[SAD] Is it okay if the family dogs get killed by the police?

This is very disturbing. Those with any bit of power take advantage of it. Seeing this, I found many flaws with how the situation was handled. How disappointing.

It sucks, and I agree that ideally it never should have happened. However, drug raids frequently go horribly, horribly wrong, so they have to go in there and treat it like the ****'s about to hit the fan, up to and including assuming the dogs are uncontrolled and dangerous. You'd be surprised how much damage a corgi can actually inflict, by the way. They're tough little buggers and can cause some serious harm.

The police had to go in there assuming they would be fired upon. They have to assume any dog big enough to potentially inflict damage WILL inflict damage. As previously stated they didn't know at the time it was misdemeanor possession or no raid would have been conducted. SWAT most certainly would never have been involved if they knew they were only going to find a little pot.

I do have a problem with one thing, though. A dog in most jurisdictions is allowed to defend itself and its master when either is under serious duress and provoked. But when swat busts your door down and your dog is running around barking at them in a terrified manner it is then considered dangerous and is immediately shot. Yes, the safety of the officers should be a priority, but at the same time the determination that a dog is aggressive, vicious, and out of control because it is BARKING is ridiculous. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. Look at the story about the guy whose lab was shot by police because it barked at them from behind the fence. The skittish officer shot it.

For one, the video that I saw, doesn't show anything actually happening to the dogs. The report said that the pit bull was acting aggressively (I find it amusing that you mention the Corgi, and said nothing about the pit bull). The video gives NO indication as to whether or not the dog was acting aggressively, but they have the right to shoot to kill any animal that they feel is acting aggressively. Whether or not that's true, we can't tell based on that video.

As for the Corgi, if I read it correctly, he was INJURED, not killed. He was shot in the leg, didn't say anything about him having been killed. Keep in mind that this was a SWAT raid, in which they said multiple times "don't move". They could have easily been firing at the suspect, the suspect moved, and the dog was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's no proof that the police purposely shot to kill the Corgi, and there's no proof to say it wasn't an accidental shooting. The corgi in the video really does appear to be uninjured. I personally didn't see anything to prove the story one way or another concerning the dogs.

Based on the video, I didn't see much of anything, but perhaps that's just me. My heart goes out to his 7 year old and wife that had to witness the whole thing first hand. They and the dogs are the only ones that really got hurt out of this whole ordeal. As to why the dogs were shot, etc... we'll probably never really know, and that's the most unfortunate part.

ETA: In the case of a drug raid, etc... the officers do NOT always have the time to distinguish WHY the dog is barking at them. They just know the dog IS barking at them, and COULD potentially cause harm. They don't have time while searching for the suspect to stop and evaluate the behavior of the dog to determine whether it's actually aggressive, nervous, fearful, etc.... If they did have that kind of time, this probably wouldn't have happened, but they don't.

Also, even an INJURED dog can pose a threat. In some cases, an injured dog is MORE dangerous then a non-injured one. Officers have to take any and all precautions they can to ensure their safety, and the safety of their partners. Period. I have seen some dogs have to be shot multiple times, because they just kept coming. Not all dogs will stop after the first shot, and officers don't have time to take that chance. Saying a dog is no longer a threat once it's been shot and injured the first time, is very naive in my opinion.

ETA 2: I did a little digging to find other situations like this one. Stories such as the following are an outrage to myself:

In this one, police gunned down a dog that was running away, clearly posing no threat to them:

http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-police-raid-md-m...

In the case where the dog is running away, and clearly isn't posing a threat, I become outraged at the fact that it was gunned down. However, if the dog IS posing a threat, then the officer has the right to protect itself, including shooting to kill the dog. As I said, even an INJURED dog can pose a threat. For a good example, read this one:

http://www.game-dog.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90...

The officers were reported to have tried other ways of protecting themselves, which were unsuccessful.

I can't watch it because it is blocked by my college network but dogs should never be killed by the police. I saw a movie once where the police shot a really cute little dog for no reason and that annoyed me enough!! If the raid is totally unrelated to animals and the animal is not a danger it should be left alone.

Yes that video was disturbing, I do believe the police have the right to protect them selves. I'm not sure if I seen the video right but I did hear the first shot and then the dog yelping. then later you hear a few more shots. Obviously if the dog was wounded he was no further of a threat. So yes I am a little ticked over watching that. My heart goes out to the poor 7 year old that had to witness all that.

Depends on why they were shot. have the police been watching /observing the family and the dogs for months before going in for the kill?

Do the dogs have a history of biting or being used for making people fearful? I don't have the facts only the police do.

Most drug dealers and users do train their dogs to attack people and train them to guard their drugs, regardless of breed.

But as I was not there and I do not have all the facts, I cannot say yes or no. This is for a judge to decide.

officers conducting what could be a life-threatening exercise such as a drug raid - at the time, i can guarantee you they didn't know it was misdemeanor possession, cops have better ways to spend taxpayer's money - don't have time to conduct a Good Citizen exam on dogs that act in a way that could endanger the police or others in the area.

get real - info was received that the guy was a major distributor and if a cop walks into what he has been told is a major drug dealer's house and the first thing he encounters is an aggressive pit bull, what you expect the man to do? call PETA?

bottom line: it was the owner's job to keep his animals safe - that is, properly trained and controlled in all situations, and he *failed*.

about corgis: YES, they can be vicious, just like any other dog. the Queen of England's corgis are famous for biting and even sending HRH to emerg for stitches.

that is incredibly sad!!!

i always thought that shooting a dog was a last resort for the police, and that you should pepper spray a dog that you think could be threatening.

that is very sad...

I feel sorry for the family that had to witness that. And any dog would act "aggressively" to a group of men coming to the door late at night yelling, not just an APBT. They should not have shot the dog(s) that should have been a last resort.

It is very sad. Thank you for bringing attention to this. I don't believe the police were meaning to hurt any innocent bystanders- human or other.

Just one comment- any dog can be vicious. The stereotype is pit bulls, but in actuality they are not the dog with the most bite. The Dachshund are noted the most aggressive dog breed.

i didn't watch it because i know it will be sad.... but police should not have the authority to shoot an animal if it is not actively trying to attack them. but i do think ppl should put up signs to let authority's and everyday ppl know there is a dog in the yard.