This Week in Puppycide: 12/16/17

Here’s a roundup of recent headlines involving police shootings of pets and other animals.

• Unjustified | Durango, CO (10/11/17): Lawsuit alleges police investigating a car crash entered a family’s yard without warning, ignoring “beware of dog” signs, and then panicked and shot their Staffordshire bull terrier as he approached, reportedly without any aggression. The dog had to be euthanized for its wounds. The family had asked police to warn them ahead of their visit so they could put the dog inside, but the cops had ignored them.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Justified | Mary Esther, FL (12/10/17): Pizza delivery man is attacked and severely injured by a hundred-pound pit bull who escapes its owner. Police respond and are similarly attacked, try and fail to use both a harness and a full can of OC spray, then shoot the dog dead. Dog was previously known to be aggressive.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Attempted | La Mesa, CA (12/11/17): Police reservist talking to a homeowner is attacked by their pit bull, who bites the officer twice; the cop opens fire at the dog and misses, embedding a round in the pavement. The dog has been quarantined. No indication the officer let the owner attempt to restrain their dog, nor did they try to use non-lethal weapons.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Justified | Alsip, IL (12/11/17): Police shoot & kill a “pit bull” that mauled and killed an elderly woman. The dog appeared well cared-for and had no priors of aggression.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Attempted | Taney County, MO (12/11/17): Deputy searching for a fugitive shoots a veteran’s service dog in its own yard; dog survives but will likely lose a leg. Sheriff claims the shooter “feared for his safety” and refuses to pay the owner’s $1,000 vet bill.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

If you know of any similar stories I haven’t mentioned, you can leave them in the comments or send them in.

See my puppycide ruling explainer.