Unfortunately, aggressive dogs off their leashes sometimes get shot in self-defense. Not all threats walk on two legs. However, in this case, residents of the Texas neighborhood where a dog was shot have doubts about whether the shooting was appropriate.
At 7:47 Wednesday morning in Buda, Texas, a man was walking his smaller dog when a larger breed of dog, which had been let off its leash by the owner, approached. According to the man, who is an officer with the Rollingwood Police Department, the larger dog attacked him and his dog. In response, he shot and killed it.
“I would’ve never guessed in a million years that he actually had a gun and was going to shoot him,” says the woman whose dog was killed.
“The two dogs were growling and barking at each other, and just as I got to him, the man grabbed him by the collar and picked him up.
“He came out of his collar, and [the man] looked at me and he said, ‘if you don’t get your dog, I’m going to shoot him.’ And I turned around to grab him and he shot him right in front of me.
“He didn’t even give me a chance to catch him at all. In fact, if I had acted any faster, I might have been in the line of those bullets because I was going to reach down to grab him and he shot him in the head,” said Bandit’s owner.
The officer has not agreed to tell his side of the story at this time. Neighbors are taking sides.
“Why do you need a gun in the morning?” asked one neighbor named Gabriela Romero. “Who’s going to assault you?”
“The bullet could have gone anywhere,” said another neighbor, Martin Robledo. “It could have hit a kid, it could have hit someone else. You never know, a freak accident.”
A third neighbor, who heard the gunshots but didn’t witness the shooting, said:
“It was an aggressive response to a situation… I have resolved them with a spray bottle and an aggressive stance, yelling, ‘no.’ There has to be another way to de-escalate a situation without someone or someone’s animal being shot and killed first.”
However, not all the neighbors feel the same way. One lady who’s asked not to be identified said this:
“I don’t think he woke up this morning and said, ‘I’m going to kill a dog. The dog would be alive if it was on a leash and I think this ought to be a lesson for everybody who has their dogs that they need to put their dog on a leash.”
It is against the law in the county for a dog to be off its leash in public. Although no charges have been filed at this time, the sheriff’s office is investigating the incident internally as an animal cruelty case and intends to consult the DA.
With the information that’s available, it’s not clear who was in the right. The officer might indeed have jumped the gun. However, it is clear that some residents of this Texas neighborhood are misinformed about guns and the purpose of carrying one, considering the cluelessness of the question, “Why do you need a gun in the morning?”
Sorry, but the animal was a threat. The deed is done and life goes on. If the dog had bitten the man, it would have been euthanized in the Animal Shelter. The dog was out of control.
Learn a lesson and make certain that your animal is properly restrained.
Dogs growling at each other are not out of control. Get a clue.
The growling version is from the owner of the dog that was off leash that was shot. Is it possible she was not telling the truth?
If the woman is a pit hag her dog could have half eaten the other dog and its owner and she would still claim her dog didn’t deserve to get shot.
Better if it eats your kid. And your soul.
There is a .45 dog?
If so… does that mean… there’s a dog… in 6.5 creedmoor!!!!!!!!
My dog growls and mouths on me all the time, he especially likes socks when they are on feet, hardly makes him aggressive.
Aggressive growling and playful growling are two entirely different sounds. Anybody who thinks otherwise has not been confronted by an aggressive dog.
Karl says: August 4, 2018 at 03:52
“Better if it eats your kid. And your soul”
Why don’t you eat a gun.
.
Its a fucking dog, an aggressive meatbag with teeth. Not a human being. Not an anthropomorphised “family member” like a lot of dumbasses like to think.
More aggressive mutts need to catch bullets, if only for the liberal tears.
Most of the meat bags you so lovingly refer to, are millions of times more useful than half of the humans on this planet. People, go ahead and shoot them, but leave dogs out of it. 90% of the time when a dog is shot, it’s because it’s doing it’s job, protecting its home, it’s owner, it’s family. A dog won’t hesistate to step in front of some asshole and defend you, and die in the process. Most humans are worthless, and wouldn’t do shit but stand there and watch you die.
Why do dog articles always bring out the worst trolls? One screams “F*** YOUR DOG I’m gonna find it murder it and eat it in front of you!!!’ RAWR!!! And the other goes “F*** YOU MOTHER F***ER I’m gonna feed you to my dogs alive B*TcHE$!!!!”
Tell that shit to the service dogs that protect our vet’s , the disabled , the bomb & drug sniffing dogs that protect this country every day. Most people are shitty. I’ve not met a dog I can say the same about. They will die for their master . how easily you disrespect them !!
Jeh, you have proved without a doubt that you’re not worth a squirt of my dogs piss. I would love for you to look at my dog wrong armed. Worthless cunt…you’re probably a fuckin cop.
Jeh, crawl back under you rock where you belong.
There are no bad dogs but plenty of bad owners. Myself and my dog were attacked by TWO dogs the owner had let out to run around the streets. I had run-ins with these two before but the local authority said they would only act if they attacked even though it is ILLEGAL for dogs to be out unsupervised.
One of the dogs grabbed mine by the ear while the other circled for an attack. The circling dog was seen off by a kick to the head. The other that had grabbed my dog and was shaking in a style known from fighting dogs needed about 15 kicks to the ribs before it finally let go.
The above was still not sufficient for the local council and it took another attack from the dogs for the council to act. The dog that was kicked in the head wisely stood back and the other only needed 3 kicks in the ribs to let my dog go. My vet bills for these attacks were over $600 and the family were fined this amount and told the dogs were to be confined or they would be declared dangerous. Dogs declared dangerous have to be muzzled at all times and chained to a fixture, as well as fences and gates that comply to requirements.
If you walk a dog off-lead, and it is illegal to do so, expect an armed response if the dog is aggressive or harms someone. I have seen dogs go from playfully placid to full-on psychotic kill mode in an instant. Dogs can react much faster than humans so the response margin is very small.
Simple solution. Keep your dog ON THE LEAD when walking and keep your dog under control.
I’d sooner shoot the irresponsible owner than the dog.
If that would end the attack, I wholeheartedly agree.
Your comment shows what a dirt bag you are. You should have been drowned at birth.
http://files.gamebanana.com/img/ico/sprays/assclown.gif
Southern Cross, why in hell did you not SHOOT those dogs? If not the first time, at least the second?
Larry,
Simple. I’m from Australia and this was in an urban environment. Shooting dogs on the street is not allowed and I would be in a lot more trouble than the owner of the dogs.
If I was a farmer and I had wild or unknown dogs on the property, it would be no issue. \
I do hate people who get aggressive and savage dogs and do not control them.
Jeh, you’re a dick.
Dogs are in fact family members. They may not be to you, but if you attack someones dog and the owner is hellbent on protecting them, well, you can learn the hard way.
He didn’t attack the dog. He defended himself from an attacking dog. That’s a huge difference. But in one way you are correct, pets are definitely part of the family. Just like I would never allow my dogs out in public without adequate control, I would never allow my daughter to attack a much smaller child, not that she would as she was raised better than that.
Absolutely. The cop could easily have handled this situation differently. Would he be ok with h is dog being shot in the head ? I guess cops are able to shoot whom /whatever they please. I feel bad for the lady , she lost her pet , it slipped its collar . it happens, the big tough cop had to shoot it in the head , possibly hitting the woman as she tried to gain control of her dog. I wonder did the dog have a gun ? This guy should be put in jail. End of problem cop with a gun.
The more I meet people, the more I love my dogs. However my dogs are behind a 5 foot chain link fence and are never out of their yard without a secure collar and leash. Dogs can be dangerous.
Oh, poo. My dog is a King Charles Spaniel, is not even dangerous to its fleas. Maybe dangerous if you could be crushed to death by a sleeping 22-lb doggie. If your dog is “dangerous”, you might want to ask yourself why you need a 140-lb dog?
And my Shepherd dog is 130lbs and the biggest muffin, he loves to sniff new people though. I expected him to only get to 70-80lbs when I adopted but mixed genetics are like that. Hes fine with a smaller yapper dog, cats, and kittens.
This is the United States of America and “need” is irrelevant in this country. My future dog may be a low content timber wolf if I can ever afford the fencing which is about $25,000 to put a top of the line chainlink game fence all the way around the farm, well, the parts that matter. That, or a Kangal, they have protection needs though, a malamute or husky may be an alternative but I’ll need a commercial ice maker + kiddie pool in the Texas heat. My muffin hides in the darkest, coldest room when it gets over 80.
cops like to shoot just because they can…
That “growling” can change in an instant. Having had myself and my dogs approached and attacked by off leash dogs I can easily see a shooting taking place.
You are in the wrong if your dog is off leash and approaches other people or dogs.
Ranger Rick, you are spot on. Folks who allow their dogs off leash in public are definitely wrong. If the dog becomes aggressive, they are more than wrong, they are imposing a death sentence on their dog. This guy, cop or not, was 100% justified in shooting the dog.
§ 822.006. Defenses
(2) if the person was not in control of the dog, the person was making immediate and reasonable attempts to regain control of the dog.
Texas law says otherwise.
From my read of the article, the shooter grabbed the offending dog by the collar, picked him up and the dog slipped out of the collar. He then shot the dog while the owner was trying to grab him. I’m not so arrogant to presume to know what happened with this sketchy and vague explanation. But it does seem that there are a lot of people who would use any excuse to shoot someone else’s dog.
Agreed. I am not believing the cop in this case. I am not a hater of cops. Had one in the family. Know several as friends. Just seems like he jumped the gun.
You then have not had an opportunity to participate in one of these situations When you or a family member or dog is attacked and the bites happen fast let me know your opinion then.
It’s a dog. I will “jump the gun” 10 times out of 10 before taking a chance that a human will be injured in the slightest. It’s a DOG! When it appears threatening, you better have it tied down tight.
So you fully buy into the account given by the irresponsible dog owner who let her dog off its leash, allowing it to attack a smaller dog and potentially its owner, and is therefore facing serious fines if the authorities decide she is in the wrong. Yeah, no reason at all for her to embellish the story to make herself sound better and the other party sound irresponsible.
Nevermind that the cop wasted the time to threaten the owner rather than move himself and his dog to safety.
““It was an aggressive response to a situation… I have resolved them with a spray bottle and an aggressive stance, yelling, ‘no.’”
Funny, that seems to be the same advice being given to women in slave states to fend off attackers.
Surprise surprise, it’s a cop who shoots a dog. Just got to throw that out there. 🙂
Judging purely by the woman’s story it sounds like the guy doing the shooting was simply chicken shit. I have a skewed perspective though. I’ve raised and taken care of tons of different dog breeds and been attacked by a few, and know how to handle one hands on. That said, don’t let your dog off leesh in public. That’s a sure way to lose your dog in a number of ways.
New Continental Army,
Most people have no training or experience how to successfully fend of a medium to large breed attacking dog with their bare hands. And they should not have to have such training/experience.
A 50+ pound dog has strong enough jaws and sharp enough teeth to do some pretty major damage to any victim in just a few seconds. Anyone who suggests that such animals pose minimal risk of harm either has not thought it through or is being dishonest.
Oh I’m well aware. That’s why I admitted my bais. But I also know of far too many people who go into panic mode when they come across a dog. It’s wierd to me because I just don’t have that kind fearful response. Unless, they’re foaming at the mouth.
Give some of the police shootings in the last year where the police are all too quick to open fire before they try to deescalate the situation. I do not believe these events are racially based, but more that police officers use their firearms in the line of duty once in 20 or so years, yet they are trained to react almost instinctively. While the extra few seconds may add risk, my guess is that we have fewer dogs and people killed.
While I think a big problem with peoples perception of police shootings is due to the media, I do think (just my hunch) there’s probably a good proportion of police and people these days that react out of terror when they don’t need to, simply because people these days are far more fearful then they used to be. A lot of people these days aren’t exposed to animals as kids, and have fears of them.
A 90 pound German Shepherd or Giant Schnauzer barreling down on you while your walking your dogs is an invigorating experience. Trying to control them, protect the wife and yourself is a multi task process. If I had been armed I would have had at least 3 shootings in the last 5 years and no more than 25 yards from my home.
I love animals, but owners have responsibilities to themselves, their animals and the public. I’ve seen the results of unprovoked attacks and am not cool with it.
We need to change the entire cop mentality and culture, its hard to do, but dog training and carrying chicken jerky might be a step in the right direction.
Yup.
I’ve seen a video of the aftermath of a pit attack. It had degloved* a woman’s face. She was sitting there being treated by the EMTs, asking how bad it was.
Do not assume fido is harmless, a dog intent on attack can do an astounding amount of damage very quickly.
*ps: don’t google that unless you know what ‘degloved’ means and are sure you want to see it.
The remarkable fact is that even a lick from a dog can ruin your life:
“Subsequent testing revealed that Manteufel had contracted an infection from a bacteria identified as capnocytophaga, which is found in dog saliva. The bacteria can cause severe infections in people with weakened immune systems, and is spread through bites or close contact with infected dogs.”
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/07/31/man-has-4-limbs-amputated-after-dog-lick-leads-to-severe-infection-report-says.html
If you have a compromised immune system (from a transplant, Prednisone or other medicines, very young person or very old, beware.
There is a very good reason why laws are passed to require dogs be under the control of the owner. Disease is but one. Horrendous and “surprising” bites are another. Ignore the law and risk your dog’s death. I had a dog for most of the last thirty years. Love them. But my dog had no right to run free in the neighborhood.
I get what you are saying, really, but, if someone’s immune system is so weak they die or become crippled from a simple dog lick… it’s evolution man. The weak need to die off in a species sometimes. Just like peanut allergies and all the weird Shit people can’t handle anymore. Humanity is getting steadily weaker due to these people reproducing and spreading their weak genes among the human race.
NCA, better look it up. They say 60% of dogs can carry a bacteria which can be transmitted to humans through saliva getting into open wounds. Even some cats. Granted, I’ve owned dogs for more than 60 years and never had such a problem, and yes I allow them to lick me. But this info just came out a couple of days ago where my wife read it in a yahoo article. Don’t know the original source. But even simple dog bites can be really bad. A friend of mine was a K-9 officer. She got bit pretty badly in a training incident. She ended up with a drain in her hand and on pretty powerful antibiotics for several weeks. It’s nothing to put off as ‘no big deal’, because it really can be.
Sounds like the kind of logic that was popular in Germany about 80 years ago.
Wow NCA, better abort all the downies too. Christ alive man. If you really feel that way then jet yourself over to some stone age tribe somewhere and settle in. While they may have seriously higher mortality rates and lower quality of life, they technically have the stronger genes. These societies don’t have modern medicine or rule of law to address physical and genetic discrepancies. Only the healthy, strong, and smart survive when there is no way to turn but yourself. Enjoy.
Look, I get what you’re all saying. But tax dollars don’t need to be blown on our shitty healthcare system supporting people who literally are genetically incapable of survival on planet earth. Just like I don’t believe taxpayers should support my ass if I get fat and have a heart attack.
I always carry when I’m walking my dog; it’s as much for his safety as it is mine. There’s been quite a few dogs getting loose in our neighborhood lately, and most of them ain’t Yorkies.
Someone needs to tell that woman that, as it happens, crime doesn’t really care about time of day.
Mhmm, I carry for possible hogs, although I’ve yet to see one.
I was almost killed by a dog when I was 8 years old. I remember it vividly as if it had just happened, and have the scars as a daily reminder.
You bet your ass I would shoot a dog that was approaching me or my family in a aggressive manner. I carry whenever I’m about and where legal, in or out of my home.
That being said, I love dogs. Mine.
Everybody else’s, are subject to suspicion.
I love dogs, but I hate unleashed dogs. Ergo I have no sympathy for the dog that got shot. The owner is an idiot who should have kept the dog leashed up.
I have sympathy for the dog. Owner not so much.
I was torn up by an ex Viet Nam guard dog. The dog obeyed his master, but not so much the rest of the family. I was collecting monthly for the newspaper and the dog came after me. I was scared of dogs for 25 years after. I can understand why someone walking a small dog can shoot a large dog that threatens him and his pet. Keep your dog contained when out in public. What seems to you as harmless, can be considered aggressive behavior by someone else – add a small dog into the mix and the small dog is a target.
Around here, coyotes take small dogs from people while they are walking them – and since it is SoCal, you can’t shoot them – even hitting them with a cane or stick can get you in trouble.
You can’t shoot them because you can’t get a CCW down there, and it is illegal to open carry. But coyotes are not protected by anything but the PC police. If you can tolerate them whining about this poor little dog just trying to make his way in the Big City, have at it. Pepper spray usually works pretty well though.
YGBSM! Here I think you get an award for shooting coyotes, are you sure you aren’t confusing the wild dog with the Mexican smuggler? Hey, moving into my new home 25 years back, we had a real downpour so I was moving things around inside. I went to the garage and found 2 huge Rottweillers waiting for me there. Snuck backwards til inside the house and went for my gun. By the time I returned, fortunately, I had remembered it was pouring, and that they had offered me no offense. I dropped it, and a while later they were gone. Found out later they were from down the street, and were actually trained to respond to the command “Go home!” spoken by ANYONE, by going to their home. Never heard of such a thing. They just stopped by to get out of the rain, may have done so for years, I was the new guy. Nice doggies. Scared the pyss out of me.
So far as your silly laws are concerned? Shoot, shovel, and shut up.
You let your growling dog jump on people and you wonder “who needs a gun in the morning”?!? Obviously this guy DID. Duh…and him being a cop has bupkiss to do with it!
His being a cop…might mean his employer requires him to have the gun with him whenever he’s out of the house. That’s why he needs a gun in the morning. (and why the owner of the dead dog sounds like a f*2%ing moron)
Use aggressive language to get the big dog away?
How about spraying it with a garden hose? Not near the house? Too bad.
Grab it by the balls? Female or fixed male? Too bad.
Of course a cop can and probably should be carrying his gun. On the other hand, if he or his dog did not have any significant wounds, as his boss I would suspend him without pay.
In CA they don’t always do that if he shoots a meter maid.
The IRDOOTD (Irresponsible Dog Owner Of The Day) should be charged for assault with a deadly weapon, as well as the price of the bullet.
Why is it these knuckleheads blame the law-abiding citizen and not the law breaker. The shame is, it’s the dog that suffers the consequences of it’s owners negligence.
Found the cop apologist.
The fact this guy was a cop has zero to do with it. Any armed citizen would have done the same thing. And unless you were on scene at the time of the incident, you have no clue what actually happened.
Sounds like a poorly trained dog paid for the incompetence of its owner. If my dog ever gets off his leach, his ass hits the deck on one command and he waits for me to come by and fix the problem. While shooting a dog that’s only growling may not be my first choice, I wouldn’t be caught dead with a football dog where that would be an issue.
Yep. Those are my thoughts. Yippy dogs are annoying. To both people and other dogs. When I see a tiny “dog”, I want to growl too.
My 85 year old mother was walking her little lap dog in North Miami in 1995 when it was attacked by a lab-sized dog, which knocked her down. She was badly injured in the fall, and her pet was mauled so badly it nearly died. Would I have shot the attacking dog? In a heartbeat. Years later, my wife was walking our dog in Rockaway NJ when it was attacked and mauled by three mixed-breed German shepherds. Turns out the owner of the dogs had been warned repeatedly not to let them out of their yard. This time, we called Animal Control, who warned them again,. She was attacked again the next week. Would I have shot the attacker dogs? In a heartbeat.
Except both times, decades apart(?), those walking the dogs were not armed. Slow learners?
Sounds an awful lot like the excuses Democrats use to justify the felonious acts of their devil spawn when they shoot or murder someone….
I’ve draw on escaped dogs before. My dog was bitten by a larger dog owned by a cop(!) and I resisted the urge to draw and drop the dog. Squeezing that trigger is as always a serious decision. And the cop made it because he knows he can get away with it. You and I not so much.
BS. It’s a DOG! I’ll shoot a threatening dog in a heartbeat, if I get too much shit I’ll offer to buy the bereaved owner a tiny dog who won’t be threatening to anyone.
If you did the same thing as this cop did, in the exact same situation, you would be on your way to pound me in the ass prison. Prisons don’t like animal abusers.
Texas codified law.
§ 822.006. Defenses
(i) It is a defense to prosecution under Section 822.005(a) that, at the time of the conduct charged, the person’s dog was on a leash and the person:
(1) was in immediate control of the dog; or
(2) if the person was not in control of the dog, the person was making immediate and reasonable attempts to regain control of the dog.
See defense #2. The owner was making immediate and reasonable attempts to regain control of their dog and the cop made a bad shoot, especially when he had the time to threaten the owner.
The only situation in which I can imagine shooting a dog is if it was chewing on someone and I could get a clear shot at it. You don’t know if a dog will attack until you’re bleeding. So unless you plan to shoot every dog that comes within ten feet of you, forget about preventing an attack by shooting a dog. You have a less than 1% chance of preventing injury to yourself (because there’s a 99% chance the dog would never have attacked) but a 100% chance of being hated for the rest of your life by everyone around you for being afraid of dogs and shooting somebody’s pet.
Montesa_VR,
By then it could very well be too late. A medium to large breed dog only has to bite someone’s neck/throat area once to crush their esophagus (windpipe) and/or inflict a life-ending injury to the victim’s carotid artery or juggler vein. For that matter almost the same thing could happen with a single chomp to the arm (brachial artery) or leg (femoral artery).
Then you have the fact that a dog could shred someone’s face in a few seconds and cause severe lifelong scarring, nerve damage, and/or blindness. And we have not even talked about the possibility of severe infection and rabies — along with the nasty course of rabies shots in the abdomen for the victim.
I feel no obligation to wait for an off-leash attacking dog to shred me before stopping that dog.
Oh, bologna. There is a night-and-day difference between a friendly dog approaching you and an attack dog approaching you. A friendly dog has obviously gregarious and demur body language. Likewise, an attack dog has obviously vicious and aggressive body language.
I have had both types of dogs approach me. There was absolutely no doubt whatsoever which dog was friendly and which dog was determined to shred me.
I have been bitten multiple times by everything from a German Shepherd attack dog to a black lab to somebody’s little foo foo dog. The fact of the matter is that very, very few dog bites are actually dangerous, and most of recorded tragedies involve owner families and not attacks on strangers. If you’re afraid of dogs, carry pepper spray. At least you won’t be killing the dog’s owner.
You’ve obviously been involved in soooo many dog attacks. A simple dog “bite” might mean only an expensive trip to the doctor. A dog “attack” is a whole other matter, and the problem is you will never know ahead of time which it will be. Dogs who have “blooded” (bitten on prior occasions) tend to get more and more aggressive with each incident. Are you willing to take the risk this dog bite is it’s first? I think not. Violent dogs are very dangerous. Any person who owns a violent dog should consider putting it down humanely or risk a very expensive civil suit and possible serious criminal violations. Pretty simple.
anyone shooting a dog for any reason under any circumstances is a coward.
I shot a dog. Part pf a pack of loose ‘friendlies’ that had me cornered in the woods back home. Hated doing it but I wanted to not be mauled by a pack. An older couple near my sisters in Georgia were mauled to death by a pack of ‘friendly’ dogs let loose.
People who arm chair quarterback on the web and blame the victim are the real cowards.
IMHO.
+5000
Amen on that jwm
The victim lost his victim status when he threatened the owner and then shot the dog. The dog owner is now the victim, having suffered greater loss by someone who violated Texas codified law.
By your line of reasoning the victim ceases to be the victim when they fight back. The aggressor becomes the victim.
You don’t own a gun, right. You would much rather not become a criminal by defending yourself, right.
Yep, much better to beat them with an axe handle. Cheaper on the lawyer fees. And fairly satisfying also. Especially on those piece of shit pit bulls and Rotts. Keep your stupid fucking dogs on leashes or behind fences and you will prolong their lives a bit.
Psychopath much? You need to get help from a professional.
Any reason? Ever? You going to let one with rabies bite you?
I almost shot a dog. It jumped my fence to play with my own puppy, which would have been fine, but it bowled over my 9 month old. I chased it out of the yard and as soon as my back was turned, it jumped my fence again. I think it sensed something when I drew my gun, cause it left and didn’t come back.
Call me a coward if you’d like. But if your reckless dog that you don’t have control of harms or threatens my kid, it is you who are responsible for what comes next.
I’ll feel bad for the dog after that it had such a garbage owner.
The shooter doesnt need to have injuries – he only needs to show he was fearful.
Years ago I lived across the street from a local LEO. His newly moved in girlfriend brought a large german shepard. Their backyard only had a 3′ fence along the street. Everyday, I had to walk past that dog, viciously barking, standing well above the fence. One day he jumped it and charged me. I had time to gather a couple handfuls of gravel and heaved it at him. Luckily, he stopped and I got home. That nite I warned the LEO that Id be carrying when Im walking and his dog wont survive another encounter. Dog was gone the next day.
“The shooter doesnt need to have injuries – he only needs to show he was fearful.”
Perhaps where you live. Somewhere else, maybe not.
I think it’s advisable to know the laws where you live or plan to be visiting…
I can’t believe people defending the dog in this case
It’s the antifa/blm/hitler was misunderstood crowd. The guy was a cop so he had to take the mauling instead of defend himself.
Anyone who disagrees with me is an anti-fa, BLM, alt-left. Why does this sound so familiar?
Anyone who disagrees with me is a racist, nazi, xenophobe. Why does this sound so familiar?
Or maybe its just that some of us aren’t apart of any group and just happen to have a conscience, hold others accountable for their actions, and have different opinions.
You’re saying this man had no right to self defense. He needs to be in prison for exercising his right to self defense. Deny all you want, arc, but thats pure hillary, berniebro, antifa bullshit.
JWM, ARC is off his rocks. He is so anti police, nothing he says should be taken with a grain of salt. He knows nothing of what actually happened, yet the cop is automatically in the wrong. From this point on, any comment I see is his, I will delete post haste.
Yup. Most of them yawn at human babies having a sharp object stabbed into the base of their skull, then vacuumed out of the womb. But weep and wail at the death of a poor hapless little pooch or kitty. Priorities ya know.
Why people don’t train their dogs to be other dog friendly is beyond me. All my pups are off to the dog park twice a day as soon as their shots are through. Life is too short to own a mean dog, it’s too much work.
Another gun owner winning the hearts and minds of Americans with exemplary use of a bullet
hillary lost. Trump is going to win again and load the courts with conservative justices.
Get out of your mommies basement and get a life.
Stacking the courts and standing against the climate cult is about the only reason hes getting a second vote unless someone better comes along. So far, hes been a limp noodle for progressing gun rights.
Not a fan of the latest SCOTUS pick though, he wants to outright abolish the fourth amendment. But hes better than a liberal nutcase… can’t imagine what Billary camp would have nominated.
Also, its true. People don’t want others shooting at dogs in their neighborhood, the gun and the shooter will be the point of focus and its net negative outcome.
Anyone who can’t control their dog has failed their dog.
I love my dog more than I love anyone outside of my family. So you know what I do? I teach her how to be polite, I socialize her with people, kids, and animals. And I make sure that I don’t lose control of her.
No one will ever have a reason to shoot Pepper because I’m not a garbage dog owner.
I have posted on here before about dogs. I love dogs. I even have a “dangerous” breed which I have gone to great lengths to ensure is safe and friendly to strangers if she gets loose — which has happened four times in eight years. Three of those four times, the strangers that found her took her inside their home because she was so darned nice and friendly before calling us. The fourth time the stranger (actually a neighbor) called us and simply walked her over — and did not even need a leash to guide her over to us. That, people, is proper and responsible dog ownership. I have ensured that no one will ever feel any reasonable need to kill my dog if she gets loose.
Having said all that, I have had multiple extremely dangerous interactions with other people’s “dangerous” breeds. I have ZERO love for such dogs and ZERO sympathy for the owners if a victim kills their dogs.
When my son was three years old, I had a large German Shepard and an Airedale. One Saturday morning, he was playing in the backyard while I washed the dishes. A furious pounding on my front door alerted me that something was amiss. A rather excited neighbor lady informed me that my son and the dogs had escaped from my fenced back yard. My boy was parading down the middle of the street with a hound on either side. The dogs would not permit anyone to get close to my wayward son. When I caught up with them, they were two blocks away. To this day, I am grateful that law enforcement was not involved in resolving that situation.
3 neighborhood dogs dug under perimeter fence and goat paddock fence and killed all our goats. 2 nights later they did the same to our sheep in a different paddock. This tine I saw them leaving and tracked them back to their owner. All were wearing collars. I told him about the issue and he denied they ever left his yard. No fence, no kennel, no dog run. I called county animal control and they only had 1 live trap for entire county. State DNR said it would take a week or more to come out. So I set my own live traps, got all three the next night, and sent them to Jesus. The 3 S’s are a thing. People are assholes amd the poor dogs have to pay for it, but I have small livestock and children and will take care of my own if needed.
Sorry for your troubles but you absolutely did the right thing. Did the jackhole neighbor ever come looking for his curs?
Nope. I went to him with a $5000 itemized bill for all our dead animals about 2 days later. He was gone. Had been a renter. No forwarding address. Did I mention people were assholes?
The right thing would have been packing them up to a shelter so they at least get an evaluation and a chance at finding a better owner. Shooting dogs in cages is killing for killing’s sake.
They would have gone right back to the worthless original owner.
Plus, it appears they were behaving feral.
Out in the boondocks, it’s not all rainbows and unicorn farts.
Shooting dogs in cages? Now you’re saying before he shot this innocent, lovable puppy, he placed it in a cage so he could get an accurate shot. Crawl back under your rock would ya please.
If it saves just one life…
Getting rid of cops would save thousands…
ARC, the way you talk, my guess you have been arrested many times and probably served time in prison. My guess is you can’t legally even possess firearms. You are obviously a troll and should probably be with your fellow butt boys. Please just go away.
Dog stories always bring out the bullshit and tomfuckery in the comment section.
Yep, because we got two groups of people.
Group A wants a civil society, the rule of law, and to not have nutcases on the streets.
Group B wants to point a gun at every problem they encounter, beat their chests, and scream ‘Mah gunz, Mah prapatay, Stand Mah ground!’
Group B is extremely damaging to gun rights…
Guns when used properly are a defensive tool. In this case the gun was used defensively. Unless you are insanely anti cop as you obviously are and are taking the side of the criminal, the lady who allowed her dog off a leash, anybody else can see this was the proper use of a firearm which only adds to the side of gun ownership.
It’s a shame it went down the way it did, but it could have been prevented.
But how about that neighbor’s question though? Why, indeed, would you carry a firearm in the morning? And an off-duty police, no less.
Don’t forget, all the people we read about on here that aren’t convicted felons can do things like vote, serve on juries, and drive 2-ton cars on the same road as your family.
That’s why you carry a gun 24/7.
Ask the Pettit family.
I noticed that too. I was unaware there is a schedule for when assaults happen, and they don’t do mornings… would like to get my hands on that schedule.
Make life a lot easier.
Personally, I never carry a gun in the morning, unless I have gotten out of bed. In fact, I never carry a gun in the evening, either, unless I haven’t gone to bed yet. Been carrying every minute I was out of bed for 15 years now, let me ask, why do you *not* have a gun in the morning? It has never caused me a single moment of problem.
““I would’ve never guessed in a million years that he actually had a gun and was going to shoot him,” says the woman whose dog was killed.”
Hopefully she learned a lesson, although the price was her dog. Leash your animal. If you don’t, better be able to guarantee it won’t act aggressive towards another dog\person. If you can’t, stop whining when it gets shot.
“I don’t think he woke up this morning and said, ‘I’m going to kill a dog.”
Since the shooter was a paid government thug, this statement is probably false.
Yep, never pass up the opportunity to shoot at someones pet, fuck with via flashlight / lazer, or otherwise get some trigger time in.
“Why do you need a gun in the morning?” asked one neighbor named Gabriela Romero. “Who’s going to assault you?”
Your aggressive dog that you let off a leash?
It’s a virtual certainty that since the shooter was LEO his DEFAULT RESPONSE was and ALWAYS WILL be to
GO TO GUNS. A normal citizen must worry about the chances of being arrested and charged whenever they fire a weapon in public…..thus the need to be CERTAIN doing so is unavoidable. Badgemonkeys do not operate under that constraint thus their willingness to shoot at anyone or anything at the drop of a hat.
A LEO and a private citizen have the exact same rights to self defense. If one fears for their safety or their animals, they have the same right to end that fear. If that means having to shoot the violent attacker, so be it.
If you damf dog owners keep your damf dogs leashed, you won’t have problems. Otherwise, whatever happens is entirely your responsibility, aholes.
Same for un-medicated, mental-health problem relatives. Either they are responsible for themselves or their “family” is.
…he was a good dog, he was going to start obedience school real soon, why did you have to shoot him?
…. he was my service dog for my meth habit…
Control your animal, or someone else will do so (and in a manner more severe than you might choose).
Doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Buda used to be a fairly rural area, where people understood that dogs need to be kept under control. There used to be actual livestock near town that farmers would protect from roaming dogs – if your dog went off on its own, it wasn’t guaranteed to ever come back. Now it’s a suburb full of big city transplants who left what common sense they had behind in favor of a cliche of “easy country living”.
Very close to Austin…
Buda nearly went for Clinton..
Wow, A lot of cop hate on here. If you had to deal with the situations that Police deal with on a daily basis, you would also carry 24/7. Doesn’t matter if he is a cop or not. He has a right to defend himself against attack. Nothing to see here, move along.
Very few cops are in dangerous situations, it’s very rare. At least 1/3 of cops are Pieces of sh!t. They have an attitude, think they’re better than everyone else, think they live under different laws, etc.
DDAY, you obviously know very, very few cops. You don’t have a clue of what you’re talking about. Please, next time you face an emergency, weather an accident or crime victim, make sure you call a criminal for assistance.
I had to deal with all sorts of shit over seas, its no excuse for the cops behavior. There is a reason why I didn’t sign up with them when I left the grunts.
“I would’ve never guessed in a million years that he actually had a gun and was going to shoot him,” says the woman whose dog was killed.
-So…if you’d known, you’d have controlled your aggressive dog? Sounds like you allow your dog to run free because you expect no repurcussions…
“Why do you need a gun in the morning?” asked one neighbor named Gabriela Romero. “Who’s going to assault you?”
-Apparently, a large aggressive dog.
“The bullet could have gone anywhere,” said another neighbor
-Nope. Bullets only travel in a straight line.
“There has to be another way to de-escalate a situation without someone or someone’s animal being shot and killed first.”
-When a dog is in the middle of an attack, it’s damned hard to get it to change its mind. Aggressive behavior might work…but it has an equal chance of being seen as a challenge by the dog, which encourages further aggressive behavior. Especially if it’s not your dog.
“The dog would be alive if it was on a leash and I think this ought to be a lesson for everybody who has their dogs that they need to put their dog on a leash.”
-Finally a true statement.
Here, here!
Bullets also go through drywall like its butter, they skip off of pavement and ricochet into just about any direction, including back at the person who fired the bullet if the angles are right. Cops miss all the time.
I dunno. I’ve seen aggressive dogs, and yeah- sometimes you gotta shoot ’em.
On the other hand, since it was a cop, I’m inclined to believe this wasn’t one of those times.
But if he was a regular joe it would be fine, because you’re a clown who can’t overcome his bias and stick to principals such as impartial fairness.
“Principles”.
The cop is a dirtbag. Like some cops, he was quick to shoot when it was not necessary. I doubt a non cop would have shot the dog, this cop thinks he lives by a different set of laws and is immune from prosecution.
At a very minimum, I hope he’s fired as a cop, he’s trigger happy and will be quick to shoot again. I think he should also be charged for killing the dog, it was completely unnecessary.
You were there, were you?
Larry, from what I’m gathering from past comments, you are acting like a text book redneck gun-totter who thinks he can shoot anything he likes. People who perpetuating this stereotype is damaging to the 2A movement.
The cop demonstrated typical cop behavior, quick to threaten the owner and quick to shoot. He knows he has immunity and nothing will ever become of it. Its only a matter of time before he kills again. ‘He was reaching for his waist band.’ ‘I was in fear of my life from a pop tart!’, ‘He lunged at me while wearing a seat belt in his car!’
Larry, exactly. None of these dirt bags who insist the shooter is the criminal know a thing about the incident. I just wonder if the shooter had been an everyday civilian, would they have the same thoughts? Probably not. In my mind this was a simple case of self defense.
3 possibilities:
(A) He’s a puss with an irrational fear of dogs.
(B) He’s got a screw loose and likes shooting dogs.
(C) Both A and B.
You forgot:
D) It’s a just a stupid, dangerous dog, and he was doing the neighborhood a favor. Also the retarded owner who didn’t keep her retarded dog on a leash should pay him back for the ammo he used while doing his civic duty.
Yeah, I’m going to go with D), because it is clearly the best answer.
Keep your dumb mutts on a leash, people.
So the owner who grabbed their dogs collar while trying to regaining control is just a stupid, sub-cop peasant, got it.
You seem to have deep rooted issues for hating animals so much and I recommend you get help from a psychologist.
Just because I hate dogs off a leash does not mean I hate animals, you simple minded prick. Holy crap, you are one stupid piece of work.
Also, don’t pretend the one at fault in that scenario wasn’t that dumb broad who let the dog off the leash in the first place… or let me guess, accountability isn’t your thing, right?
The officer is probably well aware that maliciously killing a domestic animal in Texas is a FELONY.
I’m sure that he would not have shot the dog unless he had to.
If it were me, I’d wait until it bites first considering it’s a felony if he’s wrong… or you have a PETA prosecuter and they don’t think People Eating Tasty Animals is funny.
You don’t have a ‘I won’t be prosecuted’ badge, so I agree with you on the ‘not until it actually bites’ plan. That’s my plan too.
Fortunately I’ve never quite gotten that far, although I did have one do a brief staredown with my pointer before lunging at her earlier this year. Amazingly enough he immediately turned away when I screamed at him in mid lunge. That was the day I decided I wasn’t sharing the road with that four footed asshole. Subsequently I learned that I can just yell ‘NO!’ at him before he gets to the road and he backs off. I don’t like the SOB, but I can co-exist with him.
Yep, I would find him guilty as sin if I were on the jury. Especially when he had time to make a threat to the owner, rather than take his dog and move to safety. I doubt a neighbor would be angry if he stepped into their yard for a few minutes while the owner got the collar back on their pet.
It is a crime to shoot someones animal while they are actively trying to regain control over it.
Citation on the crime status, please.
WAHH!!! I’m going to hide behind the typical “citation needed!” rather than do an inkling of research.
Texas codified law:
(i) It is a defense to prosecution under Section 822.005(a) that, at the time of the conduct charged, the person’s dog was on a leash and the person:
(1) was in immediate control of the dog; or
(2) if the person was not in control of the dog, the person was making immediate and reasonable attempts to regain control of the dog.
Defense #2, the owner was immediately making reasonable attempts to regain control of her pet.
In texas? What about the other 49 states?
I’ve been chewed on by a dog back when I was maybe ten years old, possibly eleven. Remember that all too well, although the exact year has faded from memory.
I’ve been backpacking in wilderness and along comes a big dog off leash. If the dog was friendly I’d be friendly. A couple of times the dogs owner would come along and find me sitting with their dog, a piece of rope now tied to it’s collar and the dog resting at my feet. I’d remind the owner there were wild animals that would kill their dog. And wild animals that their dog dog would kill. There’s a leash law for a reason you know.
Couple of times I was threatened by a dog like that. It’s head down, teeth bared, snarling and growling low and it’s hair up on the back. I’d cal out loud as I could “COME GET YOUR DOG BEFORE I HAVE TO SHOOT IT!”.
The one time an owner did come running up the trail “Please don’t shoot my dog!”
“Get him on leash and away from me and I won’t have to”.
The other time turned out differently.
Control your animals. I love dogs dearly, dogs are darn near people, not all of them, but quite a few.
So just control your animals already, it ain’t that hard.
Yep. This comment thread is full of victim blaming. The douchebag owner that did not control her dog was not the victim. The citizen that shot the dog was the victim. He was in a public place minding his own business when an uncontrolled dog got mean.
Shooting someones dog while they are actively trying to regain control of it is highly illegal in many places. I’m sure the same applies just about any animal that isn’t an exotic or on the dangerous animal list.
The cop fucked up here and needs see some jail time. If cops actually got sent to jail for killing peoples pets, they just might stop doing it.
I do not believe that. You’re trying to convince me that if its owner is attempting to regain control of some POS dog, I just have to allow it to continue chewing on my neck? Bull. The time to “regain control” was before it attacked me.
The cop threw away all victim status when he too the time to threaten the owner rather than taking his dog and moving to safety. He forfeit victim status when he created a greater victim.
You don’t live in the real world, do you?
No, it’s you who doesn’t live in the real world. The last thing you want to do is p/u your dog and run away. That’s instant incentive for the violent dog to give chase. Very dangerous.
I once owned a really large German shepherd. Very docile. There was an Akita in the house behind us when we moved to Fl. My dog would be out in our screened-in pool, and this Akita would come over to our property and try to get to him. There were a few rescreening bills paid for by the owner. I was out walking my dog, on a leash, and turned the corner to head home. The Akita popped his head out of the owners garage, and sprinted up the street to attack my dog. While they were wrestling around, I foolishly stuck my hand in the middle of the melee as the other owner was running to get his dog. As the blood was pouring out of my hand, I got out my knife and stabbed the Akita 3X. I went to the emergency room, and both dogs ended up at the same vet! The vet told my wife the Akita’s wounds did not look like a dog bite. She just shrugged. Our back neighbor moved away shortly after. This happened well before Florida passed CCW.
Your lucky you didn’t have a neighbor with some spine. Stabbing someones dog is a good way to escalate a situation.
The neighbor was lucky, as well. That Akita would have been seriously and mysteriously dead long before that, from the description, if I had been in that situation, just coincidentally, dindunuffin, wasn’t around when it happened, oh well. I’ve only had to deal with some cats, a friend had to take out a dog in the neighbor’s back yard, from second floor deck. Too bad, so sad.
Conspiring to kill your neighbors pets, admitting to knowledge of felonies on a public form, unless your ‘friend’ is really you, in that case it could easily be argued as a confession. You really are a smart cookie aren’t you?
You reap what you sow, and you seem to sow a lot of evil.
Yes, he’s from a profession known to be inclined towards puppicide.
But we don’t know that he committed puppicide.
What we know:
1. He did attempt to go hands on with the offending pooch instead of just blowing it away when it would have been a lawful shoot, but made the mistake of lifting it by the collar and it escaped.
2. When he failed to restrain the attacking dog, he yelled at the owner to get her to restrain it.
3. Immediately thereafter, he shot it.
Most likely scenario:
The dog reinstigated the attack before its owner could restrain it, and the cop shot to end that attack. I don’t think it sounds like this cop is likely to shoot dogs unnecessarily, judging from steps #1 and #2 above.
Shooting someones dog while they are actively trying to regain control of it is illegal in a lot of places. I don’t recall specifically were I read it at but It might come up with some DDG Ninja work.
If the dog is attacking me, I’m shooting it. If it is not attacking me, I’m not shooting it while anyone is looking. Pretty easy, and I see no indication that was not the case here.
And if you shoot it while the owner is regaining control, you are going to get slapped with everything from animal cruelty, public endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, negligence, and anything else the prosecution can come up with. If the owner is a minor, or there are other minors present, your bullet strikes someones home, one of their kids, someones mother, The prosecution will have even more charges to sling around, not to mention civil suits from everyone else affected.
Whipping out a gun every time you have a problem isn’t the smartest thing to do, you have no guarantee the owner doesn’t have his own gun and isn’t going to shoot the person shooting his dog. Point the gun at the owner at any point and you get slapped with brandishing a weapon.
If you managed to shoot the dog, and shoot the owner, its a long ride through the legal system and if I were on the jury, I would find you guilty at every turn, both by the letter of the law and by conscience.
So how about take the civilized route and not shoot someone else’ pet. Suppose this hypothetical, vicious, menacing, evil black assault-dog you fear so much leaves you with a few bite marks, rub some dirt on it and fleece the owner in court, you can actually claim victim status then. Once you kill someone elses pet, the pet owner becomes the greater victim, and you may very well lose all victim status.
I and my dog (intact, male, German Shepherd) have been attacked many times by dogs running loose, particularly pit bulls and rotties if there’s more than one of them traveling together.
I use the following implements in the sequence given to stop the attacks:
1) Marine signal horn (loud as all get out)
2) Mace
3) Folding knife, 3.5″ blade
4) Pistol
I’ve never had to use either the knife or pistol. The horn works extremely well if the dog’s aren’t engaged in a fight already. The Mace handled the rest of the cases.
So what you’re saying is because this guy did not have a horn and mace, he is automatically guilty? Didn’t know Texas has a law requiring dog walkers to carry a horn and mace.
(TTAG needs a comment system that better facilitates discussion…)
There isn’t much that can be done about American pits and rots, they are hardwired for fighting. Purebred pitbulls look vastly different and don’t have the same genetic problems.
6.5 Creedmore is the best round for “off leash “ dogs… Can’t be topped….
Fortunately, aggressive dogs off their leashes sometimes get shot in self-defense.
Hey, TTAG, I fixed that first sentance of the article for you. You’re welcome. 😉
When are idiot dog owners going to learn to keep their idiot dogs on a freaking leash?
Who needs a gun in the morning? No, jerk, the real question is, who needs to deal with an agressive dog off the leash in the morning?
Pig needs to see jail time equal to the lifespan of the dog. He knew he could get away with killing someones dog and he even had the time to tell the owner hes going to shoot the dog rather than pick his own up and leave the scene.
Not to mention, you shoot someones dog, poison it, or abuse it, expect retaliation, its the way the universe operates. The only excuse that can be passed off is if its a pit or a rot which are statistically proven to be fatally aggressive breeds.
Dogs ninja out of collars, it happens, you don’t get a free pass to murder someones family member when you have every opportunity to leave the area, rather than beat your chest screaming how ya da poooleeeceee and can shoot anyone you like. Pigs needs to be held criminally and civilly liable for their actions, along with legislation passed to provide harsh penalties to abusers. Then, this shit just might stop.
Hey, at least he didn’t tell the owner to cut his dogs head off. Theres that I guess.
Good grief. You got some wild dreams going on there. Couple decades back, my kid brother was singlehandedly responsible for an entire neighborhood going to full time leashes on their dogs, new fences going up, just all kinds of improvements without a whit of government exertion. Neighborhood dogs liked to come by in packs and kill his pet chickens. Owners denied it, cops were too busy, so he bought a 12 guage pump. Problems quit real quick. Nobody ever figured out where all those missing dogs went.
“A couple of decades ago…” Before the age of surveillance, GPS collars, and the ability to prosecute POS people for animal cruelty. Your ‘kid brother’ would be in a heap of shit today.
It’s legal in Texas to defend livestock from marauding dogs using deadly force.
I’ve had to do it myself.
Arc is a hysterical twit.
It may be legal, but the value of livestock can also be recovered in civil court. Having a concerned neighbor follow the GPS trail of their dog to the point where it stopped at and finding blood may lead to a very pissed off neighbor and to things that can not be recovered through the court.
My neighbors have some questionable dogs, but shooting dog makes for bad neighbors. The only instance I would shoot in would be to protect me and mine, including my dogos and only when breaking a fight by other means wasn’t working. Livestock is just that, its livestock, it can be replaced. Pets can not be replaced.
-edit-
Typical of JWM, devolving to personal insults and Ad hominem attacks.
(i) It is a defense to prosecution under Section 822.005(a) that, at the time of the conduct charged, the person’s dog was on a leash and the person:
(1) was in immediate control of the dog; or
(2) if the person was not in control of the dog, the person was making immediate and reasonable attempts to regain control of the dog.
I guess the Texas codified law is a ‘hysterical twit’ as well? See defense #2 which pertains to the main article.
Having neighbors with violent dogs makes for worse neighbors.
I would really like to know the final outcome of this story.
It’s too bad some folks are solely focused on the victim’s profession, not the incident. It really illustrates the caliber of the individual who verbally abuses victims. Karma baby, karma.
I have a real problem with people who don’t care about leash laws. I also have a real problem with aggressive dogs. I carry dog mace in the summer time and a 45 in the winter time when I walk. Two pit bulls and an invisible fence on my walking route.
we did not get the full ending of the story, and if the only evidence is this testimony of an article, then he was in the wrong, it never attacked, only growled. Is there protentional of an attack with a precursor of growling? Yes. As former LEO and knowing them the way I do, I can almost guarantee, he (sic) woke up in a shitty mood, and shot the dog for evil pleasure and being LEO knew he could get away with it. None of them know Peel nine principles anymore. Mostly thugs in uniform. Unfortunately.
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