Cops Shooting Dogs: Do the Facts Justify the Action?
This post is an updated version from an original blog entry on this site
Cases where police officers feel “forced” to shoot a dog are scattered across the United States. Within the last year, there have been a number of instances in the state of California where a police officer shot and killed or severely injured dogs while in the course of an investigation or in response to a call. The recent killing of a small sized puppy in Cleburne Texas has raised a wave of outrage from the public.
In recent investigations concerning officer involved shootings, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests that over 50% of involve the shooting or killing of animals. The figure is shocking.
What is most disturbing is that virtually no police departments or sheriff’s departments in the country have any training whatsoever for their officers in handling dog encounters. That means that over half the time an officer pulls their trigger, it’s to shoot or kill an animal (something their target practice does not prepare them for).
Dog killings by officers are growing rapidly. Here are just a few of the more controversial ones.