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| An officer with the D.C. police department shot and killed dog named Parrot, pictured above. |
No law enforcement officer wants to kill a family dog, but there are times when the only option is to use a gun, authorities say.
"No one wants to do that," said Fayetteville police Lt. Chris Davis. "It's kind of a last resort."
But it happens, as it did in May when a Cumberland County sheriff's deputy shot and killed Gizmo, a 17 1/2-pound Pekingese-dachshund mix. Gizmo slipped out the door of his house in Hope Mills when his owner, Dana Anderson, went outside to speak with the deputy.
Also last month, Hoke County sheriff's Deputy Corey Manning killed Big Daddy, a pitbull belonging to Bobby Posey in the Rockfish community. Posey said the dog was lying on the front steps of his granddaughter's home while other family members were in the house. He said no one has given him an explanation. Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin referred questions to the county attorney, William Fields, who could not be reached.
Fayetteville police reported that officers shot 39 dogs over a 6 1/2-year period, from Jan. 1, 2005 to June 9, 2011. About half were pitbulls. The majority of the shootings involved officers on patrol, while the others happened during the execution of search warrants, Davis said.
In Cumberland County, deputies killed one dog, a pit bull, in 2011 while helping to make an arrest with the U.S. Marshal's Service's Violent Fugitive Task Force, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Tanna said.
Since January, two family dog incidents, including Gizmo's shooting, have been reported, she said. The second involved a deputy who used a stun gun on a Doberman pinscher as it attacked him.
Fayetteville police and the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office set out guidelines for dealing with animals in their use of force policies. Both agencies say that killing an animal is justified only if an officer feels threatened or if others at the scene are in danger.
That leaves the decision in the hands of the officer, said police Sgt. Todd Joyce.
"If you're at a call that requires immediate attention and a dog comes charging at you and you have to take immediate action, if it escalates, shooting the dog is justified," he said. "It comes down to the individual officer, and do they feel that it's a threat."
While officers try to avoid killing a family pet, any officer who has an issue with dogs for whatever reason is likely to react differently, Joyce said.
Law enforcement officers often have less lethal options, including pepper or chemical spray, an ASP baton or Tasers, Davis said.
Deputy Barbara Siau, who killed Gizmo, was wearing civilian clothing rather than a uniform and had no nonlethal tools at her disposal, authorities have said. Sheriff Moose Butler has now directed that deputies in the Child Support Enforcement Unit, where Siau works, begin wearing uniforms that include nonlethal weapons.
Dr. Jack Lauby, director of Cumberland County Animal Control and a veterinarian, said the change is for the better.
"I think the sheriff is looking at where he needs his people to have an alternative method," Lauby said.
Chemical sprays and Tasers are both effective, nonlethal choices, Lauby said.
"I do think when an officer is in his performance of duty, he needs to be able to use something other than lethal force," he said.
The best way to ensure that a family pet stays safe is to keep it inside when law enforcement, firefighters or emergency personnel are called to a residence, Lauby and Joyce said.
"If you call 911 and you know you have a dog, you should already have that dog put up when they (emergency responders) get there - especially if you have a dog that doesn't like strangers," Joyce said.
by Nancy McCleary
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