And the dog lived..
Posted on 11/21/2007 12:36:37 PM PST by Lurker
A Teton County, Idaho family is outraged after they say a sheriff's deputy tried to murder their dog in their own front yard.
The Barboza family has owned their dog Bobby for five years. A few days ago they say a Teton County Idaho Sheriff's Deputy knocked on their door demanding to see the dog.
Leonel Barboza, Dog Owner: "He says, 'I'm here to put him down. I'm here to kill him.'"
The officer told Leo Barboza there had been a complaint Bobby had bitten someone.
Barboza: "I said, 'Do you have any proof or anything?' He says, 'I don't need any proof.'"
So Leo got the dog while the deputy pulled out a rifle from his car. They walked a few feet from the Barboza's home where Leo's wife and his three year old son were inside.
Leo and the officer tied the dog to a pole when the deputy fired three shots. The dog then collapsed. Leo's son heard the gunshots and opened the front door. Meanwhile...
Barboza: "A bunch of kids just got off the bus and they were all on the street. All the kids were watching the officer shooting the dog. My heart was broken seeing an officer killing my dog."
The deputy then got in his vehicle and drove away leaving the dog bleeding profusely from his head almost dead.
Barboza: "I came back inside with my wife and hid. We were hugging each other crying about our dog because we were gonna miss him. He's been with us for five years."
That night Leo's father-in-law, who witnessed the whole thing, had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. When the family returned home from the hospital a few days later, they were shocked to see their dog alive.
Barboza: "My wife called me up and she's like, 'Hey, the dog's alive!' I was like, 'What are you serious?' I was happy my dog was alive."
The Teton County Idaho Sheriff wouldn't say much about this case except that it's still under investigation. He also said there's been numerous complaints about the Barboza's dog. But when I checked court records, I could only find one complaint filed last year and that was dismissed.
Nate Eaton, Channel 3 Eyewitness News: "Did your dog ever bite anybody?"
Barboza: "Not to my knowledge. No."
Eaton: "And this was the first time you'd ever heard of any complaint?"
Barboza: "Yes, this is the first time. I still think about it. You know my kid thinks all the cops are bad because an officer came and shot his dog. Honestly when I think about it I get mad too and I don't trust that officer any more."
The Barboza's took Bobby to the vet. He's now on medication to get the wounds taken care of. The holes in his head will be sewn up after Thanksgiving.
The family has hired attorney Josh Garner. I spoke with him this evening and he says, "If the facts are as they appear, the deputies behavior is disgusting, troublesome, and appalling. The officer needs to be held responsible."
Several sources say the officer is still on duty and still working in the county.
If you have a comment on this story, email us yourturn@kidk.com or natee@kidk.com.
L
So, Lurker would be the one on the slab?
Does this deputy know Drew Peterson?
“Barboza: “A bunch of kids just got off the bus and they were all on the street. All the kids were watching the officer shooting the dog. My heart was broken seeing an officer killing my dog.”
Reminds of the school bus scene in Napolean Dynamite where the kids all watch the farmer kill the cow.
Someone help me out here....this doesnt make sense.
I have an image of one of those armored vehicles busting down the portico of Castle Lurker, while teargas spills from the embrasures and a helicopter hovers overhead. :)
Why didn’t they just bring the dog inside? Then the deputy would have needed a search warrant to enter the house.
I thought that too but thought I read the article wrong. I would have been right there with my dog and taken him straight to the hospital I would think instead of leaving him laying out there.
Reading these comments...New material for Jeff Foxworthy?
And the dog lived..
As I read the story, the dog was originally inside; they voluntarily brought it outside.
Letting the deputy do it even after the deputy stated he didn’t need any proof shows that the owners didn’t know about their rights under the law. Something like not presenting the dog to the deputy probably never occurred to them.
It feels like we don’t have the whole story. The dog was left tied up and lived? These don’t sound like outstanding dog owners, altho perhaps I’m missing something. Of course, if the officer really did what is alleged, shame on him (and heck, it sounds like a lawsuit to me). But still, something seems odd here...
susie
They are going to sew him up...after Thanksgiving!
There’s a lot about this story that doesn’t add up. Bad behavior on both parties, if you ask me.
Had he tried to forcibly enter my home without a lawfully constituted warrant, well.....
L
Killed them right as the high school kids were getting out ~ makes you kind of wonder what was really on his mind.
Good on the dog though.
Bet that changed his mind on the Second Amendment. I'd be telling the owner "take him to the range".
This is very bizarre.
Why did this man just roll over and comply without so much as any documentation?
He asked, got a non-answer, then I would’ve said “hell no; what’s up with you in the head, anyway?” and walked off. Then called the police/sheriff’s dept. myself (knowing a guy like that would likely follow and be beating down my door, screaming “resisting....!”)
I don’t see how this was possibly legal, and why he’d go along with it.
This doesn’t make sense. You would think the dog catcher would have taken him and a court would have decided to put him down or not. I sure would not have helped him tie him up though. In fact it would have been “what dog?” and Bobby and I would have been out the back door when he went to his car.
Someone help me out here....this doesnt make sense.
Yes, something appears to be missing here.
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