Dogster for the Love of Dog Blog » police dog shooting

Two Escaped Dogs Shot By Police

Horst Hoefinger — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:29:34 +0000

In Wyandanch, N.Y. two dogs escaped their yard and were shot and killed by the police.

The two Staffordshire bull terriers had gotten loose before but with a very different outcome. On the other occasions they returned, this time they did not.

The owner, Keith Outlaw, realizes he is responsible for the dogs getting out, but according to him both were very friendly and had never harmed anyone. The police say they were driving through the neighborhood when they saw the dogs chasing a group of children, all got away and were unharmed. The dogs were eventually cornered into a fenced yard.

Newsday.com has the details on what happened next.

They closed the gate, trapping the dogs inside, and called animal control officers. But as they waited for animal control, the homeowner – an elderly deaf man – stepped out of his house.

“The officers were yelling at him to go back in the house, but he couldn’t hear them because he was deaf,” the representative said.

When the dogs charged at the man, the representative said, the officers shot and killed both dogs.

Outlaw was out searching for his dogs when he heard shots. He followed the sound of gunshots and found the police at a house on 19th Street. Upon approaching the police he learned that his dogs had just been shot and killed.

Outlaw is devastated over the loss of Onyx, who was three-years-old, and Dutchess who was only a year and a half. He said the dogs had never been in a fight and he’s just grateful that he has their nine puppies, who are thankfully just old enough to be weaned.

This is a very sad story, which could have been avoided. I can’t judge Outlaw because we’ve lived with our own Hairy Houdini for many years now, he is an escape artist extraordinaire. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who can say their dog never got loose.

As for the police, what they saw and what was happening may have been two different things. Were the dogs “charging” or just running up to play? Did they have to shoot to kill? Again, I can’t judge the police because I wasn’t there. I just hope the dogs weren’t shot because the police classified them as pit bulls and therefore assumed they were vicious.

The bottom line, we’ll never know.

*Photo courtesy Newsday.com

Police Dog Recovering After Shootout

Horst Hoefinger — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:30:27 +0000

The police department in Zanesville, Ohio continue to get donations pouring in for the care of their police dog Bosco who was shot and left paralyzed. On August 23rd Bosco and his partner Officer Mike Schiele were attempting to serve two warrants on Dominick Conley, in the process both were shot and wounded.

Schiele is now recovering at home but Bosco who took two shots, one to the neck the other in the chest, is at the Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital in Columbus. Bosco is fighting to regain the use of his legs, he’s making daily strides. He just started standing on his front legs for a bit and is working on trying to stand on his back legs.

Here’s a report on his recovery from Channel 10.

If you can’t see the video click here.

Here are more details from the Zanesville Times Reporter.

While Bosco continues to fight through the damage caused by the bullets still lodged in him, his medical bills continue to climb.

Chief Eric Lambes said the first week of care will probably cost $6,000 to $10,000 and Bosco is expected to remain at the hospital for several weeks.

Since the K-9 unit is funded completely by public donations, Lambes and his assistant, Linda Highfield, have been overwhelmed by the response they have gotten.

Highfield has received hundreds of cards and letters daily, most with checks for Bosco’s care.

The company, MedFlight of Ohio, who got Bosco to the hospital the night he was shot has forgiven 90 percent of the bill, which otherwise could have been over $12,000. What a wonderful thing to do, kudos to MedFlight for their generosity.

On September 17th the police department and the FOP Zane Lodge 5 will be holding a fundraising dinner. It will take place at the North Terrace Church of Christ, from 4 to 8 p.m., the price of admission is a donation.

* Pic of Bosco courtesy Zanesville Times Recorder

Dog Shot By Police

Horst Hoefinger — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:12:11 +0000

A Dogster member passed this on to me and when I took a look I was shocked to see it happened right near where I live.

A police officer shot and killed a dog who bit him while walking unleashed with her owner.

The owner of a dog shot and killed by an Acworth police officer says his four-legged best friend, Tomato, wasn’t vicious.

“She just showed up one Christmas Eve – a cold little puppy – and never left my side from then on,” Bower Taylor said Wednesday.

Tomato, a 39-pound Rottweiler-shepherd mix, was shot to death after she bit an officer on the knee more than a week ago.

Acworth police have said the officer was justified in shooting the unrestrained dog.

“He did what he had to do,” Officer Wayne Dennard said.

Taylor, a teacher, even took his pet to his school as part of a “how-to” writing lesson called “How to Train Your Dog.”

“She could be unleashed and hang out with 140 groping, jumpy 13-year-olds, no problem,” Taylor said.

The officer was on foot on Academy Street, near Acworth Beach, when he was bitten by Tomato.

Cobb County has a leash law, Taylor was issued a citation by animal control. He now owes $500 in fines. The officer bitten is fine, Tomato is still dead.

I realize how important leash laws are, they are there for a reason. Exactly to prevent what happened from happening. What if Tomato went after a child, who knows what injury the child would have sustained.

However, it says the dog bit the officer and was shot. I have to wonder if he was bit and Tomato let go and was shot or if she was attacking the officer. Yes, there is a difference to me. If she bit him and let go why couldn’t mace have been used? Was it necessary to kill the dog? If the dog was in full out attack mode that is totally different.

The bottom line is the dog paid for the mistake of the owner. I just wish I didn’t have a question hanging over me when it comes to the justification of the action taken by the officer.

Did the punishment fit the crime?

Dog Shooting Spurs Lawsuit

Horst Hoefinger — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:48:57 +0000

When I first noticed this story I thought it was about the story posted yesterday, the pit bull shooting in Ohio. However, it turns out it was about a shooting of an 11-year-old German Shepard that happened on November 20th in Marion County, Indianapolis.

The police went to Brian Ohler’s mother’s house on Nov. 20th to serve an arrest warrant for him. The yard is enclosed by a chain-link fence about 3 feet tall with posted beware-of-dog signs, according to a police report.

The deputies rattled the fence and searched for a dog. When they didn’t see one, they entered the yard. They went to the front door and then to the garage on the south side of the yard, near Deoge’s dog house.

The police report said Deoge charged the deputies as they were leaving the yard, and one extended his left arm to keep the dog away. Deoge bit Deputy Roger Neitzel’s left hand, puncturing his heavy suede work glove. Deoge continued to charge before the deputies fired nine times and hit him with about five shots, Tingle said.

The dog’s family is bringing suit against the Sheriff’s Department, who allows officers to decide on a case by case basis how to handle potentially threatening dogs, in hopes that a department wide protocol will be developed.

The family wants the protocol put into place so the department would have specific rules as to when it’s acceptable to use deadly force, versus other forms of non-deadly protection.

This scenario is playing out across the country, it is not an isolated incident. Law enforcement departments need to train their officers so they are properly prepared for these types of situations. “These cops are going into situations not knowing if their lives are put in danger by a dog,” deputy manager of animal cruelty issues for the HSUS Dale Bartlett said. “That’s the crux of the problem.”

Better police policy needs to be adopted nationwide, local advocacy groups such as Move to ACT are helping bring national attention to this issue.

* The picture above is courtesy Danese Kenon/The Star