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.