San Mateo Cops Kill Dogs in Park; Family Outraged

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Wednesday, September 28, 2011 | Henry K. Lee

[nickcarraway]

A San Mateo family expressed outrage Tuesday that police shot and killed their two dogs after they escaped and started barking at children in a park.

Police countered that the animals were vicious and one of them hadn't even been slowed after being jolted with a Taser stun gun.

Carla Torres, 38, said her two boxers, a female named Bella and a male named Jordan, may have been loose and loud at Laurie Meadows Park on Monday, but that there was no reason for officers to shoot them.

"I wish the police would have waited for animal control," Torres said. "I don't think they should have shot the dogs."

She added, "I'm sorry that kids got scared." But she pointed out that the pair of year-old dogs, who were from the same litter, hadn't bitten anyone at the park.

Police said they had no choice but to use their weapons.

[Hugin]

So where were the owners while all this was going on, and why didn’t they get control of thier dogs?

[stormhill]

Always loved dogs but if those dogs had killed a kid, I'd probably be first in line ripping the cops for negligence.
Painful though it is, it's a good shoot.

Carla Torres, 38, said her two boxers, a female named Bella and a male named Jordan, may have been loose and loud at Laurie Meadows Park...

You're joking, right?

[ari-freedom]

“I wish the police would have waited for animal control,” Torres said.

I wish you took better care of your dogs. I don’t think the cops were very happy to have to kill poochie

[Jonty30]

When it comes to certain breeds: pits, boxers, rotties, etc; you cannot really take a chance, unfortunately.

[Bobalu]

I have always found Boxers to be great dogs.

But this is the owners fault! :-(

You are responsible for your dogs safety, control and welfare... you must keep them under control! Others cannot give them the benefit of doubt.

This is a painful lesson for everyone who loves their dogs.

[Borough Park]

They should not have let the dogs loose; but there seems to be a recurring theme here.. cops seem completely incapable of dealing with canine encounters other than by pulling out their bang bang and blowing the pooch away.

There’s got to be a better way to deal with these situations.

[stormhill]

No, they used their taser. The story may not be sufficiently granular to detail everything else they tried.

I choose to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[USNBandit]

Taser is a tough shot on a dog to get two darts aboard, but when you do it is supposed to be very effective. There are two videos that are public where police used tasers against very aggressive pit bulls and they both got shocked once and took off running.

[rawhide]

Sorry, but I side with the cops on this incident, based on what I read here!

[Irenic]

I have always found Boxers to be great dogs.

***********************

They are fantastic dogs, very hyper and playful.

I wonder why one of those adults didn't go up and grab the dogs? I would have.

[ClearCase_guy]

I often grouse about cops killing dogs. If you show up at a house, enter a fenced-in yard, and shoot the owner's dog for growling at you, then I think that is repugnant. But this case is different.

A public park? Dogs running loose? Dogs growling at children? Dogs not stopped by taser?

Good shoot. Bad owner.

[USMCWife6869]

Boxers are not aggressive breeds. They are consistently considered on the of the best family breeds out there.

[Jonty30]

I cannot disagree with you on that, but when it comes to dogs, they are individuals and things can turn very wrong and very quick.

The only big dogs I’m know I don’t have anything to worry about, ever are Labs and Retrievers.

But I do think that cops seem too quick to use their guns, instead of trying to discern if the situation warrants a gun or not.

I’m also aware of how often dog owners tend to underestimate a dog’s capacity for territorial instincts and will often ignore the warning signs.

[Jonty30]

Come to Jonty!

Let me give you a great big hug, you lovable dogs!

[Fresh Wind]

"I wish the police would have waited for animal control"

Imagine the outcry if the police had waited, and the dogs ripped a child apart.

[count-your-change]

Dogs frequently don't know how to behave around children and will challenge them as they might another dog. The children (and most adults) don't react well and that invites further challenges by the dog.
The dogs may do well at home where they know their boundaries and limits but loose in a park may be a completely different story.
That's why owners say the dogs are so well behaved and would never bite anyone. They might not...at home.

Evidently these dogs had never been properly trained so I don't blame anyone for shooting them. A big dog won't break off challenging my kids the dog or dogs are done for by any means available to me.

[Irenic]

Boxers are not aggressive breeds. They are consistently considered on the of the best family breeds out there.
*****************
Yes, they are! I just can’t get over this. If the TWO dogs wanted to get that little dog and child, they would have.

There was time for the dogs to make a ruckus, the police to be notified and get to the park.

If the dogs wanted to attack— the adults “bravely” standing between the dogs and the children would have been eaten up.

I sometimes wonder if the ‘Wild West’ could have been tamed, if we were to count on people of today. People have become so gutless.

[Tax-chick]

she pointed out that the pair of year-old dogs, who were from the same litter, hadn't bitten anyone at the park

YET.

It's a shame the dogs, who were just being dogs, were killed because the owner is a narcissistic dingbat.

[Venturer]

I bet they also wish they had kept their dogs penned up.

Today’s zoo’s have been catching the devil for penning up animals so people can view them, but no on complains about penned up dogs. Is it really loving an animal to keep it in a backyard penned up? Well I suppose that is beside the point.

The point here is why didnt the police wait for Animal Control? If it’s like where I live, it takes 30 minutes to get a police officer on the scene and a couple of days to get Animal Control.We have two animal control trucks for 3 counties.