Don't Shoot My Dog

Colorado is attempting to pass a law to prevent cops from shooting the family dog. Dogs are in danger from local cops, who often want to shoot first rather than restrain. The law would require cops be trained in ways of dealing with the family pet.

Different cops deal with dogs in different ways, and it goes from one extreme to the other.

I knew a cop who was really tired of dealing with barking dog complaints. He kept a high powered pellet gun and cardboard boxes in the cruiser's trunk. Late at night, he'd shot the offending dog and haul it away to the landfill. He killed a lot of dogs. In fact he killed so many there was a big article in the newspaper. People were demanding that the cops look into what was happening to their pets. I found out about this years after the cop was no longer a cop.

Then there's the way my local cop dealt with my dog. Our town technically has a leash law, but it's rarely enforced. One day I heard a car stop. I looked out to see a police cruiser stopped in front of my house. There was my old dog, lying in the middle of the road, just soaking up some sun. The cop rolled down the driver's side window. My old dog trotted over. The officer called him by name and apologized for being out of dog treats. Then the officer slowly drove away.

I don't expect cops to put themselves at serious risk, but as things stand now, too many want to shoot first. That bothers me. A kid that abuses dogs often later grows up to abuse people. Cops who are quick to do violence upon a dog might be a bit quicker to use violence against people.

-Sixbears