Do you agree with this Police shooting of the Dog?

[Intercooler]

   It's a chance any of us take walking up to an unknown property. That's the Dog's home! We can't just shoot them because they come out the door. No way to confirm if it had a bad intent in mind. Hopefully they will update on the settlement and/or charges filed in the case.

[4949shooter]

I don't like the fact that the dog was shot either.

I am not speaking legal here, just as a responsible dog owner. If Fido stays in the house, Fido lives to bite another day.

[spaniel]

I'm a runner.  It's funny how every dog owner is 100% confident their dog won't bite...in several cases, even after they've watched it take a chunk out of someone.

If the dog had been controlled, this never would have happened.  Should the officer have really been required to allow a chunk to be taken out of him before reacting???

A year ago, I was out on a run where I had been countless times.  I see a dog I'd never seen before, some kind of pit or pit mix.  Two guys in the yard working on a truck.  The dog charges, and given my experience all the bad signs.  Head low, ears back.  The owners follow, but the dog is on me and in the road.  I make myself big, yell, do all the stuff that stops 99% of dogs.  This one is different.  It fakes left, then right, then launches itself straight for my throat.  Somehow, by total reflex, I snap my right hand up and catch its collar.  I had a big bruise on my chin, it came that close to my throat.  I took it by the collar, got the left hand on its back leg, and pile-drove it into the far side ditch hard enough to stun it until the owners got there.

Had I had a gun and shot the dog, would I be criticized here for not being more tolerant?  I'll tell you, the owner was more shook up than I, but I haven't been back by there simply because I would not go unarmed and if that dog charged me again I would shoot it the minute it hit the public road.

This was totally the fault of the owner.  If anyone came up to the front door and rang the bell, and was charged by the dog like that, they would be within their rights to defend themselves.  Control your dang animals.

[Wolfie]

We practiced this on our job and it worked.

You knock, ID yourself and hold the door and not let it open if there is a animal that is going to attack. I say animal as I have had a peacock and ostrich come at me.

No one wants a pet shot for the most part.

[sqlbullet]

We aren't talking about a dog in a park or public place.  He was in his own front yard.

If my dog can't run free in my front yard without fear of a stranger, unannounced coming onto my property and shooting my dog, then I don't know why we are debating about gun rights.  Cause we have no meaningful rights left. 

For all we know the yard was fenced and the dog was used to running out the door to do his business.

Your running down the street and the dog runs up to you, sure, defend yourself.

[4949shooter]

We aren't talking about a dog in a park or public place.  He was in his own front yard.

If my dog can't run free in my front yard without fear of a stranger, unannounced coming onto my property and shooting my dog, then I don't know why we are debating about gun rights.  Cause we have no meaningful rights left. 

For all we know the yard was fenced and the dog was used to running out the door to do his business.

Your running down the street and the dog runs up to you, sure, defend yourself.

So...if I am on a call at a residence (true story) for a domestic dispute between two dykes, and I am attacked by their dog, I shouldn't be able to defend myself?

What happened was, the dog (a black lab) bit me and ran. When it came back I started to draw my weapon and the bull dyke got in between me and the dog, thus saving it's life.

I had a right to be on the property (doing my job), and I have a right to defend myself from pets or any animals which intend to do me harm. The owners in the video in question failed to control their dog. Period.

What if this had been a girl scout coming to the door to sell cookies? Or trick or treaters? We can't allow our dogs (mine included) to go around attacking anyone that walks on the property.

[sqlbullet]

You and I must see very different things in this video.

I had a dog growing up in rural Indiana.  Half blue heeler, half dalmation.  He would bare his teeth and wag his tail if he was happy to see you, a trait he partially learned from his human pack.  And he would run up to anyone that came to our door, wagging his tail and grinning.

That is what I see here.  Taken together with the homeowners statement that the dog was just excited, but not attacking,  I think this officer was over the line.

Yes, if you have a dog that will bite anyone that comes onto the property, then you need to act to reduce that threat or expect pay a good bit of legal and hospital bills and bury a pet.

I wasn't there.  I am just judging the video.  But in this video, together with the (possibly skewed) statement that the dog's disposition was not towards violence, I don't think the officer acted within rights he should have in a free country.

Now, if he had been responding to a domestic violence call with pets and people that were already wound up, that is a very, very different scenario.  And you presenting it here is a straw-man fallacy.  We are discussing this incident, and in point of fact, only the items of this incident visible in the video or from the news story statements.  And based on those, I don't agree with the shooting.

[4949shooter]

To be quite honest, I am not certain I agree with the shooting either. Only because as you said, we weren't there and we don't know exactly what the dog's disposition was at the time it was shot. The fact there is no audio doesn't help this.

Perhaps the dog was being friendly or inquisitive and the officer mistook the dog's intentions? Probably happens every day.

What I am saying is, if the officer had a legal right to be on the property and approach the door (like in my example), then he had the right to protect himself from a vicious animal (assuming the dog was indeed vicious), or even to protect himself from a vicious human being for that matter.

[sqlbullet]

What I am saying is, if the officer had a legal right to be on the property and approach the door (like in my example), then he had the right to protect himself from a vicious animal (assuming the dog was indeed vicious), or even to protect himself from a vicious human being for that matter.

Absolutely agree with this.

[colt1911fan]

Legally under control on a leash or on own property in a fenced in yard - seems the right of a property owner to not have his/her dog shot. If I'm out running and attacked or threatened by a dog that is not restrained, all bets are off. Officers should have the same.

Officer had a right to be on private property doing his job, ok. Any signage "beware of dog"? I wonder. If he was truly threatened and afraid of serious bodily injury or death... can't blame him for shooting.

Discretion: Only weapon of self defense was a firearm? Seems like he should have had a non lethal option, not only for the dog's sake, but the owner and any guests. Discharging your weapon toward the ground in line with the door? Not wise.

I was taught in one of my handgun / carry courses to always train in physical combat and carry a chemical spray. I generally do. Having no options between do nothing and kill can leave you very vulnerable to questions around immediate progression to deadly force. That's what we have here.

Criminally, in this case, I don't think you can do much legally. However, I would not want this guy working for me. And civilly, he may be found liable if it goes to court.

[4949shooter]

I pretty much think that if my dog runs out the door and bites the mailman, a child trick or treating, the power guy reading the meter, or whoever....I am liable.

A fenced in yard with big "Beware of Dog" signs? Yes, maybe less liable. Though that didn't seem to be the case here.

[4949shooter]

Another true story that I just remembered..

Myself and a couple of my squad mates got detailed to a call in a GP (general police) area. I don't remember the exact nature of the call, but I think it was a home invasion or something similar. The call was serious enough that it warranted one of my squad mates to break out our issued shotgun, the Benelli M1 Super 90.

Anyway, we are standing in the front yard, which looks similar in size to the yard in the video. If memory serves me correctly, we cleared the house and were standing in the front yard when the owner somehow lets three dogs loose (I don't remember where the dogs were during the clearing of the house).

Anyways, the dogs first come at me, but I am able to keep them away by shoving my PR-24 in their faces. The PR-24 is the issued hard plastic baton with the handle on it. This piece of equipment has gotten me out of quite a few jams over the years, and no doubt saved me from being bitten that night. The dogs however, went to my buddy with the shotgun next. He was bitten in the leg several times, and I think the only reason he didn't start firing his shotgun was because of the close proximity to myself, the other squad members, and the home owners.

Anyhoo, he gets medical attention and the incident is over for the time being. Years later, I find out he sued the home owners for being bitten by their dogs. I believe he got $10,000, but I don't remember for sure and he may have gotten more.

So...this kinda sorta shows that as police officers we had a right to be on the property, and the owners of the dogs had an obligation to control them.

Take it for what it's worth. That's all I got!

[Intercooler]

 All I can say is he got lucky to leave with his life. You come onto someone's property and shoot their lifelong companion and they might just snap!

[4949shooter]

All I can say is he got lucky to leave with his life. You come onto someone's property and shoot their lifelong companion and they might just snap!

You never know. Cripes I just remembered another time one of the guys got bit. We were inside the house making an arrest of the owner. The dog was in the house and didn't seem vicious or anything until we put handcuffs on the owner. The dog then went for my buddy's leg and he put two 9mm rounds through it's back from the top.

I believe at the time we were issued the old "green box" Remington 115 grain JHP.

[DizzyDean]

I feel like he reacted with his gun too quick. If I was in the situation I probably would've given the pooch a swift kick, then maybe pepper spray. If that didn't work then maybe the pistol, but that would be last resort.

I also agree with Intercooler, if someone shot my best friend in my own front yard, shits probably going to get real, very fast. (especially if the person in question was in plain clothes and hadn't introduced themself)  Also bear in mind I train my own dogs so they wouldn't be squirting out like that, so were dealing with a theoretical situation on multiple levels here...