This is a cross post but one i think will outrage most of you, this kind of shit has to stop and come with a heavy price not matter who the shooter is.
PLEASE CROSSPOST! This story needs to be heard by every dog owner, but especially by every pit bull owner. It could happen to any of us.
I am so angry and upset for my neighbor, Tracy and her dog, Veruca. Please read the story below and take a look at the link. In short, a cop chased an unarmed suspect who climbed the fence into Tracy's yard, which is enclosed by a 6 ft privacy fence. The suspect ran through the yard with no problem, but when the cop climbed over and saw Tracy's pit bull, Veruca, in the yard, he shot her 4 times with his weapon, allowing the suspect to get away. Veruca is an indoor dog and is very sweet. Tracy was right inside the house watching TV. Veruca wouldn't attack anyone, yet this cop is trying to cover his ass and lie by claiming that Veruca attacked him. Oh really? Why didn't she attack the suspect? Lying piece of crap cop! This type of behavior by "trained" law enforcement officials cannot be tolerated!
Veruca's vet bills will be very expensive. If you can, please consider donating towards her medical expenses. Veruca is at Inman Animal Hospital and they can be reached at 404-584-8761. Her mom's name is Tracy Dummett and the account is under her name.
"Officers Shoot Dog While Chasing Drug Suspect; Owner Angry - News Story - WSB Atlanta"
The link:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/17740280/detail.html?taf=atlHere's Tracy's recounting of the incident:
From: Tracy Dummett
Subject: [capitolviewhomeowners] Police Shot My Dog
Date: Friday, October 17, 2008, 7:49 AM
I just need to share this with all of you dog owners in the neighborhood.
It was about 5:00 when I heard my dog barking in my completely fenced backyard on Langston near Deckner. I looked out the side/front window and saw a police officer run by on the sidewalk and then back in the other direction. I immediatley went to the front door to see what was going on, and I saw another officer running down the other side of my house towards the backyard. I heard someone say "freeze" and realized what was happening. Since my dog was out back, I went towards the back door to call her in and lock the doors fearing that the suspect might try to come in my house. As I approached the back door, I heard a round of gunfire. When I opened the door, I found my poor dog covered in blood, a victim of gunshot wounds. The officers said that they were chasing a suspicious character who climbed my 6 foot privacy fence. The officer also climbed the fence to gain access to my yard and then shot my dog 4 times because he was afraid of her. As he was shooting my dog, the suspect got away. According to the police supervisor, the suspect was being questioned about his reason for being in a known drug area and decided to run.
I'm very upset. The officer said that he didn't know that there was a dog in the yard, but I heard her barking incessantly for the previous couple of minutes (and I was inside with the TV blaring). It just doesn't make sense to me. Why wouldn't I have a dog in my fenced yard? It seems like a pretty established tradition for people to have pet dogs in their yards. Most police are huge advocates for having dogs for protection around here. This person of interest was not armed or dangerous. If the cop was afraid of dogs, he should not have entered onto my property to chase some suspected petty criminal.
Anyway, the police wouldn't offer any help with saving my dogs life, either. They just said, "Ma'am, we're very sorry about your dog" and stood there until a female officer showed up(I guess I should be lucky that they they didn't arrest me). The female officer went in the backyard with me to help pick the dog up in a blanket and put her in my car. I asked for a ride to the vet in a cruiser, but was told that they were not allowed to take animals in their car. And they pretty much laughed in my face when I was screaming for an ambulance for my dog. I then drove hysterically to the vet, and as of 30 minutes ago, she is still alive. The vet thinks that she has about an 85% chance of full recovery, but it will be a couple of days to know for sure. He said that she was a VERY lucky dog to have taken 4 bullets without hitting a major organ or spine. The vet bill is going to be enormous whether she survives or not.
My major disappointment is with the police officers' actions. Why climb a 6 foot wooden fence into a yard with a barking dog over a measly suspicious street character? Why not knock on my door to gain access to my property and to assure that I was not in danger? Why shoot a citizen's pet 4 times? Why not take the distraught(understatement) homeowner and injured pet to the vet in a cruiser? How would they have treated a K9 dog who was shot? Shouldn't my pet have the same right to emergency treatment as a K9 dog? Do I need to put razor wire around the top of my 6 foot wooden privacy fence?
I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Thanks,
Ami
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