There’s an alarming trend in America — of trigger-happy police shooting homeowners’ pet dogs “by mistake”.
The latest incident took place in Colorado.
CBS4 in Denver, CO reports on Jan. 15, 2013, that that Jeff Fisher of Adams County is in shock after deputies shot and killed his dog.
Fisher said police went to his house by mistake. When they forced their way through the door, Fisher’s dog Ziggy ran outside and an Adams County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed him.
Fisher said Ziggy went to the door “to see who it was and the police officer shot him three times. They killed my dog for no reason. I called the dog, he turned to come back to me and the police officer opened fire.”
Ziggy was an 8-year-old Blue Healer/Border Collie mix.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the address on reports of a business alarm going off. Fisher said he rents space from the neighboring business where the alarm was sounded.
A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office said he can’t say more until the investigation is complete but did release this statement, “It’s our goal at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office to complete a thorough investigation of this incident, be able to answer any questions that people who have concerns about this incident may have and to do right for the owner of this dog.”
Fisher said he wants that deputy to be held accountable: “I’m on the ground crying hysterically and the police officer says, ‘You need to calm down, you can get a new dog’.”
The attorney representing Fisher, Jennifer Edwards, believes that animal shootings are out of control, and referred to the elk in Boulder and the dog in Commerce City that were recently shot and killed by law enforcement. Edwards said, “Something has got to be done about it. They’re taking our family members and I don’t care that they’re the furry family members they’re family members no less.” Edwards wants answers and reform on how law enforcement deals with animals. She believes a lawsuit is likely.
Fisher said he just wants his friend back, “I don’t have kids. That’s my son.” Ziggy was his best friend and Fisher can’t believe he’s gone.
A reader of this news on PrisonPlanet, philip41, makes an interesting point:
philip41 says:
January 16, 2013 at 6:24 am
If you ask me all this shooting dogs by the police is an initiation in proving you are willing to kill. Like psychopaths who practice on animals before they move up to killing people.
Another commenter alerts us to two other especially egregious incidents:
Cop Shoots Restrained Dog In The Head
Chicago Cop Shoots Puppy Twice for Wagging its Tail; Police Return 2 Days Later and Issue Ticket
H/t FOTM reader Joan W.
~Eowyn
