that shooting a dog while she ran away is okay.

Phoenix police shoot and kill dog

Two dogs living in a former meth house and severely neglected got out of their house. Officers arrived at the house and one of the dogs charged. An officer discharged his weapon and killed the dog, the other dog ran into the home.

That is when officers found the house smelling of ammonia, floors covered in feces. HAZMAT was called in and it was discovered the house used to be a meth house.

The living dog was confiscated by animal control.

Sad ending for a dog who probably never got a chance for a normal, positive relationship with people.

St. Charles Parish officer shoots loose, aggressive dog

Here's a classic case of someone who should either not own a dog or who should really shape up and properly confine their dog. The dog is a 35-lb mixed breed who has gotten loose several times in the past few months. The dog has chased other dogs but not acted aggressively towards people. Neighbors say the dog is friendly, except one neighbor who called police (and has called police on several other dog owners).

Police arrived and approached the dog who did attack the pant leg of the dog. The officer attempted to get his taser out but couldn't, so he drew his gun and shot the dog in the face. The dog survived.