City's police dog killed by county man

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Originally Posted by cyber-sibes

How tragic. But let me get this straight - this guy is the policeman's neighbor, and the dog's been living there since 2003, and this guy didn't recognize the dog?????? I live just outside of Findlay, all the houses have farm fields in between, so 1/4 mile apart is not that big a deal. And the people around here all know who has what animals.

I think this guy's excuse sounds pretty lame. He was worried about his son, but he took the time to go into the house, load a gun (unless he keeps a loaded rifle in the same house his child lives in :rolleyes: ), come back out & shoot the dog? B.S.

He should at the very least, have to reimburse the city for the loss.

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well said Pat

Amen Pat.

1/4 mile is not that far. My parents live in a rural area. I don't know all the neighbors that well, but I know if there is a dog in my parents yard, I can typically tell whose it is. The chow lives a 1/4 mile away. The terrier, about a 100 yards. The neighbors across used to have a Husky.

We've either led the dog home, called the owners, hollar at it from a window (and they typically scoot off) or if it's an unknown, called animal control.

It would of taken him less time to hollar at the dog to try and scare it off than to go load a gun and shoot it. :(

I have to agree with Lilac....this was totally preventable....by the handler not leaving a $15,000 dog unattended. I don't like the idea of shooting strange dogs just for wandering on your property, but some people don't think of dogs as family members and don't attach the same emotional value to them that we do.

Honestly, the dog was on his property, and I have seen the "belgian stare" at the dog park and can understand how that could be very intimidating to someone unfamiliar with the breed.

As for recognizing the dog...if he is one of the people who doesn't attach much emotional value to a dog, he may have met his neighbor before and not paid any attention to the appearance of the dog.

I don't like that he just shot the dog out of hand, however, I don't think he was totally out of line to do so either.

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Originally Posted by LilacDragon

So let me understand this.

A POLICE OFFICER lets his dog out unattended, the dog wanders a quarter of a mile from the officer's home and you people are mad at the guy with the GUN because he felt the need to defend his child from a dog he didn't recognize that was in his yard!?!

Just for fun - would you be mad if the neighbor owned a large, powerful dog that got loose and wandered into the officer's yard and the officer shot it? Or would the neighbor still be an idiot - but this time because he left his dog out unattended?

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What an ignorant line of thought...

Unattended dog + tresspassing = Defending (Fair)

Shooting or killing = 1st defense option (Moronic)

Get where I'm going with this lady? If your little doggies nip at my heel, I have the right to stomp there heads into the pavement because I was holding my child, right? Or is it only OK to shoot a dog because of size? Which is it

When a dude wips out a gun to shoot a dog that was not in any way menacing, gues what, he's a REDNECK

I'm sorry if you got a little defensive when the term was used, and you probably dropped your Busch beer and stained that Dale Earnheart t-shirt you were wearing, but the shoe definetly fits in this instance... ;) The child was in a vehicle, away from the dog that was located in the backyard, now maybe most of the vehicles on blocks in your front lawn are missing doors, or glass, but I can assure you this one had both.

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Originally Posted by 347fairless

What an ignorant line of thought...

Unattended dog + tresspassing = Defending (Fair)

Shooting or killing = 1st defense option (Moronic)

Get where I'm going with this lady? If your little doggies nip at my heel, I have the right to stomp there heads into the pavement because I was holding my child, right? Or is it only OK to shoot a dog because of size? Which is it

When a dude wips out a gun to shoot a dog that was not in any way menacing, gues what, he's a REDNECK

I'm sorry if you got a little defensive when the term was used, and you probably dropped your Busch beer and stained that Dale Earnheart t-shirt you were wearing, but the shoe definetly fits in this instance... ;) The child was in a vehicle, away from the dog that was located in the backyard, now maybe most of the vehicles on blocks in your front lawn are missing doors, or glass, but I can assure you this one had both.

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LOLOL. That is pretty funny. I, too, wonder- if the guy had enough forethought to leave his 'child' in the car, to enter the home, grab and load a gun, and come out and shoot the dog, he had enough time to enter the home, grab a phone, and call the police. Come on....dogs wander onto my property all the time. I have a child. My first thought is to get Jonah securely placed, then do the same to the dog.

REDNECK. Heaven forbid some child wanders onto his property...like maybe a teenager? He might have to shoot the kid 'cause you don't know what he might do.

Our world is not perfect. Leashes break. Fences break. Doors that one thought were locked weren't. What happened to common sense?

RIP, OFFICER. You were taken long before your time by an act of stupidity.

while a bit blunt I had to smile the entire time I was reading your post 347fairless, it rings true. Now while Findlay is a larger city then the area I grew up - about 20 min south - I also know that there is one guy that while my dad was spreading fertilizer in his field he kept coming up on dead pigs, he finally asked the guy - why are there dead pigs out in your field? He said - oh I let them out one day and was sitting on my porch and decided to see how many times it took for me to SHOOT THEM before they died. Some of them I shot about 10 times! My dad high tailed it out of there before he shot HIM to see how many times it took! :confused: While this is an isolated - very assinine case - It is rare it happened, altho it certainly doesn't compare to to shooting a police dog.. I don't even like pigs all that much and felt awful for them. Talk about animal cruelty, torture.

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Originally Posted by 347fairless

REDNECK

I'm sorry if you got a little defensive when the term was used, and you probably dropped your Busch beer and stained that Dale Earnheart t-shirt you were wearing, but the shoe definetly fits in this instance... ;)

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I take offensive to that....I admit I'm a redneck, and while I'm not a Dale fan, I do have some stained Tony Stewart T-shirts! You're giving us Redneck Nascar fans a bad name!! :D

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Originally Posted by Cincy'sMom

I take offensive to that ... I admit I'm a redneck,
and while I'm not a Dale fan, I do have some stained Tony Stewart T-shirts!

You're giving us Redneck Nascar fans a bad name!! :D

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CONTEXT, Amy - Context!

YOU haven't shot any Police Dogs in your back yard, lately, have you?

REDNECKS are fine; Rednecks with GUNS are sometimes a problem!

:D

/s/ RedPhred

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 347fairless

What an ignorant line of thought...

Unattended dog + tresspassing = Defending (Fair)

Shooting or killing = 1st defense option (Moronic)

Get where I'm going with this lady? If your little doggies nip at my heel, I have the right to stomp there heads into the pavement because I was holding my child, right? Or is it only OK to shoot a dog because of size? Which is it

When a dude wips out a gun to shoot a dog that was not in any way menacing, gues what, he's a REDNECK

I'm sorry if you got a little defensive when the term was used, and you probably dropped your Busch beer and stained that Dale Earnheart t-shirt you were wearing, but the shoe definetly fits in this instance... ;) The child was in a vehicle, away from the dog that was located in the backyard, now maybe most of the vehicles on blocks in your front lawn are missing doors, or glass, but I can assure you this one had both.

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How very thoughtful of you. And you used your very first post for this? Gosh, but you are a smart one.

FYI - I don't drink or and all I know about Dale is that he used to race cars, not that I have ever seen a car race. As for the cars on my lawn, while my car is old, it runs and is neatly parked in the carport. Since I live in an apartment, there aren't any cars fitting your description in the parking lot.

It really is too bad to think that you feel the need to be so insulting and such an a$$ to someone who has an opinion different from yours.

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

CONTEXT, Amy - Context!

YOU haven't shot any Police Dogs in your back yard, lately, have you?

REDNECKS are fine; Rednecks with GUNS are sometimes a problem!

:D

/s/ RedPhred

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I always screw that whole Context thing up ;) :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cincy'sMom

I take offensive to that....I admit I'm a redneck, and while I'm not a Dale fan, I do have some stained Tony Stewart T-shirts! You're giving us Redneck Nascar fans a bad name!! :D

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Does this, or does it not, mean YOU like Busch beer????? :D :eek:

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

Does this, or does it not, mean YOU like Busch beer????? :D :eek:

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I left the Busch beer part out intentioanlly...I do tend to be a little pickier on my beer :D

News report from Findlay Courier
Crowd mourns loss of Findlay police dog


By J. STEVEN DILLON

STAFF WRITER

The Findlay Police Department got some good news Thursday, the same day that officers and the community gathered at Central Auditorium to mourn the loss of the department's lone canine officer.

An estimated crowd of 1,000 people -- mostly law enforcement officers and students -- paid their last respects to Flip, the canine officer who was shot by a neighbor after wandering away from his handler's home in Jackson Township on Nov. 18.

Near the end of the memorial service, Flip was given a last roll call over the police radio, an honor usually reserved for fallen human officers. A dispatcher announced at 10:43 a.m. that officer "C-3" -- Flip's badge number -- had ended his tour of duty.

But the solemn ceremony concluded on an upbeat note, when Police Chief Bill Spraw announced that former Findlay resident Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, plans to donate money to purchase a new police dog for the city.

The donation comes in the form of a grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund. It will also cover the cost of purchasing a ballistic vest for the new officer.

Spraw said after the memorial service that he did not know how soon a new dog would join the police ranks, or if Patrolman Bryon Deeter, Flip's partner, will want to be the new dog's handler.

"I am not sure how long it would be until we get another K-9 up and running," he said. "I believe it is 13 weeks of training. So at least that long."

In a press release from The Giving Back Fund, Roethlisberger said he expects the grant to be the first of many to police and fire departments throughout the United States.

A dog owner himself, Roethlisberger has expressed a specific interest in helping communities acquire police dogs, which due to budget constraints, often must be purchased through donations.

The city had paid about $15,000 for Flip, training and equipment back in 2003.

The grant announcement came at the end of an emotional 40-minute service for Flip, an almost 6-year-old Belgian Malinois who some speakers suggested may be impossible to replace.

Chief Spraw said he underestimated the impact the dog's death would have on his department, on the community and beyond. He said he has received numerous calls and e-mails in recent days from people who were saddened to learn of the dog's death.

"Flip was an officer. He was our friend," Spraw said. "Our department suffered a great loss."

Some of Flip's accomplishments were highlighted by the dozen or so people who spoke at the ceremony.

Known as "Flip the Wonder Dog" or "Flip the Super Dog" by some who saw him at work, the four-legged crime fighter made his mark in drug detection early in his career, and once sniffed out 40 pounds of cocaine that had been hidden in a compartment of a vehicle.

Flip was also certified in tracking and article search, and had helped conduct numerous successful tracks -- helping to apprehend suspects, locate suicidal subjects, and expose additional crime scenes.

His "sniff success" rate had risen from 83 percent during his first days on the police department to 97.4 percent this year.

Patrolman Kurt Necker said Flip had become so adept at detecting illegal substances that his mere presence on the streets impacted drug activity.

"It got so drug dealers would know when Bryon and Flip were working and would actually stop dealing when they were on duty," he said.

Brian Woods, a retired police officer and a master trainer at Lynnwood Kennels, where Flip and Deeter received their training back in 2003, recalled handing Deeter the leash for the first time when Flip was still a pup. He said he witnessed dog and handler grow confident together.

"I remember the look of shock on Bryon's face," he said. "They made a great team."

Hancock County sheriff's deputies Ron Digby and Fred Smith, who both have police dogs and who trained with Deeter and Flip over the years, each credited the city duo with making the sheriff's K-9 unit stronger.

Digby called Flip "awesome," while Smith said the dog was one of the best police officers this community has ever had.

"Flip set the standard for the rest of us," Smith said.

One student each from Central, Donnell, Glenwood and St. Michael's also spoke and then lit a candle on the auditorium stage to symbolize Flip's four years of service with the department.

Deeter and Flip had become regular visitors at local schools and at Safety Town over the years, where they did demonstrations and conducted assemblies. In turn, students raised money to buy Flip equipment by collecting pop tabs, and through other fundraisers.

Police said nearly 1,000 people attended the service Thursday, including about 700 students, 100 law enforcement officers from local and area departments, and another 200 community members.

Officers had honored Flip the past 12 days by wearing black bands on their badges, and by flying flags at the police memorial on Romick Parkway at half mast. The local police union has purchased a brick for the memorial walkway in Flip's memory and will recognize him at the memorial on June 4.



Did we notice that this threatening dog was mourned by 700 students from the schools he visited on a regular basis? I wonder how threatening he really was?



And from the Toledo Blade ( a city about 50 miles to the north of us)


Findlay mourns loss of police dog, rejoices in Steeler's gift to replace it.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...6/ebcba320.jpg


Flip’s handler, Findlay police officer Bryon Deeter, and his family, son Mikael, 17, and wife, Mary, bid an emotional good-bye to their friend and companion.


By JENNIFER FEEHAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER


FINDLAY - There were plenty of tears shed for Findlay's popular police dog Flip at a memorial service held for him yesterday, but the ceremony ended on a bright note.

Police Chief Bill Spraw announced that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had pledged to buy a new police dog for his hometown. The gift represents the first grant made from the newly established Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

Chief Spraw thanked Mr. Roethlisberger for his generosity and commended his parents, Ken and Brenda, who were among the crowd of students and community members assembled at Central Middle School auditorium for the memorial.

"Thank you for raising a great son," the chief said, as the audience rose to its feet and applauded.


Findlay Police Sgt. David Hill, left, and Patrolman Brad Doolittle stand at attention during the memorial service for Flip, the department’s K-9 officer, who was shot to death Nov. 18.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...2/ebcba323.jpg

Findlay police had been undecided about whether to try to replace Flip after the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois was shot to death Nov. 18 by a Jackson Township resident.

The dog had wandered about a half-mile away from the home of his handler, Officer Bryon Deeter, after a member of Officer Deeter's family let Flip out of the house but apparently forgot to let him back in before the family left to go to a relative's house.

Capt. Roger Treece of the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said a neighbor who had just pulled into his driveway with his 2-year-old son said he tried unsuccessfully to scare the dog away. He told deputies he went inside and got his shotgun, then shot Flip when the dog began coming toward him.

Captain Treece said investigative reports were turned over Wednesday to the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, although deputies are still awaiting a final report from the veterinarian who performed a necropsy on Flip and from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which processed evidence from the scene.

The feelings the Deeter family and Findlay police had for Flip were evident during the nearly hour-long memorial service that included prayers for Flip by the police chaplain, tributes by fellow officers, a bugler playing "Taps," and a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace." Students from the city's three middle schools and St.


Flip.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/ebcba31f.jpg

Michael the Archangel School also talked about how they enjoyed having Flip visit their school and lit four candles to represent his four years on the police force.

A tearful Brian Woods, a former Fremont police officer who trained Officer Deeter and Flip, said the bond between a police dog and his handler is a tight one based on trust and respect.

"For those of you who are thinking, 'What's the big deal? This was just a dog.' I wish I could plug you into any one of these K-9 officers here today," Mr. Woods said.

Findlay Police Officer Kurt Necker said Flip had earned the nicknames "Flip the wonder dog" and "Flip the super dog" because he was so proficient in sniffing out drugs and criminals. During his first year on the job, he located 40 pounds of cocaine in a hidden compartment of a car stopped by state troopers on I-75.

"The only thing Flip was missing was a little red cape to wear because it almost seemed like there wasn't anything he couldn't do," added Deputy Ron Digby, a K-9 handler with the Hancock County Sheriff's Office. "It almost got to the point where Flip could type Bryon's reports for him."

Chief Spraw said afterward that he hadn't budgeted for a new police dog and was thrilled when he heard Mr. Roethlisberger wanted to help the city out.

The amount of his gift was not made public, but Stephanie Sandler, chief executive officer of the Giving Back Fund, which helped set up the Roethlisberger Foundation, said the grant would cover the full cost of a new dog and equipment like a K-9 ballistic vest. City officials estimated they had $15,000 invested in Flip, including equipment and training.

"My Dad instilled in me a love and respect for animals," the Steelers quarterback said in a statement. "This is a good way to combine that passion with a desire to support the police and fire departments, which deserve all the appropriate resources needed to protect our cities and neighborhoods."

"Ben loves dogs, and he has a lot of friends on the police department," Mayor Tony Iriti said afterward.

The mayor added that losing Flip was akin to losing a human police officer and pledged to "lead the charge for whatever penalties can be done civilly or criminally" for the loss.

That's an amazing display of honor for this police dog. :) I didn't know
that this football player was from Finday. :cool:

I really hope that this offficer recieving the replacement dog make a
promise to look after it himself & never just assume someone else has
done the proper thing. it's not just the cost of the dog. but the trust
the dog places with it's owner/handler.

amazing.
Go Ben!