Cops all across the country are killing dogs like rats...

[Reasoning]

We've been tracking a very disturbing increase in outrageous incidents where LEO's are gunning down family pets.

One person has become so upset about the topic that he has started a website so that the incidents can be tracked in a centralized fashion.

While most people have heard of one or two of these incidents taking place, when you start to track the subject the frequency is alarming.

Here is the site.

Dog Homicide

 

[Zona]

Dogs? Uh oh...its not like they are illegals or antything.

 

[Tank]

What color are these dogs?

 

[Agit8r]

Violence toward animals is a predictor for violent tendencies toward humans, so departments need to take this sort of thing very seriously

"Mr. Hogarth points out, in his ingenious prints, the connection between cruelty to brute animals in youth, and murder in manhood. I am so perfectly satisfied of the truth of a connection between morals and humanity to brutes, that I shall find it difficult to restrain my idolatry for that legislature, that shall first establish a system of laws, to defend them from outrage and oppression."

-- Benjamin Rush; from 'An inquiry into the influence of physical causes upon the moral faculty'

 

[MikeK]

While most cops are decent, sensible individuals, some are authoritarian sociopaths who can't wait to use their guns on something other than a paper target. And because relatively little administrative attention is paid to the "defensive" shooting of a domestic animal, when the wrong kind of cop comes upon the right kind of situation a beloved pet can easily become a perverse opportunity.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I prefer the term puppycide. Cops should be able to deal with a dog without shooting it. I have walked up to many aggressive dogs over the years, have never been bitten, and have never once felt the need to shoot any of them. That includes my friends chihuahua that thought my ankle was some type of chew toy. Yet police, when faced with chihuahuas, shoot them because they feel that their lives are in danger.

Sorry, but an adult human is in no danger from any chihuahua that I have ever seen, even if it has rabies.

 

[Sallow]

If a cop shot my dog..there would be a dead cop along side it.

 

[Wingsofwind]

killing dogs like rats...

I don't think I like this comment. I used to raise rats and these animals can be a great pet. They are actually clean, just as much as a cat. They just need owners willing to keep their cages clean.

I have known about this for some time. Some cops do tend to not care to shoot an animal like they would a human. However, they do not know the animal and don't know how the animal will react to a situation. So they will eliminate any possibility of them getting bit, whether it is by getting the owner to subdue the animal, shooting it, or any other means.

Pet owners need to keep this in mind and take as much precaution as possible. I also believe that cops should keep in mind that these animals are seen family members and that in some places they can be taken to court if the animal is hurt or killed.

 

[Douger]

It won't be long now. You'll have open season on cops just like over in the M.E. The murkin people are well armed.
If you aren't ? Get that way.
The police are enemy #1. Every time you see one of the Nazi bastards just remember...........it looks at you as a suspect and possible target. When it looks at you it first figures the easiest way to take you down.That's what they teach those frightened little boys and girls who become cops and military meatheads.
Officers school is a psychology class teaching how to manipulate this type of loon.

 

[editec]

Police are becoming increasingly brutal without doubt.

This is happening in part because of the FEDERALIZATION of local police forces.

Today local cops find themselves petitioning the FEDS for funds to buy their SWAT toys.

Today's cops often find themselves in joint task forces lead by and paid for by the DEA ect.

As cops become militarized they cease being public servants and become FEDERAL tools.

Dogs are being shot like rats?

Friend citizens are being killed like rats, too.

Monitor the number of deaths by police and look deeply into many of those events.

Thirty years ago, those same kinds of events wouldn't have ended with perps being killed.

Today's cops are encouraged not to take risks, and to act with shock and awe so they overwhelm the target.

Shit happens, people (and dogs) die as a result.

 

[Anachronism]

I read a number of the incidents and yes it does seem like some of them are beyond reasonable.

However, I am going to point out a few things, as someone who spends a fair amount of time with LEO's and who calls many of them personal friends.....

Why are dogs considered such great guard animals? They territorial, they tend to form close bonds with their owners and are willing to protect them, and they can cause serious damage to a human being with their teeth, paws, etc... They also tend to be rather single-minded and unrelenting once they decide to attack and are generally not prone to being "talked down" or reasoned with once they get into that mindset.

While those things make canines excellent guard dogs for the residence of a law-abiding citizen they also make them GREAT weapons for drug dealers, gang bangers, and other criminals to use against law enforcement officers. They can pose a significant threat to unsuspecting or unaware police officers raiding a house, searching an apartment complex, etc... Especially since dogs cannot be "reasoned with" or "talked down" the way a human suspect can often be.

To that end, I know of quite a few departments that have what essentially boils down to a "shoot first" ROE when it comes to dogs acting in ANY aggressive manner toward an officer. Especially during any sort of warrant search, raid, or other criminal activity investigation. People are generally given one opportunity to cage/secure the dog and if they can't/won't/don't and the dog acts aggressively towards an officer the ROE grants the officer the right to engage the animal with deadly force. Even if the "officer" the dog is being aggressive to is a canine himself. This is for the protection of the officers.

Again, I'm not suggesting that the officers are in the right in every case. There are bad cops just like there are bad lawyers, doctors, and car mechanics out there. However, people have to realize that an officer has to take their own personal safety into account as a primary concern, and since not every officer may like dogs, may have much experience with dogs, or be able to tell a dog that is simply being "loud" to one who is being aggressive, these things are unfortunately going to happen at a much higher rate than when officers interact with people.

 

[Anachronism]

Police are becoming increasingly brutal without doubt.....

.....Shit happens, people (and dogs) die as a result.

The police are becoming more brutal as a response to the people and activitites that they are forced to deal with on a daily basis. I say this as someone who has spent a fair amount of time around LEO's from the local level up through the FBI, the US Border Patrol, and the Secret Service.

The world these officers exist in today is totally different than the one their predecessors dealt with while carrying a six shot S&W revolver and a shotgun in the trunk of their patrol car thirty years ago. Even a modern officer, wearing a Level IIA bulletproof vest, carrying a .40cal semi-automatic pistol, and having a shotgun and carbine in the trunk of his cruiser is still often going to be outgunned and out-equipped by the criminals that he has to deal with on a daily basis.

More importantly, in our increasingly litigous society, that officer's training with those firearms is not likely to be what it should be unless he/she goes out of their way to get private training off-hours and at their own expense. The CT State Police Academy (as of 2003) included 5 days of firearms training in a 14 week training schedule. How can any officer be expected to become competent with a firearm in that period of time? More importantly, these officers are given these tools and then told that if they ever use them, they're likely to be suspended without pay, thrown under the bus by their department, and quite often lose their jobs in the end. We give them a tool, don't teach them how to properly use it, and then tell them we're going to discipline them if they use it incorrectly. That's a great help.

What we need is essentially a "Top Gun" of "Red Flag"for LEO's.... somewhere that they can go to learn the Art and Science of the Gunfight so that they can learn how to avoid the need to discharge that firearm, but also how to be sure that they're the one who survives IF it comes to needing to do so.

 

[uscitizen]

I prefer the term puppycide. Cops should be able to deal with a dog without shooting it. I have walked up to many aggressive dogs over the years, have never been bitten, and have never once felt the need to shoot any of them. That includes my friends chihuahua that thought my ankle was some type of chew toy. Yet police, when faced with chihuahuas, shoot them because they feel that their lives are in danger.

Sorry, but an adult human is in no danger from any chihuahua that I have ever seen, even if it has rabies.

Chihuahuas are not dogs.

If it looks like a rat and squeaks like a rat...

 

[editec]

Police are becoming increasingly brutal without doubt.....

.....Shit happens, people (and dogs) die as a result.

The police are becoming more brutal as a response to the people and activitites that they are forced to deal with on a daily basis.

That argument has merit without doubt.

OTOH, if you look at the civilians deaths that are happening today, especially in situations where some nutter is holed up in his home (these are often domestic disputes) what you find (at least here in Maine) is that the cops shoot down people who are clearly NOT an immediate threat to the commonweal.

I say this as someone who has spent a fair amount of time around LEO's from the local level up through the FBI, the US Border Patrol, and the Secret Service.

The world these officers exist in today is totally different than the one their predecessors dealt with while carrying a six shot S&W revolver and a shotgun in the trunk of their patrol car thirty years ago. Even a modern officer, wearing a Level IIA bulletproof vest, carrying a .40cal semi-automatic pistol, and having a shotgun and carbine in the trunk of his cruiser is still often going to be outgunned and out-equipped by the criminals that he has to deal with on a daily basis.

More importantly, in our increasingly litigous society, that officer's training with those firearms is not likely to be what it should be unless he/she goes out of their way to get private training off-hours and at their own expense. The CT State Police Academy (as of 2003) included 5 days of firearms training in a 14 week training schedule. How can any officer be expected to become competent with a firearm in that period of time? More importantly, these officers are given these tools and then told that if they ever use them, they're likely to be suspended without pay, thrown under the bus by their department, and quite often lose their jobs in the end. We give them a tool, don't teach them how to properly use it, and then tell them we're going to discipline them if they use it incorrectly. That's a great help.

What we need is essentially a "Top Gun" of "Red Flag"for LEO's.... somewhere that they can go to learn the Art and Science of the Gunfight so that they can learn how to avoid the need to discharge that firearm, but also how to be sure that they're the one who survives IF it comes to needing to do so.

Hey, I'm not a cop. I filly understand that cops ought not to put themselves in harms way.

Still the number of civilian deaths, civilians deaths were the victim is not a clear and eminent danger seem to be on the rise.

 

[Momanohedhunter]

While most cops are decent, sensible individuals, some are authoritarian sociopaths who can't wait to use their guns on something other than a paper target. And because relatively little administrative attention is paid to the "defensive" shooting of a domestic animal, when the wrong kind of cop comes upon the right kind of situation a beloved pet can easily become a perverse opportunity.

That was kind of stupid.

 

[Momanohedhunter]

It won't be long now. You'll have open season on cops just like over in the M.E. The murkin people are well armed.
If you aren't ? Get that way.
The police are enemy #1. Every time you see one of the Nazi bastards just remember...........it looks at you as a suspect and possible target. When it looks at you it first figures the easiest way to take you down.That's what they teach those frightened little boys and girls who become cops and military meatheads.
Officers school is a psychology class teaching how to manipulate this type of loon.

 

[Sunni Man]

So they shoot a dangerous dog?

Big deal.

Heck, in half the world they have them for dinner.

People need to get a grip on reality.

Dogs are just an animal not a person.

 

[Anachronism]

That argument has merit without doubt.

OTOH, if you look at the civilians deaths that are happening today, especially in situations where some nutter is holed up in his home (these are often domestic disputes) what you find (at least here in Maine) is that the cops shoot down people who are clearly NOT an immediate threat to the commonwealth.

They don't have to be a threat to the Commonwealth. They simply have to pose a threat to the Officer or to the General Public at that moment. That can at times include themselves. Even if they don't realize it.

For example, last fall in Michigan (I believe), officers responded to a Domestic Incident. Upon arriving the wife came out to talk to the cops. A moment later her obviously upsed husband exited the house holding a shotgun in his hands. He wasn't pointing it at anyone, but he refused to drop the gun when ordered to do so by multiple officers. After probably 90 seconds of being ordered to drop the shotgun, the officers dropped him. I have no doubt that he never heard the officers demands to drop the gun. He was too busy screaming at them to get off his property and for his wife to "shut the **** up and get back in the house." You never pick up a weapon (gun, knife, baseball bat, etc...) unless you intend to use it; because you're going to get treated as if you do intend to use it.

Hey, I'm not a cop. I fully understand that cops ought not to put themselves in harms way.

Still the number of civilian deaths, civilians deaths were the victim is not a clear and eminent danger seem to be on the rise.

See, this is where I'll disagree with most people. I was taught at an early age that you do whatever a cop tells you to do and you fight about it in court after the fact if necessary. You don't argue. You don't resist. You don't even complain. You simply do what the hell you're told to do; or you get exactly what you deserve. Especially if you're brandishing any sort of weapon.

 

[ba1614]

I guess I will place this under "ethics"...

Over @ ronpaulforums we've been tracking a very disturbing increase in outrageous incidents where LEO's are gunning down family pets.

One of the forum members has become so upset about the topic that he has started a website so that the incidents can be tracked in a centralized fashion.

While most people have heard of one or two of these incidents taking place, when you start to track the subject the frequency is alarming.

Here is the site.

Dog Homicide

Thank you for that website, I'll be sure to share it. I'm a member of a Shutzhund forum and we too have discussed this. There's a number of Police on the site and they are about split between guys looking out for the "old boys club", and those frustrated as both cops and dog lovers.

 

[MikeK]

While most cops are decent, sensible individuals, some are authoritarian sociopaths who can't wait to use their guns on something other than a paper target. And because relatively little administrative attention is paid to the "defensive" shooting of a domestic animal, when the wrong kind of cop comes upon the right kind of situation a beloved pet can easily become a perverse opportunity.

That was kind of stupid.

Keepers at NYC's Bronx Zoo have installed plexiglas barriers beyond the bars of some cages in the primate exhibit because the monkeys there are known to defecate into their hands and throw it when something upsets them. The monkeys do this when they are frustrated because all that a monkey in a cage can do when he doesn't like something is throw shit.

Ignorance and stupidity are metaphorical cages. Personal insults and empty ad hominem comments are analogous to handfuls of shit to be tossed out in place of intelligent, reasoned, logical arguments.