Dog Shot in the Face (Long)

[katiem]

I've probably said this a million times, but I run a college res. in Lindsay Ontario. We house mostly students, but we are off campus, so our left over apartments sometimes go to locals. One of the apartments is currently being rented by to 17 year old kids and their dog.
It's common around here to have drug busts, its sort of become a way of life. On Tuesday of this week I was outside talking to some of the tenants when I saw a huge truck drive accross the lawn, stop, and about 5 cops leapt out with battering rams and guns and whatnot. I thought "great, another damaged apartment!". Then I heard the shot. Thinking either one of the kids was dead, or that they were shooting at the cops I ran over. Other students were gathered around, and when they brought the tenants out, in cuffs, they were both covered in blood. At which point the guy turned to us and said "They shot Blaze.".
What happened was when the cops bashed the door down Blaze had run to the bottom of the stairs and started barking at them, which isn't exactly an odd thing for a dog to do. The two kids were sleeping, but they jumped out of bed and when they saw the cops they grabbed Blaze to put her in the bedroom. While the guy was holding the dog the police shot the dog in the face. The argument " She is a pitbull, and therefore dangerous.".
Ofcourse she thrashed around, but the guy managed to get her into the bedroom before he was dragged away. I tried to get the cops to let me go in and check on her, take her to the vet, but they wouldn't. So she sat in bedroom for almost 2 hours while they ripped apart the place. Finally Animal Services came, and I offered to go in and get her, even though I knew they would say no. They took two catch poles, and pulled her out. She was writhing and screaming at first, but then she fainted and they dragged her bleeding body accross the brick and threw her into the van. It was one of the worst things I'd ever seen, and I've seen alot.
They found one joint in the entire apartment.
They had to agree to surrender the dog because they could not afford the vet costs to fix the bullet hole. She is an underage Pitbull, so she's probably dead as I write this. Thank You McGuinty!
I should also add that these are the same cops who were called during the summer when locals was threating our students with guns and bats and 2x4's. The cops response "Don't you have a Rottweiler?".

[tiffers]

...that's terrible. Not so much that she was put down, but more of the fact that she was suffering, basically bleeding to death for two hours. There are so many out there that are ignorant to animals. If you can charging through my door with guns and masks and whatnot, I guarantee you Chica would be as vicious as she could be. Does that make her an aggressive animal? No. It makes her protective, it makes her a dog. Protecting her owners.

[Angelfire]

Kat you should call the News and tell them your story. Then lets see what the cops have to say about that one. With our neighborhood having drug houses in it sometimes I am afraid the cops may raid us by accident and the only thing I think of is what if they shoot my dogs just for protecting me.

[katiem]

Originally Posted by Angelfire

Kat you should call the News and tell them your story. Then lets see what the cops have to say about that one. With our neighborhood having drug houses in it sometimes I am afraid the cops may raid us by accident and the only thing I think of is what if they shoot my dogs just for protecting me.

I thought the same thing! What if they bust into my apartment by accident! Levon will get up and check them out, and what, get shot for being a Rotti?

[beasgal]

I agree, you need to call the news and report this. It is just outrageous that they shot the dog at all, but why in the face? If they felt they were in that much danger, they could have shot him somewhere not so life threatening. I'm not saying that they should have, only that they had other options.

[LadyLynn]

you need to call 20/20 and let them know about this crap.
"Did they have a search warrent?
If they didn't go after them for illegal entry if there isn't any loopholes.

and don't forget Oprah. She loves dogs.

[Angelfire]

I told my husband about your story today and he did make a few good points.
Dealers will often have dogs such as pitbulls and Rotties for one reason only, the dogs buy them enough time to flush any drugs they may have. The dogs are also rarely fixed too, they are there for one reason only and that is to alert them that someone is coming in. It is very sad that the police have to use that kind measure when in a situation like that but most likely their only choice. Also, them not letting you in to check on the dog, is for liability reasons. If they were to let you in and the dog attacks you, they become liable for your safety. I have a feeling the dog was shot before the kids even got him, if the dog was already at the bottom of the stairs barking and the kids were sleeping, then I honestly think they did not make downstairs before the dog was shot but after it was. The police would not shoot a dog while it was being restrained by its owner. When you think about it there would be I very good chance that the owner could have been shot instead of the dog while it was being restrained. I hope this shines a bit of light on a bad situation that you had to witness.

[katiem]

I thought it was crazy too! Why would the cops shoot a dog in someone's arms? It was an officer who told me that thats how it happened, so I don't know why he would lie.

Also, one of our tenants got the whole thing on tape! He was taping it from his window. If I can get the tape from him I'll post it, but in it the cops literally take a few steps in, and a guy yells "Don't shoot! I've got her!" and then we hear the shot. Not nice.

And I understand the whole Pitbull/Rotti thing, and if I was being charged by one I might shoot too, especially in a drug case. But all she was doing was barking.

I did find out however that Blaze is still alive. The previous owner stepped up and payed her bills and got her back, which leads me to believe that she didn't attack anyone, otherwise she wouldn't be out. Sadly, the previous owner is one of the biggest dealers in town. Poor poor Blaze. If she wasn't so dog aggressive I'd have offered her a home myself.

She is also spayed, licensed, has her rabies shot and walks on a leash with a muzzle, which is shocking because usually dealers and thier ilk disregard the laws.

[ColColt]

I have a big problem believing law enforcement would shoot any dog while cradled in someone's arms. Something don't jive here. Pit Bulls and Rotties get a bad rap all the time. It's us humans that cause them to be the way they are 95% of the time. These two breeds are used so often for fighting and drug dealing that few know just what they go through being "trained" by idiots who shouldn't have anything that breathes in their possession. Anyone ever watch Cesar Millan with Daddy? Now there's a vicious pit. You can train most any dog to attack but since the stigma has been attached to the larger breeds, especially these two, most people assume whenever they even hear that name, they automatically think they're vicious. I've never had a large breed dog but it's not beyond something I'd do. If I could find one as gentle as Daddy I'd love it just like my Corgi. It's all in how they're raised and trained.

[LadyLynn]

I agree, yes, most drug dealers keep dogs for one reason, to keep people away from the premisis, and it happens far to often. But shooting the dog? There's always a choice. Officers might need to learn how to use tranquilizer darts to deal with animals put in the unfortunate situation of being a gaurd. It's just sad, and inexcusable that officers are beginning to be "trigger happy." Most these days don't even use the gun discretely anymore. I've seen cops pick people up for simple speeding violations and act like such jackasses, that you'd think they were God, and nobody else mattered.

I think the former owner ought to at least if there was a way see if there was a way to force the officers to pay for the pits vet bills.
Come on! If they are going to shoot an animal as brutally as they did this one why make it suffer.

They should have, as crule as it sounds ended its life, and been in more trouble than for it. at least it wouldn't have been in pain.

Sometimes, I think officers forget it's the majority that gives them authority, and nothing more.

If it appears someone's keeping a dog and you suspect drug traffiking its our duty as citizens to call officers and tell them you think there might be drugs, but it might be wise to have animal control to check out the situation first so officers don't take an innocent animals life.

[LadyLynn]

I agree, yes, most drug dealers keep dogs for one reason, to keep people away from the premisis, and it happens far to often. But shooting the dog? There's always a choice. Officers might need to learn how to use tranquilizer darts to deal with animals put in the unfortunate situation of being a gaurd. It's just sad, and inexcusable that officers are beginning to be "trigger happy." Most these days don't even use the gun discretely anymore. I've seen cops pick people up for simple speeding violations and act like such jackasses, that you'd think they were God, and nobody else mattered.

I think the former owner ought to at least if there was a way see if there was a way to force the officers to pay for the pits vet bills.
Come on! If they are going to shoot an animal as brutally as they did this one why make it suffer.

They should have, as crule as it sounds ended its life, and been in more trouble than for it. at least it wouldn't have been in pain.

Sometimes, I think officers forget it's the majority that gives them authority, and nothing more.

If it appears someone's keeping a dog and you suspect drug traffiking its our duty as citizens to call officers and tell them you think there might be drugs, but it might be wise to have animal control to check out the situation first so officers don't take an innocent animals life.

[Angelfire]

Well I am glad to hear the Blaze is alive and that she is being taken care of cause most times dealers really don't care about their dogs. We had turned a very aggressive Rottie (Zar) into a big suck. It took some work be in the end he was best dog and could sense when there was something not right in ppl as we would pee on them if he didn't like them.

[cristian]

a**hole police officers

[jnrcorps]

That has to be one of the saddest things that i have heard, the cop were out of order to do that and then not let you take your dog to see a vet.

[i<3mytiger]

...I would really like to see that video...If you are the tenant, would you not have the legal right to go into the apartment? You're perfectly right, why would the officer lie? If you're unsure how to go about shining publicity on this, report it to PETA-they can definitely take care of it, and will know how to contact the local media. In the area where I live (Pensacola, Florida), pitts and rotties are immediately euthanized when taken in by animal control, regardless of their behavior, and it makes me sick, because as mentioned earlier, it's the way the owner brings them up. If the dog had wanted to attack them, it would have, and being law enforcement, they should have been able to tell that the dog was not showing aggresiveness. And if those kids were actually drug dealers, would they not have found more than a joint in the place? Animal abuse and crappy law enforcement...two topics that make me see red like no other. Kudos to standing up to the A-holes, katiem!