Police Kill Really Small Dog, Claim it Threatened Them
This is getting really out of hand. What kind of cop is scared of a Jack Russell terrier?
Ok, obviously there’s some sort of major misunderstanding going on here, because the number of household pets being killed by police has gone from alarming to inconceivably, mindblowingly outrageous and intolerable. Of course, police are heroes who would never kill animals just to be mean (only sociopaths are cruel to animals), so the answer must be that police are disproportionately terrified of dogs.
So if your job often involves going around yelling and stomping your way into people’s houses, you’re disproportionately at risk for unpleasant dog encounters. Horror stories of rookies getting their nuts bit off are surely passed down within the ranks, resulting in a climate of hostility towards the canine species.
So, at the risk of sounding condescending, let’s just clarify a few things:
1. Dogs bark at everyone. It doesn’t mean they’re challenging your authority.
2. Many species of dogs are really weak. These can usually be identified by their small size. Don’t assume that all dogs are as vicious as the ones at the police station.
3. No police officer has ever been killed by a dog (I tried googling it and mostly just found stories of dogs being killed by police).
4. Dog bites can be effectively treated through the miracles of modern science. Shooting guns indoors is generally much more dangerous.
I apologize to the many brave men and women in law enforcement who aren’t terrified of small dogs. This is embarrassing, I know, but we’ve got to get this out in the open so we can move on.
HALTOM CITY — An internal investigation is under way after a Haltom City police officer fatally shot a Jack Russell terrier Monday afternoon while officers were serving a search warrant.
The officer, who was not identified, remained on duty, police said Friday.
But family members at the house where the shooting occurred said Friday that Willy, the 40-pound terrier, never attacked the officer. [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram]
Ok, obviously there’s some sort of major misunderstanding going on here, because the number of household pets being killed by police has gone from alarming to inconceivably, mindblowingly outrageous and intolerable. Of course, police are heroes who would never kill animals just to be mean (only sociopaths are cruel to animals), so the answer must be that police are disproportionately terrified of dogs.
Cynophobia is the clinical name for an abnormal fear of dogs, i.e., a specific phobia related to dogs. The dog is a domesticated superpredator; this in combination with increasing media coverage of dog attacks could be contributing factors for development of this fear.
A 1992 study of cynophobia among children and adults [1] reported that actually experiencing dog attacks does contribute to cynophobia. [Wikipedia]
So if your job often involves going around yelling and stomping your way into people’s houses, you’re disproportionately at risk for unpleasant dog encounters. Horror stories of rookies getting their nuts bit off are surely passed down within the ranks, resulting in a climate of hostility towards the canine species.
So, at the risk of sounding condescending, let’s just clarify a few things:
1. Dogs bark at everyone. It doesn’t mean they’re challenging your authority.
2. Many species of dogs are really weak. These can usually be identified by their small size. Don’t assume that all dogs are as vicious as the ones at the police station.
3. No police officer has ever been killed by a dog (I tried googling it and mostly just found stories of dogs being killed by police).
4. Dog bites can be effectively treated through the miracles of modern science. Shooting guns indoors is generally much more dangerous.
I apologize to the many brave men and women in law enforcement who aren’t terrified of small dogs. This is embarrassing, I know, but we’ve got to get this out in the open so we can move on.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
I Can't Believe this is Happening.....
Please, please, please stop murdering pets! To many people, a beloved pet is a family member. I can understand self-defense, but this is way beyond it.
Cops murdering pets
After getting used to killing pets it won't be as big a leap for them to start killing the pet owners too.
Sheriff's are just elected
Sheriff's are just elected officials. Elected do the bidding of the rich that get them elected. If you are not rich and not government you and your pets and property are at risk. My son's dog and my wife's dog were killed by authorities and in small town illinois nothing will be done by government or the legal system to bring those responsible to justice. Murder is the creation of a dead body that is undeniable evidence of the ultimate crime against God's creatures that only live to serve man - saving countless lives at the risk of their own!
Tyranny.
If a government agent shoots you or your dog and he gets a pass.
If you shot a government agent or its dog, you get charged with murder.
Equal protection under the law?
It's a lie.
Tyranny.
I just hope better sense prevails among these SWAT people.
As a cat lover, this is horrible.
I completely agree with the
I completely agree with the comment posted above mine. My pets are members of my family. This is a sad, sad, story.
Tammy
I agree
I agree that this action is horrible, but remember if a member of the family is killed, the rest of the "enemies" will be cowed rather quickly.
authorities killed my son's
authorities killed my son's dog and took and killed my wife's dog from a fenced yard and government does nothing is small corrupt town illinois. pure evil!
I hate when dogs get killed!
I love dogs and it really makes me mad/sad when they get killed for any reason. Especially a stupid one like this!
Everybody has been around dogs at some time in their lives and they should know if a dog really poses a threat or not. Even if it is a threatening dog there are many ways to avoid having to shoot it! Stop killing dogs!
Trent
Responsibility
No matter what the warrant was for, and even if the people were guilty (none of which we know), the cop is still liable for the dogkilling. We don't give badges to just anyone, and give them permission to storm into people's homes with guns. Cops are supposed to be well trained to deal with those situations, and they should assume responsibility when they carry out operations in the wrong manner.
Dead Dog
Come on people, what the heck is going on. Who really believes all these dog shooting, by the people we pay to protect us, are justified ? Bogus warrents, no knock warrents, no warrent at all, wrong address, wrong suspect, weapon accidently went off, informant lied, PLEASE...
The war on drugs must have an enemy to point at, if not the low life drug user or dealer than the dog. Send these drug warriors to Mexico where the real action is. Why, are American cops killing American citizens and their dogs ?
To prevent American citizens from exercising their inalienable rights.
Maybe the PETA can take a public stand on this.
Maybe the PETA can take a public stand on this.
police killing dogs
Pets can certainly be loved like other members of a household, but to think of them on the same level of your human family members is an insult to your children, spouse, parents, etc.
Dogs do not have a conscience. Do you honestly think they feel regret for biting or killing? Do they feel regret for soiling your carpet? All animals react out of instinct, and unless you have been the victim of a dog attack you cannot imagine how frightening it can be.
And a 40# Jack Russell is not a small dog. A 7# Chihuahua is a small dog.
There is a lot more to this story than made the press here. I would love to know what the neighbors think about the Jack Russell and its owners. Law Enforcement Officers do not fire their weapons randomly. Unless you were there to witness the incident don't judge that officer's actions.
What? Are you the guy who
What? Are you the guy who shot the dog?
Irresistible
Police officers can certainly be loved like other members of society, but to think of them on the same level of your average citizens is an insult to your children, spouse, parents, pets, etc.
Police officers do not have a conscience. Do you honestly think they feel regret for shooting or killing? Do they feel regret for turning your home upside down? All police officers react out of instinct, and unless you have been the victim of a police attack you cannot imagine how frightening it can be.
And Jack Russell is not a small police officers. Mr. C. Hihuahua is a small police officers.
There is a lot more to this story than made the press here. I would love to know what the neighbors think about Jack Russell and his pals. A dog does not bite randomly. Unless you were there to witness the incident don't judge that dog's actions.
---
Exhibit A: there exists no evidence that a police officers has ever expressed regret, guilt or shame over shooting all these people:
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/08/17/drugWarVictims.html
Rest in peace, Ashley, Tarika, Rachel and all you other unfortunates who ran into police officers.
Totally Agree
To Malkaval's comment...You are 100% right about that. Officers STILL haven't apologized about Tarika Wilson and the countless other innocent people who have been slain by drug war cowboys. This is just beyond me. And to the person who's taking the police officers side...I have actually been witness to a raid(Only an ounce of cannabis was present) where a 3 month old pit bull was shot. The officers were actually laughing and joking about it as everyone was cuffed.Absolutely sickening.
Dude really.
All you guys are a bunch of idiots. If you guys don't lijke who the U.S. is run move to another country. I am ashamed that you guys call yourselves americans.
Good example of elitism - no
Good example of elitism - no right to challenge opposition to the Government the first bill of right so you are not entitled to stay in America so leave!
My dog = my child
Aww darn it.. now you got me! I think your less then my dog.
Dogs > Humans
BTW Humans react out of instinct too. People like you think because a dog does not talk then they are not of equal level of us. Every other animal in the world is below us.. WRONG! All Animals, humans, lions, dogs ect we are all equal
Idiot
Whats wrong with all you people. I swear to god all you need to just drop dead, due to the fact that you don't make any sense.
You don't have a clue. 1.
You don't have a clue.
1. Jack Russels are small dogs. If this JR really was 40 pounds it was morbidly obese and couldn't lunge to save it's life. I'm guessing that 40 pound figure was from the police report and an understandable exaggeration given the circumstances.
2. Whether or not a dog has conciousness is debateable. The fact is, you can't really know that. Brain research has shown them to be capable of many emotions very similar to humans. We do know that dogs have some level of compassion, that should surprise no one as they have been bred to be human companions.
3. People react out of instinct too. That tells us nothing.
I don't ask that society view family pets as equal members of society. They do however deserve to be treated as something more important than furniture.
Police killing pets
I have to disagree with the person who couldn't even sign their name about the killing of family pets.
I am a dog groomer. I deal with dogs eight hours a day five to six days a week. I own two dogs, one a wire fox terrier, the other a mixed breed terrier/some other kind of dog. I consider myself to be something of an expert on dog behavior. Through the years I have experienced dog bites and know that they can be painful, can bruise, and can even cause infections.
Dogs always give warnings before they bite. They make displays that are meant to discourage intruders in their territory. This behavior happens with every dog, regardless of breed or temperament. Granted a terrier is more likely to be game (display teeth, snap, and show hackles) but a forty pound dog, unless the police officer tripped over his gun and ended up on the floor with his neck exposed, CANNOT cause serious injury, especially since these so-called lawmen come into the raid with heavy tactical gear. Yes, being bitten the first time is frightening, it will piss you off, you may even think about throttling the dog. Your reaction only becomes unacceptable if you cross the line and kill and animal that is doing what it was nature intended for it to do, that is protecting his pack against aggression from outside the pack.
That the officer chose to kill the pet in front of a family that loved, nurtured, and raised this dog is just reprehensible. I wonder, was there no back yard, was there no room that they had already ransacked that they could remove the dog to? Were there no options at all? If nothing else, the family probably had a leash that the officer could have looped and caught the dog, thus restraining it. There are always options outside of gunning down an animal that is doing what it is supposed to do.
So please, don't try to justify killing a pet because a big manly police officer in full gear felt threatened by a pet. If the same officer had come across a boa constrictor, rat, cat, sugar glider, or a bird, would his reaction have been the same? There are plenty of people who don't like those animals and can and do justify cruelty to them based on that fear.
I sincerely believe that our nation's paramilitary police force has become entirely too trigger happy with not only animals, but the humans who own them.
Oh, and by the way, I have witnessed how police who are trying to justify killing a dog will get the animal wound up and then shoot it. It happened in my neighborhood to a pit bull that was in a fenced yard, tethered on a line. This was a dog that my children played with and who sired our own little bitch (who is now deceased.) These jerks kicked the fence, working the dog into a frenzy, until it lunged and broke the tether, precipitating the dog's death. I called to complain about the incident at the main police station and got nowhere because, apparently a cop gets to do whatever he wants if he can justify it with the appropriate lie.
A jack russel IS a small dog
A 7lb Chi is a TINY dog. What's my 50lb GSD mix, a dangerous wolf-dog giant hybrid cross monster? No, she's a MEDIUM sized fluffball. According to vets and the dog world:
Miniature: 0-3 kg (our Chi is in here)
Small: 3-15 kg (Our JR, weighing in at 9kg, enters in this category by a good bit)
Medium: 15 - 25 kg
Large:25 - 40 kg
Giant: 40kg and more
Huh?
Are you even human? Dogs DO have a conscience, or haven't you ever noticed a dog's behavior when he or she knows he has done something wrong or has displeased his human in some way? What do you call that- a lucky guess? Our dogs know when we're sad, happy, and what we're feeling. When I've had a bad day, I can rely on my dog for support, because a dog ALWAYS knows when something is wrong. Yes, I agree with the other comment: you sound like the idiot who shot the dog. Asking how the neighbors felt about the JRT was cold: how do you know they didn't like him, or do you think all dogs are a nuisance? Come to think of it, that DOES sound like the cop who shot this poor little dog: an unfeeling jerk who doesn't care about life, human or canine. If he did, he'd realize that dogs ARE family, sometimes closer than the human members. Dogs give us unconditional love, something that , from your comment, seems to escape you.
Wrong^
You are brainwashed like the rest of the United States
"Police Killing Dogs" rebuttal
It would seem that you believe that the "neighbors" have some say as to if a dog gets shot or not. Upon what legal basis do you acquire such an assumption?
While children, adults, postmen, meter readers, package deliverers and such, have found ways to handle loud dogs, the police seem to be unable to learn such things. They treat humans they same way they treat animals: just shoot'em!
The next time an officer gets blown away by a distressed citizen, after seeing his beloved companion mercilessly killed, don't come crying about the cop. You'll find no compassion here. Remember, "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword." You might even consider doing your job PROPERLY. Now, there's a new idea for ya.
Careful! Your words of a cop
Careful! Your words of a cop being shot and killed could be considered an open threat of a police officer a felony! They will arrest and convict you for what I consider to be free and honest right of free speech and the right to protect your property and family! We now live in a police state.
Killing
I really think policemen, ESPECIALLY those on SWAT teams, need to be psychologically screened.
It's a fact that socially-adept sociopaths ( SAD sociopaths ) seek positions of power and dogs may as well be plants to them. They don't have feelings like most people and just don't get how an animal can have such value because to them, they don't.
It's also curious because the psych profiles of awful criminals often match those of such officers. It also explains why SOME - not all - lawmen, judges, and politicians really care less about concepts like humanity and compassion and lack remorse for their actions. They just don't have those feelings and don't understand them in others.
In such cases the fox truly is in charge of the henhouse.
By the by, I'm no druggie. Just fed up with the status quo after watching a year of COPS episodes. This drug war, especially against addicts and mere pot smokers, is incredibly unjust and inhumane.
The police are thugs that
The police are thugs that need to be jailed.
Police Killing Dogs
Cops can certainly be loved like other members of a household, but to think of them on the same level of your human family members is an insult to your children, spouse, parents, etc.
Cops do not have a conscience. Do you honestly think they feel regret for biting or killing? Do they feel regret for soiling your carpet? All cops react out of instinct, and unless you have been the victim of a cop attack you cannot imagine how frightening it can be.
And a 40# SWAT team is not a small group of cops. A 7# SWAT team is a small group of cops.
There is a lot more to this story than made the press here. I would love to know what the neighbors think about the cops and their owners. Law Enforcement Officers fire their weapons randomly. Unless you were there to witness the incident don't judge that dog's actions.
I swear to God, some of these posts are written by cops and DEA agents...
Out of hand?
Gee, I thought it was out of hand when they were murdering mere human beings. What kind of cop is afraid of a 26-year-old woman holding a one-year-old child? A more appropriate question might be, "What kind of MAN leads or participates in armed attacks against UNARMED women and children?" (The word "coward" comes to mind.)
I've been bitten by big dogs, and I've been attacked by big SWAT teams. Give me a vicious dog any day; at least dogs don't lie under oath later to justify their actions.
This has been "out of hand" for a LONG LONG time.
to anonymous "Police killing dogs"
Unless you have experienced the insane violence of drug raids and seen the complete disregard for the law (as it applies to them) of police goon squads, you have no standing to judge, either.
By the way, a police officer in Chandler, Arizona, recently shot HIS OWN DOG while conducting a search of an empty house -- not firing his weapon randomly? He sure pretended it was an accident.
Local cops have started displaying bumper stickers that read "I stop on red." My guess is that, since it's the only law they obey, they feel they have to brag about it.
These cops are displaying a
These cops are displaying a sociopathic behavior which is a guaranteed outcome of the war we've asked them to wage.
Insane
Kill my dog, and I'll kill you, just like I would if it happened any other my family members.
A forty pound Jack Russell Terrier?
I do not support the shooting of dogs in any situation. But a Jack Russell usually weighs between 13 to 17 pounds. So this dog, at forty pounds, wasn't a jack russell. In the article above, the facts have been presented to manipulate outrage. Applying the description "Jack Russell" to a far larger dog is an attempt to work people up.
If we are to prevent police from wanton shooting of dogs, I prefer to start from a position of credibility. The facts as stated here are clearly slanted with a goal in mind, so I can't get behind this particular case.
That same Star Telegram article refers to the shooting of a 80 pound pit bull. That's an extraordinary size. I can't tell whether someone is inflating the weight for political effect, or deflating the breed for political effect.
But there are so many other police shootings that we don't have to go far to find cases to rally behind. I'm sure on this website you can find the story about the shooting of Labradors at the mayor of Berwyn Heights, MD home. Utterly awful.
SWAT raids
If ordinary people only knew how SWAT teams behaved (even when they break into the RIGHT house) they would be horrified. They scream obscenities at women and children, threaten people with horrible deaths, slaughter the family pets, and destroy everything they possibly can in the house. There is just something WRONG with people who do this.
Keep in mind
that in drug raids, any evidence of wrongdoing is found only AFTER the shooting stops. Cops have NO right to be storming into people's homes with their guns drawn. No right; no reason; no excuse.
Really Small Dog????
"the 40-pound terrier..."
Your average Jack Russell is about 15 pounds, a 40 lbs. That JR would be pretty damned large.
"Really Small"
Yeah, it doesn't excuse what the cops did, but that caught my eye too. "40 pounds" isn't a "small" dog, much less anything that's "really small". Calling it as such is just spurious and is unnecessary hyperbole.
it's probably a mistake
The dog could either not have been 40 pounds or not have been a Jack Russell Terrier. Maybe the author was told 14 pounds and he heard 40.
why are these crimnals still alive
as many high power semiauto rifles as thier are on the market why is this gestapo out fit still around to murder humans and pets ill never under stand we have become a nation of pussys.wtf
You cry if Police do not come save you...
Life sucks... but don't call a cop if you don't want mistakes. Sorry, COPS are human too, and while this story states one side of the issue, it completely fails to state the officers point of view. Your pet lunging may be getting down to you.... it may look totally different to someone else. But, all of you love one sided perspective and then base all of your assumptions on half the truth.
it's true that we don't know
maybe it was a very big dog, and maybe it did threaten the cop. however, you don't know what happened either. we come from a perspective of having seen a lot bad cops. we are not against cops per se, not necessarily; we are against the drug war, which turns the state into a police state, promotes corruption and abuse of power, promotes unecessary and dangerous breaches of civil rights, and ends up producing uncountable instances of police misconduct. Cops, essentially, are suppossed to be the good guys. If it wasn't for the war on drugs, cops would be seen as the good guys.
Well Said
Yep. I remember when they were the good guys. We've got a good unit here, but there's always opportunity for bad with the war on people ( drugs ).
Sigh..........
No way was this a big dog
We KNOW this wasn't a big dog: it was a JACK RUSSELL TERRIER! In fact, the weight given in this article is wrong for the breed: the dog couldn't have weighed more than about 25 pounds. These aren't BIG, but SMALL terriers! Ever seen "Frasier"? That's what Eddie is! If you believe that dog weighed 40 pounds, then you seriously need to get some glasses! I hate it when people try to rationalize this cops' bad behavior: they kill dogs. Some of them actually ENJOY it (there are plenty of videos of them doing just that!). Most of them have absolutely no conscience about killing the family pet, whom they regard as no more than a potted plant or a lamp. I saw one video where the creep actually told the owner "why are you so upset? You can always get another one!" Many of them have no understanding of what a dog means within the family, nor do they care. A dog looks at them, they shoot him and claim the dog threatened them. They do it all the time. Those of you who want to make excuses for these vermin by saying stuff like: 'I'm sure he felt threatened'; 'he must have had a reason'; 'there must be more to the story than this'; 'something else must have happened because the cop wouldn't just shoot the dog'; etc, need to spend some time googling 'cops shooting dogs' or some such wording on the internet to see just how commonplace and inexcusable this really is. What you'll find is that many of the stories are all too similar, and totally UNJUSTIFIED. Dogs die at the hands of the police all the time for no reason, except that many cops would rather shoot a dog than see if he's friendly. When you look it up, pay particular attention to how many of those dogs were shot and killed in the back while running away from their murderers.
protecting people, property, and rights (and even animal rights)
(and having common sense safety measures to protect the safety of cops as well). any cop that will routinely invade homes should be dressed with something that can withstand bites from dogs, and should be trained to hit the dog with one of those police sticks (and shooting a dog should only be a resort reserved for the case of, perhaps, a doberman or a rottweiler that is clearly threatening the cop). another idea, and this is probably more important: recognize the inherent dangers (to both police and the home owners) of invading people's homes, and only conduct swat team operations when dealing with suspects who will be armed, and only as a last resort. for example, if there is no reason to believe the people inside the home will fire at police, why not just send one cop over to knock on the door? If there's a warrant, they have to let the guy in anyway. In fact, even if the people inside are armed, they probably wouldn't want to get themselves into trouble by shooting a cop. on the other hand, if you go in there guns-a-blazing, you're only increasing the probability that someone will get hurt (whether it be the cops or the homeowners (or even their dog, or a police dog)). truth is, swat team operations should probably be very rare.
Police are out of control if you can't see it you are blind.....
Police are out of control if you can't see it you are blind
I think this country...
...has gone to the dogs(snark). But really folks, have you noticed the amount of commentary, in this blog and others, when dogs are killed. I greatly sympathize, but would'nt it be ironic if the dog killings ended this outrageous ,swatzi approach to law enforcement?
Cops have no spatial perception
Anybody who calls 2.5 grams of dope 7 grams will surely see 40 pound Jack Russell terriers.
Incredible Number of Comments!
I'm glad to see, at every website I've visited that's covered these ongoing dog massacres, people are outraged and talking about it! Nearly 40 comments here, when other articles get 4-5!
The more dogs the cops kill, the more people are turning against military-style police raids comitted by wanna-be Rambos. I don't know how much it's doing to awaken people to the disgraceful failure of the War on (some) Drugs, and I'm sad to see that it seems that when HUMANS are murdered by police, people aren't nearly as outraged, but it's at least starting a dialogue. Too bad it's come at the price of killing innocent doggies!
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