This Week in Puppycide: 12/23/17

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

• Averted | Dade City, FL (12/16/17): Deputy responds to a call about a FedEx worker who got bit by a dog, gets attacked and bitten as well until he runs them off with pepper spray. No jumping the gun, no needless loss of life.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Unjustified | Shallotte, NC (12/18/17): K9 handler pursues a fugitive into a residence’s yard without notifying the owner, whose dog allegedly breaks free from its chain and attacks the K9 dog, whereupon the cop shoots it. Cop claims the owner refused to restrain his dog, which was later euthanized for its injuries.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Unjustified | Crystal Lakes, OH (12/19/17): Deputy chasing a suspect on foot shoots a dog that “growl[ed]” at him; the dog later dies at the vet’s. Witness claims the deputy told him to restrain the dog, but shot it anyway even as the man complied. Body cam footage pending.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Unclear | Pearland, TX (12/20/17): Sparse report says police were forced to shoot and kill one of three dogs after they attacked and severely injured a young woman. No indication what breed the dogs were, whether nonlethal means were attempted, etc.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Attempted | Memphis, TN (12/21/17): Off-duty cop at an off-leash dog park shoots another dog that allegedly ran at him and his dog; the injured dog survives, though the extent of its injuries is unclear. Cop noted that he didn’t know how his dog would react around other dogs.
  (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.