Cop shoots pet dog that bit him (after entering owner's backyard)

KHOU ^ | 5.27.05

[ambrose]

Cop shoots pet dog that bit him

06:52 PM CDT on Friday, May 27, 2005

By Wendell Edwards / 11 News

Click to watch video

A southeast Houston homeowner is angry that a Houston police officer shot his dog after walking into his backyard Friday morning.

The officer was responding to a burglary alarm call on Parliament when he encountered the dog.

"The officer was completely caught by surprise, you know. He was just responding, more or less to a routine alarm call," said HPD Lt. E.W. Harris. "And the dog was just in his backyard and the officer walked in and the dog attacked him."

The dog bit the Officer K.K. Miller on his left wrist so he shot him in the leg.

The dog's owners were devastated when they learned what happened.

They say the Great Pyrenees named J.P. has been part of their family for nearly a decade.

"...It's a loveable dog, but it's here to protect my family," said Franchelle Forgy, the owners' daughter.

Forgy said J.P. was on a long leash that allowed him to move around the backyard. She said the dog was only doing it's job.

"It's a pet, but it's like a human being. It has protected my family," Forgy said. "Years ago, we were robbed and, you know, in this neighborhood right now they need all the protection they can get."

Officer Miller drove himself to the hospital where he was treated and released.

The dog was critically injured and lost a lot of blood. The family says he may have to be put down.

The family took the dog to their private vet. Police cited them for failure to release the dog to animal control as required by law.

[apackof2]

Many cops are little more than criminals with a badge

Reminds me of my ex-boyfriend, sorry to say

[carolinacrazy]

Sorry to see so many cold hearted people out today. For those of us who have pets, and for those who leave them outside all night (your god given prerogative, unless they bark all night, then you should be the one with a cap in your backside), it would be devastating to have this happen. If there is any fault here, and I am not sure there is any (what ever happened to accidents) it would lay squarely on the cop. Maybe next time have your mace pulled.

[SolidSupplySide]

Ahem, how about letting the family know he's there?

The family wasn't even home! The article indicates that the family was not immediately aware that their dog was shot. The cop responded to a burglar alarm. Noone answers the door. Cop has a choice -- leave or investigate. The same people who complain about the cop's actions would be screaming the loudest if the cop left while a burglar had the homeowners tied up in a home invasion. The complainers are not making serious arguments, and I won't take their arguments seriously anymore.