# Cops Taser Dog for Barking



## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

http://www.woio.com/global/Story.asp?s=10794799

Zapped: Neighborhood Stunned After Cops Taser Dog

LAKEWOOD, OH (WOIO) - Neighbors are furious with local police after they used their taser gun on a dog who neighbors say wasn't being vicious.

Two women heard a dog barking Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m. and looked out their apartment window only to see a dog surrounded by several police officers.

The officers tasered the dog "like he was a grizzly bear" says witness Christina MacDonald.

MacDonald also said that "the dog was backing up defensively, as if he was saying stay away from me. He wasn't being aggressive in any way."

Pit Bulls are banned in the City of Lakewood and officers say the dog named Otis was acting vicious towards them. 

The owner of the dog, Daniel Kier, claims that Otis is "a Boxer, not a Pit Bull." The animal warden agrees with local authorities and claims the dog looks as though it has Pit Bull in its blood.

Lakewood Police issued a press release that stated the dog was aggressive towards the officers. The taser gun used on the dog had a camera recording at the time of the incident and the tape should be released to the media shortly. 

Otis remains at an animal shelter for now.


*** How sad. Anyone with half a brain can tell Otis isn't a Pit Bull. He looks like a Boxer or a Boxer/English Bulldog mix.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

That's allllll boxer but that picture is NOT the dog tazered.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: SouthernThistle*** How sad. Anyone with half a brain can tell Otis isn't a Pit Bull. He looks like a Boxer or a Boxer/English Bulldog mix.


I'm not a APBT expert, but even to my untrained eye, I'd say he doesn't look like one. Definitely has boxer....

But as Jax said...that's not the dog that got tasered. Need to see a picture of the actual dog b/f I'd make the call.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

All these stupid county and city bans on APBT just makes me furious. W-T-H?


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Jax08That's allllll boxer but that picture is NOT the dog tazered.










Where's a picture of the tasered dog then? Why do they have a picture of this dog in the video broadcast and another time on the article? 


(I don't have sound on the video while here at work, but the dog's picture was in the video)


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## Sashmom (Jun 5, 2002)

You would love our local A. C. guy// I saw him pick up a fully grown pitbull and put it in the back of the truck LOL they dont care here what kind it is. 
I was amazed! these 2 dogs had been running around that day loose for about 3 hrs. I think they just call the owners to come pick them up, you get a fine. I would have to think twice before i picked up ANY large dog but this guy is huge.
I dont understand why they tazered the poor dog. hmmm doesnt sound like he was being aggressive.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

The sad thing is the dog might be people aggressive after this incident. I would be if I just got tasered for no good reason.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: SouthernThistle
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Jax08That's allllll boxer but that picture is NOT the dog tazered.
> ...


It's picture of a neighbor's dog that, according to the neighbor and owner, looks identical to the dog that was tasered.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

They had him on a catchpole the 2nd time they taser him. WTH? They kept the taser on him until he stopped moving, and it did not seem to upset the police at all.. What I see in the dog's BL is he's not liking them following him, and is uncomfortable, but never got within biting distance, and seemed more interested in sniffing around... Not saying he wasn't a threat, but WHY do police not let ACO's handle it after they arrive? If the dog were going at him like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQNxx634_bw
I could understand it, but the dog wasn't... I really hope that officer gets some kind of punishment. THAT was excessive force... 

And he looked either like a pure large boxer or a boxer/ABD.


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## Steffanie (Oct 1, 2005)

In my opinion, I can see tasering the dog with how it was acting, but they took it way too far and _that's_ what should be publicized, not the initial tasering. Also, the dog is clearly not a pit.

The dog was barking at them and not backing off, while I really wouldn't consider the bark aggressive(more like a warning bark "back off") but someone less familiar with dogs could consider it aggressive, especially if they have in their mind a prejudice against pits and think this dog is one. I imagine that they couldn't really leave a dog that was 'aggressive' running loose, so they were staying trying to catch it and especially with the barking patience was probably running very thin. Watching the raw video, at around 1:30 it does look like the dog charges them(hard to tell with it mostly covered) and the dog is tased a few seconds after. While it didn't have to happen like that, I don't completely blame the officers up to that point and I just think they're dog-stupid.

BUT, then it crosses the line. The cop tasers the dog for several seconds until it stops moving, despite it being incapacitated before then, and then it's catchpoled. Then, while freaking out on the catch-pole(which is NORMAL, catch-poles are very scary and even friendly dogs freak out on them sometimes), the officer tases the dog again! The dog was under-control at that point and it was completely unnecessary. By then it was just cruel.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Unleashed dogs in Ohio are against the law and a public nuisance. That being said, the police in Lakewood went way overboard tasering that dog like that for that long. It will be a miracle if that dog is NOT aggressive toward anyone in a uniform after this. Everyone scratches each others backsides. I would not be surprised if this dog is euthanized just to save face. 

Sick SOBs. 

People, we have to protect our dogs. The ONLY way we can protect our dogs is if we keep them contained. What a load of idiots, and of course they all reside in NE Ohio!


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

Picture of the real Otis (how sad does he look?)










He does not, however, look "exactly like" the neighbor's dog.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

"
However, there is a vicious dog hearing for Otis at Lakewood Municipal Court at 3PM tomorrow afternoon. Pit Bulls are banned in the City of Lakewood."

IT'S NOT A PIT BULL. WTH?!?!?!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

It depends how the ordinance is worded. A lot of times pit bull ordinances are worded to include pit bull mixes and anything that looks like a pit. And if they say it looks like a pit, it IS a pit.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Am I the ONLY one who heard "here puppy, puppy, puppy" (1:17-1:19 Turn up your sound and listen close) RIGHT before the dog ran towards them and RIGHT before they started to tazer the dog????

This is sick. The dogs NOT a Pit Bull and these idiots took it WAY too far. I'm not saying tazering an aggressive dog is wrong, it's way better than shooting the dog. (Which happens way more than it should even towards dogs that are just barking) But they stuck around SO long and the dog did nothing but bark and then CALL the dog to them and THEN tazer it.

AND they tazered the dog even AFTER it was in a catch pole JUST FOR TRYING TO STAND UP!!!!!! And then after it was tazered the second time, it was DRUG ACROSS THE GROUND!

These guys should loose their jobs. Totally inappropriate way to handle this situation.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Well that sure looks like a boxer to me.










I wish I had a better picture of Sierra because he has the same shape head and face as her and she has floppy ears.


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

I don't know if it was this or another incident in which someone's dog was said to be a Pit Bull, but it was a purebred Boxer. The owner went to the Vet and had a DNA test pulled, but it was up to the City to determine whether or not they would even accept that. 

(Probably because Pit Bulls don't show up on DNA tests, who knows?)

White Boxers:

http://www.adoptaboxerrescue.com/availdogs/Avail2008/Avail0805/DobbsPA0805b.JPG

http://www.allboxerinfo.com/images/boxer_white.jpg


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## geokon_2000 (Jan 25, 2005)

Looks like a white boxer to me!


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## Keisha (Aug 1, 2008)

This is why you do not want laws like this passed. That dog is a boxer, and those cops who tasered that poor dog completely disgust me, but not as much as those who want to label this a vicious dog and have him put down. Idiots, all of them.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Oh yeah, I heard them calling the dog to them. The viscious, out of control individuals in this incident were the ones with the uniforms.


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## staxi2 (Oct 18, 2007)

Just goes to show....I saw that on the news this morning.Everywhere I take my girl,she is labeled a pit,or pit mix.She is a boxer mixed(vet said) with something.We rescued her about 3 yrs ago,and never really figured out her breed.other them boxer.
















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[img]http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr157/staxi2/pic3-3-09024.jpg


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## Judykaye (Feb 20, 2007)

There was a court hearing yesterday and Otis is temporarily at a foster home with boxer rescue. His owner is moving from Lakewood as Otis is permanently banned from the city. He will go to court today to answer to a dog at large charge.

So, bottom line is Otis is saved!! I think that his owner has to be alittle more careful with making sure that Otis doesn't get out loose alone again.

I am so thrilled that this turned out as it did...the first newscasts were pretty negative and using the term pit bull...they softened a few days later and even showed photos of the owner and Otis playing at the shelter...Judy


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

[email protected]!! Maybe the cops will learn something out of all this. I hope they have trainers, breeders, behaviorists, etc in court!!


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Wow that's ridiculous. Otis is permanently banned from the city, even after the city gave in and said it was a boxer? People's dogs get out all the time, even my dog has done it before, and that's no reason to permanently ban it from the city. I feel bad for the owner who is forced to give up his dog or move from the entire city.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Why would he want to live there after this? I would be looking for a new home too. He just has to move outside the city limits.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The scarey thing is, this guy has the resources to move, not all of us do. I would say that a healthy percent of the population are like me with an upside down mortgage, owing way more on our house than what it is worth and being able to move is simply not possible. What then? How dare they be able to ban a dog from the city that as far as I could tell did not bite anyone??? 

Glad the dog will be ok. But this is only a partial victory.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

This whole conversation only shows me there are those, that no matter what the police do, people will complain. The dog is lucky it wasn't shot.

DFrost


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

And there are those, that no matter what the police do, will be on their side.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: selzerAnd there are those, that no matter what the police do, will be on their side.


I would agree with statement. I would also say neither position shows any objectivity.

DFrost


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The dog was also lucky that it didn't get run over by car. If a motorist would have struck the dog, and then turned around and run it over two more times, would that still be ok?


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: selzerThe dog was also lucky that it didn't get run over by car. If a motorist would have struck the dog, and then turned around and run it over two more times, would that still be ok?


First off, I don't see any connection with your post and what an officer did when he felt threatened by the dog. Did the officer try to run over the dog: twice? I must have missed that in the story.

DFrost


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

He tased it and kept the taser on it, then tased it again with the catch pole on it. I do not like tasers, but if you use it once, ok, the question on the footage was did the police officer go overboard. I think he did. It is an opinion. I did not realize they are illegal. I think maybe he tased it again after they dragged it along the ground to the truck. The dog was incapacitated. 

He even called it before tasing it. No. The dog barked at him. I did not see the dog lunging at him. But tasing the dog once would have been enough. Watching the vid was pretty grusome.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

That wasn't my question. My question was, what did running over the dog with a car, twice, have to do with the conversation. I understand your opinion is; the force was excessive. I didn't offer an opinion of whether or not the force was excessive. I said, the officer could have shot the dog. He used, in his judgement, based on his training, and the primary fact --- he was there, neither of us were -- less than deadly force. 

DFrost


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

training? there is no training on how to deal with an aggressive dog. Plus, I find it hard to believe the argument that they feared the dog was aggressive when they called the dog to them so that they could taser it. In most police depts, the standard procedure is to keep an eye on the dog (esp if it is believed aggressive) and wait for animal control to show up. The dog is only to be engaged IF there is immediate danger.

my husband has worked in LE in several communities (we moved to a different state) and guess what? the procedure was the same in all of them. You don't mess with the animals, that is why there is an Animal Control Officer on call 24/7.

I asked him (and several current deputies that we know) and was told, "If he didnt feel that deadly force was needed, then he should have left the dog alone" It's like shooting someone who is breaking into your house. If you weren't scared enough to kill them, then you weren't in enough danger to claim self-defense.


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

In our area the on call Animal control officer is the Sherrif's department.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Tasering the dog or running the dog over. If the officer tasered a dog because he was worried about it biting him ok. But doing it over and over and over???

If a person ran a dog over with their car, ok, it was an accident; running it over a second or third time is THE SAME AS tasering a dog several times in my opinion, disgusting. 

I do not like being shocked. I am an electronic engineer and do not like being shocked. My dogs do not like being shocked either, they stay away from the cattle fence at all costs. Tasering that dog like he did was a SICK misuse of his power in my opinion.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

This was in my local newspaper: 
_Wednesday August 05, 2009, 9:57 PM
THREE RIVERS -- Bark at a dog and it might bite you back. 
Or get you arrested.
That's what happened to a 26-year-old man who was arrested by Three Rivers police for allegedly barking at a police dog.
The incident occurred Monday evening while a police officer was investigating a suspicious situation at an apartment complex, according to a Three Rivers Police Department press release. The officer left his canine companion, Anija, in his patrol car, police said.
The man, who was outside the building, approached the vehicle. He began "to torment the police dog by barking and shouting at the animal," causing the dog to become "excited and very aggressive," police said.
The man was arrested for harassing a police animal and was released on bond. He is facing charges of disorderly conduct.
No other details were available._
Nice to hear of another way things can go!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I wish you could get arrested for bothering ANYONE'S dog in a vehicle. 

Teasing and tormenting dogs is just stupid and cruel. No police officer is going to arrest an idiot for bothering your dog. But if it is bothering a police dog they will do something about it. Somebody please tell me how wrong I am about that.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I know that bothering a police dog is considered the same as harassing a law enforcement officer. you are interfering with the dog's ability to do it's job. after all, if teasing makes a dog aggressive or hate people, then it will be useless as a working dog and will have to be replaced.

now, depending on how the teasing is, I've had luck making complaints on people "harassing livestock" 

for the people who want to tease my dog, Ive found that a foot up their rear is a good deterrent.


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