# Law enforcement shooting pets



## Friday1 (Jan 25, 2013)

Recently there are reports of law enforcement coming to a pet owner's home and shooting their pets after the door is opened. If someone comes to my door it is natural for my GSD's to bark and be in a protective mode. They don't know who is on the other side of the door or what their intentions are. I would never understand if my dogs got shot for barking. In these times home invasions are more common than say ten years ago. The home behind ours had a home invasion three years ago.
I am thinking of posting a sign on my door that there are protective dogs inside but I will control them. We would never understand if our dogs were harmed by law enforcement without first given the chance to control them. 

Rick in Ohio


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## ddrGSD88 (Sep 12, 2013)

All I know is that if sombody had the intention of harming my dogs, they would have to go thru me first!


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## Friday1 (Jan 25, 2013)

I feel the same. That's why even if they say they are law enforcement I don't plan to open the door until I see a badge or call 911 to find out why they are there in the first place. You never know what someone else's level of dog knowledge is or if they are scared by a barking dog.

Rick in Ohio


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Is there proof of these allegations? It would be nice to see evidence please


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Where in Ohio, are cops killing pet dogs inside their owner's homes?


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## Friday1 (Jan 25, 2013)

I found this in a search: Is a Pet Dog Really Killed by a Police Officer Every 98 Minutes? - Mike Riggs - The Atlantic Cities
I was not referring to Ohio incidents in the original post.
I'm not saying all law enforcement officers are shooting pets. 

Rick in Ohio


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Friday1 said:


> I found this in a search: Is a Pet Dog Really Killed by a Police Officer Every 98 Minutes? - Mike Riggs - The Atlantic Cities
> I was not referring to Ohio incidents in the original post.
> I'm not saying all law enforcement officers are shooting pets.
> 
> Rick in Ohio


Being in Ohio, I was a little worried. 

I did not read your link yet, but I would not be surprised if it is a bit of sensationalism. Most cops like dogs, have worked either with dog, or with people who work with dogs, have seen dogs work. Some may have seen the use that drug dealers will put dogs to, and may have less tolerance for dogs in some situations. But for the most part, I really do not believe they wake up in the morning thinking about killing them someone's pet dog today.

So far, I do not know anyone personally, or have I read any post where anyone has said, the cops killed MY dog. I have read of one incident in this county in the past 30 years, and the cop was dismissed. I have read a dozen or two stories on the internet, but for the whole country, I think it is not the terrible problem that you would think by the uproar when it happens.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

It's funny, they showed about a dozen dogs in their little clip on the bottom, at least three, maybe four of them I have read about when they happened. This says to me that they are taking these well-known cases, and blowing it up as an epidemic. They have no idea how many pet dogs have been killed by cops. 

And just because dogs haven't killed cops, doesn't mean that dogs have not seriously injured cops, and have killed people that haven't had guns. Dogs are capable of killing people, and have. A dog is not like a human criminal who will make a choice if a gun is waved at them. The dog does not have the same brain power to know that they should back down because a cop has a gun out. If cops are killing a lot of dogs, we need to know more than just the number, we need to know if the dog was contained on the property of their owner, if they were actively engaged in injuring someone, etc.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

Unfortunately, all the dogs that aren't shot don't get on the news. Look at it at this perspective:
You are walking your dog and all of a sudden a stray/loose dog comes up on you. You have zero time to gauge whether or not it's aggressive. Your first reaction will be to defend yourself and your dog. Then you assess the situation.

Now let's put into perspective of an LEO: You get a call to a house, it's an unknown, multiple 911 hangups. You have no idea what to expect. You respond, approach the front door, and out from the side of the house a dog is coming at you full force. You have VERY little time to assess. You shoot the dog out of self defense for yourself and your partner. 
There have been MANY times officers have responded and have dogs released on them. I've had it happen once. The dog was kicked and it ran off. Could I have shot it? Yes and it would've been justified. Believe it or not folks, dogs bite and can do some serious damage. Family pet or not.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I think in most cases of "police shoots pet" its unfortunate, but necessary, however there have been enough stories posted here to make think it happens more than it should. Here's one of them.http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...s-gsd-when-serving-warrant-wrong-address.html


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

From what I've seen the tazers don't seen to be very effective on dogs either so it wouldn't be a good go to option either. I suppose pepper spray would work but I'm not sure if you could get to that as fast.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

Baillif said:


> From what I've seen the tazers don't seen to be very effective on dogs either so it wouldn't be a good go to option either. I suppose pepper spray would work but I'm not sure if you could get to that as fast.


OC works on a charging dog like it works on a charging crackhead. It doesn't. If I have legitimate fear for my life, OC isn't my go to.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Well there ya go. The gun is kinda the go to option then. Sucks but a guys gotta do what it takes to make it home without holes in them sometimes.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

If someone shot my dog in my house id be running for my own gun, cops or not.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

I would imagine if they already had theirs out they'd have you in a rather disadvantageous position.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

volcano said:


> If someone shot my dog in my house id be running for my own gun, cops or not.


Go ahead. Keep in mind, there is a repercussion for said action. Don't be stupid.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Its unfortunate, but I suppose sometimes its necessary. There have been enough threads in the past where the shooting was not justified and just plain dumb. http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...s-gsd-when-serving-warrant-wrong-address.html


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

I don't know about anyone else, but when someone knocks on MY door, the dogs run up to it and Eko starts barking, I get both of my dogs under control before I even open the door, and I tell whoever is on the other side "just a minute, let me get the dogs". I have had to do this when cops came to ask me questions about my neighbors or something, I live in a bad area so unfortunately it's not THAT uncommon for the police to come knocking. I hold on to Eko and keep Xena back with my feet and keep the screen door closed until I know who it is just in case it's one of my sketchy neighbors and so far the cops have had no problems with me or me doing that.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

This is good to know.

I've wished more than once recently that I had my dog already and she was grown; police have been at my house looking for tenants who rented from a couple of owners ago, and they were much more intimidating than friendly.

I am no longer sure I feel that way because I was very nervous and would have answered the door with a hand on the dog's collar - but I'd rather be scared than have harm come to my dog.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Christmas Day, at Grandma's house, my brother's step-daughters' kids tripped the shop's burglar alarm. Cops came. Cujo, an 86 pound, untrained 30+ inch GSD met them at the door. There were about 28 people from babies on up. And Cujo followed the cop, all through the house to the burglar alarm, and then all the way back through the house to the front door. 

No guns were drawn, no dogs were shot, no cops were bitten, no children were crying, and I expect that most of the time, that is what happens. Only, that will not show up on the six oclock news or go viral on the internet: Cop goes to house on Christmas Day and doesn't shoot huge GSD that followed him through the house on an alarm drop.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

A good deal of cops are dog lovers. I've been stopped at least 3 times walking mine by police officers wondering where I got him. They generally aren't going to shoot your dog unless they have to. Train your dog so they don't have to. Training is an investment in the life of the dog.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

One day out in my neck of the woods, where we see a sherriff deputy car about once a year, a State Boy (not a State Route, just a rural road), comes to my door.

My dogs are yammering:

Hey!
Hey!
Someone's Here!
Who!
A Man! 
A MAN!?!
Yeah, A guy with funny clothes!
Who??
A Stranger!
A strange man?!?
Hey!
Hey You!!!

The guy came to ask about the car in my neighbor's ditch, and after I told him I didn't know anything about it, and nobody had been through my yard, and he told me that he went all around the neighbor's houses, and he was standing there looking into mine, while the dogs were still discussing him. 

I told him that no one has been in my house nor through my yard, I would have heard the dogs. 

By then, I thought the dog's chorus was getting a bit tedius, and I said, 

"ENOUGH!"

I was never, ever so proud of my lot. You could hear a pin drop in there. LOL! It is not like I trained them to do that. The State Boy looked at me, obviously impressed, and I tried to pull it off. But I was really shocked that the monsters stayed quiet until he walked off. 

No one got shot, yet again. 

I know, it can happen. In fact, if I was in serious trouble, heart attack, stroke, diabetic coma or something, and the EMTs had to come, they might have to hurt My girl or even kill her to get to me. I hope not. It would be sad as ****. But if I was not conscious, I couldn't contain her. If I was concious, I could call dad and have him come over, and I could tell the dog to go to my bed, and I think she would listen. 

If someone has to kill my dog to get help to me or anyone else, than I will feel real bad for my dog, but I will not be angry with the deputy or whoever it was.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Right before I moved I had a what I will call an unsettling encounter with a police officer. I used to live on a ground level but not facing the front walk but a shared driveway. Not to much foot traffic except the people that lived in my building and the one across the way. People did cut across and the dogs would bark in an alerting kind if way, they were quiet as soon as I said so. It was also very dark, no light. Well one night the dogs were barking and it was more persistent then usual. I got up and a police officer was standing in front of my door shining his flashlight in their eyes. There was quite a glare and I couldn't see him at first. He did have his hand on his gun, but I dismissed it because I was now at the door standing in front of the dogs. He then asked if they always bark like that, I said only someone is waving a flashlight in the window at them. He then asked how many dogs I had and insisted that I wasn't allowed that many. I insisted I was allowed. I checked the Internet and he must of asked a supervised. He then threatened to write me a ticket because my car was parked in the driveway which was legal anyway. There was no reason for him to be by my door and certainly no reason to shine that light of have his hand on his gun. Besides that incident I do know of a couple dogs that were shot by police and I know the officers that did the shooting, I have nothing nice to say about the officers so I won't say anything at all .


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

llombardo said:


> Right before I moved I had a what I will call an unsettling encounter with a police officer. I used to live on a ground level but not facing the front walk but a shared driveway. Not to much foot traffic except the people that lived in my building and the one across the way. People did cut across and the dogs would bark in an alerting kind if way, they were quiet as soon as I said so. It was also very dark, no light. Well one night the dogs were barking and it was more persistent then usual. I got up and a police officer was standing in front of my door shining his flashlight in their eyes. There was quite a glare and I couldn't see him at first. He did have his hand on his gun, but I dismissed it because I was now at the door standing in front of the dogs. He then asked if they always bark like that, I said only someone is waving a flashlight in the window at them. He then asked how many dogs I had and insisted that I wasn't allowed that many. I insisted I was allowed. I checked the Internet and he must of asked a supervised. He then threatened to write me a ticket because my car was parked in the driveway which was legal anyway. There was no reason for him to be by my door and certainly no reason to shine that light of have his hand on his gun. Besides that incident I do know of a couple dogs that were shot by police and I know the officers that did the shooting, I have nothing nice to say about the officers so I won't say anything at all .


Of course I am basing everything on one big rural county in NE Ohio, where I have lived since I was 10 years old, so several decades. We ******** up here like dogs, I guess. 

Another time it was after midnight and I was walking Babs up town off-lead, and I heard feet running toward us from behind, I put my hand down to Babs' collar and held on to it, and a Village cop, came running up alongside her and then past us. 

I found a bench in the area and hung around. The cop came back a while later and apologized for scaring my dog, which he did not. And he told me what he was after. But I never worried that he might shoot her. She was under control. And there was no question of any wrong doing on anyone's part. Might she have gone after him, if my hand did not go onto her collar? I don't think so. But she is a dog, and the safe thing to do was to take hold.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

Baillif said:


> They generally aren't going to shoot your dog unless they have to. Train your dog so they don't have to. Training is an investment in the life of the dog.


This. We don't arrive on shift thinking, "how many dogs can I shoot today?" Or "how many blacks and Latinos can we arrest today?" No. Those things never enter our minds. OK...maybe SOME. But there are far more responsible, professional, and trustworthy officers than there are the bad apples. 
If there are officers that you come across that are less than pleasant dealing with always hold them accountable. File a complaint. Seriously. If noone holds us accountable for our actions, who will?


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## Darkthunderplotts (Oct 28, 2013)

Mr. D said:


> This. We don't arrive on shift thinking, "how many dogs can I shoot today?" Or "how many blacks and Latinos can we arrest today?" No. Those things never enter our minds. OK...maybe SOME. But there are far more responsible, professional, and trustworthy officers than there are the bad apples.
> If there are officers that you come across that are less than pleasant dealing with always hold them accountable. File a complaint. Seriously. If noone holds us accountable for our actions, who will?


Exactly call and report bad behavior so it can be put on their eval


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## PhoenixGuardian (Jul 10, 2013)

I was sleeping in late (It was a Saturday) But was woken up by Phoenix barking. There was a cop at our door, telling me that our horses were out of the pasture. I got Phoenix under control, and opened the door, and the officer just looked at him, smiled and told me my horses were loose. No shots fired, and Phoenix was NOT impressed by this oddly dressed guy who had the nerve to knock on his door at this hour in the morning!
Nearly everyone I know up here owns dogs, and many own big impressive dogs (Bernese Mtn. dogs, GSD's, mastiffs, you get the idea) so I think our cops are used to seeing them and don't mind. It also helps that I live in a rural town no one has ever heard of, which suites me just fine!
I would be inclined to think that this happens in the city more? On account of drug dealers buying "Guard dogs" and training them to be fearful of people.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mr. D said:


> This. We don't arrive on shift thinking, "how many dogs can I shoot today?" Or "how many blacks and Latinos can we arrest today?" No. Those things never enter our minds. OK...maybe SOME. But there are far more responsible, professional, and trustworthy officers than there are the bad apples.
> If there are officers that you come across that are less than pleasant dealing with always hold them accountable. File a complaint. Seriously. If noone holds us accountable for our actions, who will?


If this wasn't an ongoing problem then states wouldn't be passing laws to get more training for officers in these situations.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

llombardo said:


> If this wasn't an ongoing problem then states wouldn't be passing laws to get more training for officers in these situations.


I don't know of any laws requiring MORE training. There is a state standard and then a department has their own policies on how much extra is required. 
Source?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

There are some laws on the books, or trying to be passed that would require police officers to get training in how to deal with scenarios that involve dogs in some states. We have discussed them on here. But I don't have a source. 

I would have to see more concrete data on the number of dogs killed by police and how many of those involved dogs running loose, or dogs attacking. I think this article has very little evidence of any type in it. It lists a handful of dogs and says, every 98 minutes cops are shooting pets. 

I am really no fan of cops for my own reasons, and don't give them a free pass. I don't believe we should wait for all the evidence to be tried in a court case before rendering an opinion on a cop-kills-dog case. I figure we treat them like anyone else, and if there is a video, u-tube, enough of a description to say it's henous, than we can harbor the opinion until something changes it.

But, I believe that for the most part, cops aren't out there slaughtering innocent people's pets, in their homes left and right. There are some bad apples, and I am sure that departments want to get rid of those because probably the majority of cops, like the majority of people actually like dogs. Furthermore, if you have a serial-dog-killing cop on the payroll, eventually the city will be sued.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

selzer said:


> .
> 
> I am really no fan of cops for my own reasons, and don't give them a free pass. I don't believe we should wait for all the evidence to be tried in a court case before rendering an opinion on a cop-kills-dog case. I figure we treat them like anyone else, and if there is a video, u-tube, enough of a description to say it's henous, than we can harbor the opinion until something changes it.
> .


It seems it's a state by state issue. One law in one state is not necessarily the same law in another.

I was an officer and don't like officers.  We shouldn't be given a free pass for anything.

Did you mean we should wait for evidence for an opinion? Or that we shouldn't? I suspect typo. But I could be wrong. But if that's how you intended your statement, I'm glad that's not how our court system works. The point of a trial is to hear the evidence and convict based on evidence. Regardless if it's an officer or not. 

I think I may be confused by your statement. You want court of opinion rather than court of evidence?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Mr. D said:


> It seems it's a state by state issue. One law in one state is not necessarily the same law in another.
> 
> I was an officer and don't like officers.  We shouldn't be given a free pass for anything.
> 
> ...


No. I am not talking about a court of law. I am talking about reading a report, or watching a u-tube and seeing someone doing something with respect to dogs. 

On this site, if someone is an ordinary Joe or Jane, a u-tube or a news story is enough to convict them and threads here condemning these people will go on and on, and that is perfectly fine. But when the report is about a police officer, or a u-tube of a police officer, it seems like suddenly everyone should not even give an opinion until the case has been tried in a court of law, because suddenly we don't have enough information. 

For example, the director of a humane society's elderly dog died in her hot car. People were ready to lynch her. The maids were coming and her husband put the dog in the car in the garage, she left for work and never realised the dog was in there. My dogs are often dead quiet in the car. The only good thing is that I have no husband to go and put them in the car without bothering to tell me. But we on here did not need the rest of the story, we did not need to see if she was charged or if she went to court over it. 

On the flip side, the cop that shot Bear Bear at the dog park. He goes into an off-lead dog park with his shepherd on lead, and the Husky dog that is a regular at this park came toward them, and he pulled out his revolver and shot the dog, and the dog bled out, killed the dog. We needed more and more and more and more information on that one for months. 

Others that show u-tubes of the cops, doesn't matter, we don't have the whole story. 

Maybe there is an inordinate amount of people who are more favorable toward law enforcement because we are drawn to a breed that, I admit, I first was impressed because of the dog's training in law enforcement. Who knows. 

I think we can render opinions on a forum based to the information we have. And if we feel information is incomplete, we can say that too. But cops are human beings like everyone else, they put their pants on in the morning just like the rest of us. And if we can read newstories about everyone else, and discuss it, then we shouldn't do anything different if one of the parties is police officer. 

I may think cops may be guilty of a lot of things. But, in general, being out for pet canine blood just isn't one of them.


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

I see. You were talking about opinions for here. I don't know that the consensus would be wait if it were an officer. Some people are the type to jump to opinions, cling to them even if the evidence suggests the opposite of what they think. I and most people I associate with are the types to get all the facts of a story before an opinion is formulated. 

In general, I think this cop vs. dog thing is a bit sensationalist news. I certainly don't hear of it happening often.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

They recently passed a law in Illinois to have officers get training on how to handle dogs without shooting:
When officers shoot dogs - Chicago Tribune

So apparently it's enough of a problem for them to do that. I've heard there were laws in the works, being lobbied for or enacted in other places.

I know of multiple recent cases including one where the owner was a member of a dog forum I visit. If you do a quick google search you will find many cases including multiple situations where cops went to or raided the wrong house.
Police shoot therapy dog as they raid wrong address looking for man with expired vehicle registration | Police State USA


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