If you were on a burglary call or drug bust in the hood and a 75-100# dog came running at you, what would you do?
I think the problem starts with the dogs owner.
If anyone comes on our property and shoots our dogs then we'll get to see whether or not a shiny piece of metal pinned to someone's chest will stop a .50 round.
It appears the problem is that an alarming number of these pet murders didn’t happen in a “’hood” full of gang bangers and vicious dogs running loose in the streets, but in burbs and rural areas where the dogs-whatever their breed-were family pets either chasing squirrels in the woods or hanging out in their fenced yards-also known as “private property”.
Some years ago when I lived in a ‘burb, a neighbor’s Norwegian Elkhound was shot in the fenced yard by a cop who hopped her fence chasing a kid through the neighborhood for dropping a water balloon on the patrol car from a tree along the curb. The cop was fired, and successfully sued by my neighbor till his eyes fell out, which is what should happen.
I live in an isolated rural area-dogs and guns are the first 911 here because the other 911 could easily take 1/2 hour or more to get here, so mastiffs of all kinds are the dog-du-jour here for security along with donkeys and llamas-properties are fenced and gates here are large and kept locked...
There’s no excuse for shooting a pet on private property-both the place and the pet belong to the owner, period, and the idiot who does such a thing deserves a lawsuit, I don’t give a damn who they are...
That is a fact not in evidence.
And eve if it were true, the circumstances matter greatly.
How is a dog owner responsible for the actions of a police officer? If the dog is rampaging and is the cause of the disturbance, then perhaps you may be right. But the majority - VAST majority - of these stories involves a dog who is in their own territory. That territory is invaded by the officer. The dog reacts in the way they are supposed to - by trying to protect their territory.
The officers should be subject to any and all available criminal charges whenever they shoot a pet that is not directly involved in the situation. If the officer crosses into the pet's territory, the officer should be liable unless the owner is given opportunity to handle the animal into a safer situation.
It matters not what the breed is - unless you are willing to condemn all for the actions of some. By that reasoning, there are certain ethnic groups that would be fair game amongst humans - and that is a decidedly unconservative stance that I am not willing to embrace. It is the same with canines.