City's police dog killed by county man

[cyber-sibes]

Thanks for posting the articles, Diana. That was quite a memorial service! It will be interesting to see what happens legally/criminally regarding this incident. The generous gift from Ben R. just shows that the pride & love Findlay has for him flows both ways! Thank you, Ben!

[RICHARD]

Some food for thought...

Cop dogs are trained attack dogs. Without a handler present there is no way to know how a dog will act...

If a dog goes off, "shoo dog" ain't gonna work. If they grab a limb they ain't gonna let go unless you have the magic word. Cop dogs are usually trained to respond to their handlers-in commands given in German.

This dog should not have been out and about.

Let's say the dog see's a kid running down the street and the instinct to chase takes over?

How many times have we seen someone that owns a PB or Rott cited/and or jailed because their dog was out and about?

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Other than USAR, military sentry and Customs work dogs should not be used by Law Enforcement.

The thing that really pi$$es me off is when I hear of a dog killed by some slug (redneck?) and the PD justifies it by saying something stupid like, "it could have been an officer..."

Oh sure......send an animal into a situation where they can be killed or maimed? Poor fricking animals only know a job and a job well done.
I am sure that if they knew what they were doing they'd opt for a porch, food and stew bones as opposed to being a point for the man.

Take a look at some of the documentaries on the dogs that served in Viet Nam.

Yes, they helped save lives on the battlefield, but in the end what happened to them?

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No, the dog did not deserve to be shot. But there is enough blame to spread to both parties....

My brother had a nasty GS dog that was a total jerk, While he was on vacation I was watching it. It got loose and was hit by a car.

Do I blame the driver of the car? NOPE, It was all my fault for not making sure the dog was secured. END OF SUBJECT.

No one wants to accept blame for anything anymore..

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Good bye Mark Martin!

[wolfsoul]

No, the dog did not deserve to be shot. But there is enough blame to spread to both parties....

I completely agree. You know how many times I've heard "my dog was in heat in the backyard and a male dog jumped the fence and got to her." So it was the male dog's fault, right? Nope. It's YOUR dog. It's YOUR responsibility to watch the dog. If you do not want your dog to get pregnant, you make sure it's 100% impossible for your dog to get out and another dog to get in. The same goes in any situation. While it was wrong for the dog to be shot, the dog should not have been loose in the first place. Belgians are very athletic dogs -- while my Visa was in Alberta, she was placed in a yard with an 8 foot fence. She jumped it. Luckily the breeder was responsible enough to have been watching through the window the entire time. In French ring (a sport that police dogs are occasionally quite active in), Belgians jump 10 foot fences.

No, I don't think the dog should have been shot. But a Belgian owner, and one that owns a police trained Belgian, of all people, should know that these dogs are not golden retrievers. These are dangerous dogs. These dogs posess a drive like no other and are NOT to be underestimated.
99% of schutzhund trained dogs are in it for the game -- these are stable, well trained dogs. They will not attack unless they see a sleeve, and in their mind, they aren't "attacking." They are playing a game.
Then you get the 1% of schutzhund trained dogs (these are the ones used by police officers) that are serious about their work. They will attack whether or not they see a sleeve. I have seen these dogs in action and have not been impressed by the lack of control that the owners and trainers have over these dogs. I've almost been attacked, my dog has almost been attacked. It's not the dogs' fault -- they were born with an aggression and a drive -- and then they were trained to use it. Visa is one dog that could easily have been used by a police officer. It took alot of training and effort on my part to control her drive and diminish what effects it had over her so that I and others around me could feel safe -- a police officer would have brought her drive up, encouraged it. A Belgian in drive WILL bite their owner and people they know well, if they are in the way. A Belgian's drive is not triggered by something unimportant -- it is triggered by another dog, a child running, an animal moving, etc.

These are not just dogs you can leave in your backyard unattended. I would never speak about another breed with such candor, but I have been around these dogs, I own these dogs, and now I breed these dogs, and I have seen and experienced enough to know that these are not dogs for the average joe, and they need to be properly contained at all times.

[RICHARD]

I went to my 'fountain of wisdom' and came back with this nugget.

In espanol there are many wonderful sayings, called "dichos".
They are kinda generic for each situation.

For this situation?


Despues de un buen servicio.
Una mal paga.


Translated?

After one good service
One bad return/payback.

[mina'smomma]

Sheriff Mike Heldman said the man indicated the dog was not acting aggressively when he shot him.

"He said the reason he shot him was because he was concerned for the safety of his son, who was still in the vehicle," Heldman said.

In all other words.... I just shot him because he was there. I'm sorry, but if the dog is not acting in an agressive manner then there is no reason to shoot them. He was just being plain mean and stupid. I feel sorry for the owner.

[cyber-sibes]

Sheriff Mike Heldman said the man indicated the dog was not acting aggressively when he shot him.

I'm speechless.

[RICHARD]

Ask any professional to leave their tools outside on the sidewalk.

Now, There is a difference with a tool and a dog.

But, this cop was negligent with his partner/tool/city property.

"I forgot to let him in..."

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The dog was in no way dangerous at that point.

I dare anyone to approach a stray in the street or your yard.

Killing the dog was WAY OVER THE LINE.


The homeowner should be charged with cruelty.

The cop?

Leash law, mismanaging public property, animal neglect and what else?


Fine each half of the training costs and throw them both in jail.


Most people who are given company property are entrusted to care for it in a reasonable manner.

We can deflect the fact that the cop was stupid by leaving the dog outside,
We do blame the owner for shooting the dog...

If the dog was cared for in a reasonable manner, there would not be a story.
Lay the blame where it belongs.


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You can almost argue the same idea had the cop left a gun on the sidewalk.

Alone, the gun was just fine.
It wasn't until the humans got involved that things went wrong.