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A pair of stunningly beautiful 3-year old Siberian Huskies were shot and killed by Crown Point, Indiana police on Wednesday after a frantic 9-1-1 caller claimed that a pair of “wolves or coyotes” were loose and attacking her cat.
When police arrived on scene, they witnessed the cat being attacked by two animals that they assumed were coyotes, not a pair of beloved family pets that had simply escaped their yard.
The Northwest Indiana Gazette reported that police initially tried pepper-spraying the dogs to break up the attack, but when that didn’t work, at least one officer fired at the dogs, killing them.
Witnesses report that each dog was shot at least 3 to 4 times.
The dogs’ owners, Lindsay Schild and Brad Nitz, say the dogs escaped from Brads father-in-laws home in Liberty Park. The dogs were not wearing collars or tags.
Brad Nitz told The Examiner, “They knew all commands on how to pull a sled and they pulled me on my mountain bike. They’re just so awesome the nicest dogs ever. Wish you could have met them.”
He and Lindsay rescued the pair of Siberian Huskies, named Atka and Kenai, about 3 years ago from a couple that had moved from Alaska to “the lower 48,” and that they were the smartest dogs he’d ever owned.
The shooting has sparked nationwide outrage over yet another police shooting involving a dog, occurring just on the heels of the emotional police shooting of Max the Rottweiler in Hawthorne, California.
With about 50% of all intentional police shootings involving dogs, the need for police training in both animal behavior and dog handling has become a very real necessity.
Schild says she doesn’t want her dogs’ deaths to be in vain. “I’m going to do everything in my power to try to get something changed so people become more aware of huskies. I want to get something out there so this doesn’t happen again,” she told Crown Point Community.
Police say shooting the dogs was “an absolute last resort,” as they believed the dogs were a serious threat to their own safety. One of the officers on scene is a K-9 handler.
What do you think could be done to put an end to the continued problem of family dogs dying at the hands of police? Weigh in with a comment below.
Rest in peace, Atka and Kenai.
A
Feb 4, 2016 at 2:45 am
That cat netter aj e been ripped apart. Its ahit trash owner needs to also. Fucking monsters. That cat is shit. Nothing
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Oct 3, 2014 at 5:12 am
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You obviously know what youre talking about, why
waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be
giving us something informative to read?
adam
Nov 19, 2013 at 12:50 am
I made the mistake of shooting a wild reserve dog today looked exactly like a wolf in my scope at 250 yards.he died instantly which was good but I still felt horrible. No collar not a house around for at least 10 miles in all directions. But I made a mistake and that will always way on my heart because I love domestic dogs. I have 2 of my own at home I really wish I wasn’t a good shot this incident is making me rethink coyote and wolf hunting.
Sharon C.
Sep 15, 2014 at 1:16 pm
You shouldn’t shoot wolves anyway. In most places they’re endangered thanks to human stupidity.
TheTruth
Jun 8, 2017 at 8:15 am
Sharon, it depends on where you live. There are plenty of places where wolves are out of control, especially following a season of lower wild prey numbers (In the latter case they begin to more frequently roam into villages and kill dogs, sometimes even people).
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al
Jul 24, 2013 at 10:34 pm
The best way to protect your pets is to make sure they don’t run loose, and without tags.
K
Jul 21, 2013 at 2:16 pm
It makes me so angry that so many people see cats as inferior or less important pets than dogs. Cats are extremely smart and loving….and YES they can be outdoors provided they have the right shots. The death of a pet cat is just as sad and tragic as the death of any dog . While I don’t condone the shooting, it’s not completely unreasonable to shoot two dogs (without tags) who are in the process of mauling another animal. With that said, this is yet another incident of an animal being shot who could have instead been subdued with some sort of tranquilizer or taser. I understand cops don’t always have these types of weapons on them, but perhaps they should….particularly a K-9 cop. This is a devastating incident for all the pet owners involved.
Kaylor
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Stupid, stupid, stupid…………there are so many ways to stop this sort of thing. I have found that just screaming “NO” at the top of my lungs will stop such an attack. I do have more lung power than most. But he who barks loudest usually wins. If that doesn’t work…………..
Pulling a tail does………but that would take a little more knowledge on the part of the officer. Knowing that it is extremely rare for a Siberian to attack a person. Oh, I know, of course the officer cannot put himself at any risk………… Then get a desk job. I know some of them to have said they want an exciting job, but then can’t really handle anything that really gets exciting.
K9 officer trainer
Jul 20, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Had all the pet owners following the law, of course none of this would have occurred. The fault for all of this lies squarely on the shoulders of the two gun happy gestapo. Too often we hear of a dog shot to death by cops, who fear for their lives when confronted by some family pet. What needs to happen here the dog owner to sue the badges these dog killers.
kl
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:04 am
Sad to hear this story.
I find it hard to believe that the police respond to a cat being attacked, not where I live!
I also find it hard to believe the police felt threaten by these dogs as they are not an aggressive breed, they are escape artists.
I feel for the owners.
Maybe the owners can help educate with photos of wolves, coyotes, Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, German Shepherds,Belgian Shepherds, etc. just to list a few.
Hawk Hart
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:03 am
I feel for the couple who lost their beloved pets, BUT… I am a long time animal rescue worker, and this MAY have been avoided by having collars on the dogs, and leaving them with someone who would be more diligent about watching them and keeping them safe in their yard, but without all of the facts, I can not come to that conclusion right away. I DO know that dogs escape, I myself have experienced the loss of a dog due to her escaping from a friend’s yard, BUT… I know it was MY fault!! There were other options I could have taken and did not. I am actually amazed that the police tried pepper spray first, and that is a good thing, but I also know that some dogs are just prey driven, and will attack small animals on instinct. It is NOT the breed at fault here!!! This tragedy is due to the fact that the dogs were running loose, and did not have collars on!! This tragedy is one that may not have been avoided except in hind sight. It could be that the couple trusted the person they left their dogs with, and had taken all precautions to ensure that their dogs were safe and well cared for, but that something went wrong and the dogs got loose! I can not blame the police in this case. This is NOTHING like the one when the rotty was shot. These animals can, and DO, resemble coyotes! I am thinking about the couple who have lost their beloved family members!
Pamela P
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:05 pm
First, I agree with the perspectives of most comments already made. I have an Alaskan Malamute and see the wolf physical likeness however, it ends there. Dogs on a leash verses dogs in another’s yard/at night/no owner is another story. Pets outside their familiar environment tend to want to explore. These owners knew how fast their dogs were. These dogs should never have been off leash. Since the dogs were not of the area, this woman didn’t know them. She just saw her cat being killed. And not all dogs see cats as prey. My dog was taught early on to ignore cats, and he does. A simple consistent “no” when passing a stray cat did the trick (off the leash or on.) I don’t know how the dogs viewed cats normally. Regarding the officers…perhaps one-shot to one of the dogs legs may have stopped the attack by complete shock, I don’t know. However, these officers did not know if these dogs were wild or rabid (regardless of breed.) Simple IDs and collars would have changed the outcome (to some degree) for these dogs. Now the owners of these dogs have to live knowing what they didn’t do; protect their pets. This woman knows now that cats stay inside. It’s just a sad event.
Trish
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:51 pm
i highly doubt the pepper spray wouldnt get the dogs off the cat and they shot both dogs repeatedly? Absolutly no reason for it! A non-kill shot would have ended it right there and then, even a shot into the ground near them would have caused them to run. A k9 handler should have known that they werent coyotes or wolves, at least. If thses kind of people can go around and shoot our family pets and claim they thought they were wild whats from stopping them from shooting a pissed off person instead of tackling them to the ground? Yes if a dog comes after my cats i would do what is necessary to get it off my cat, but i wouldnt kill it, its someones family. Not to mention shouldnt a K9 handler know how to break up a dog attack? Thats kinda what THEIR dogs do!
I love my two huskies and I am sorry the owners had to go through this. I hope they get some justice for their loss.
Paul
Jul 19, 2013 at 8:03 pm
What about trying to use a taser on them before using deadly force?
Kathee
Jul 29, 2013 at 9:10 am
Tazers are not available to every police officer or station. They are expensive and require training.
Linda Lord
Jul 19, 2013 at 6:22 pm
enough “fault” to go around. The life of the cat, who was someones pet, is no less important. However I think it odd that the police thought they might be wolf or coyote.
Jim
Jul 19, 2013 at 4:46 pm
By far the fault of the owners. Dogs are required in most cities and townships to have licenses. These require collars. Sad story. The dogs are just too
big to run loose, by accident or on purpose.
D Plummer
Jul 19, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Did they “attack” the cat or were they playing? No mention of the cat dying. If they were attacking it, it wouldn’t have looked like a cat by the time the police got there. I have a dog that loves playing with our cats – she’s a bit rough with them but they come back for more so they know she’s just playing and maybe that’s how they like it. Most animals don’t realize their size and that they can actually hurt the smaller one. Also, what was the cat doing out without a leash? Mine are quite well-behaved when we all go for walks.
Joy
Jul 19, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Very sad all around, however I must fault the beautiful dogs’ owners, as dogs must be kept in control, should have collars, and tags. I cannot fault the police, or cat owner for their actions. The police had to defend themselves, and that cat! I live in the PNW where there are lots of huskies, and coyotes. I see coyotes out here often.The dogs were following canine ( sled dog) instincts, unfortunately they were allowed to roam… Like coyotes ? I am certain that if the officer had been a handler, he hated to have to shoot. Don’t blame them! it’s the dog owner’s fault for allowing I tagged dogs to roam. All dogs NEED to be controlled by their owners. Always!
Celano
Jul 19, 2013 at 3:15 pm
If they’d have been yellow labs, poodles or airdales the police would have been in the right. They were behaving in a vicious manner and were shot. Good. Keep your dogs in your yard or on a leash. As a dog owner it is YOUR responsibility to control your animal. They are not human children with fur, however much we might love them as such. If your dog is out and is an immediate threat to either humans or other animals, it is the duty of polices officers to remove them as a threat by any means necessary. Furthermore, the cat’s owner would have been equally justified in killing them.
And cat owners, you’d be much better off keeping your cats indoors or let out for “walks” in a well-fenced yard under your direct supervision. In addition to idiots who can’t or won’t control their dogs, cats are endangered by wild animals, cars and malicious humans. If you love your animals and would see them live a long, happy, and safe life, keep them under control!
Karylee
Jul 19, 2013 at 1:36 pm
Yes….I agree this could have been preventable……..I wish there was a tool/weapon that officers could use to subdue a dog quickly without killing it…..what about a low dose tazer? Tranq. dart gun would take too long……seems there should be another way to diffuse without killing or putting themselves in harms way
Pet Lover
Jul 19, 2013 at 1:12 pm
This story saddens me. I think they could have used tranquilizer shots on the dogs. That way an animal can be examined while asleep to determine if it is indeed a pet or a wild animal. We do live in an area where coyotes run but it is usually during the night. I live not far from Crown Point. I have had huskies for many years. They are escape artists and some have the prey personality. No matter how careful you are, sometimes pets will escape. I believe that both of the owners were responsible pet owners. The cat was in its own yard. I feel really bad for all involved. This is definitely something that needs to be addressed and changed in the way animals are handled. If the animal is scared or feels threatened in any way it could become agressive. I am sure the police officers did not want to shoot the dogs. USE A TRANQUILIZER FIRST PLEASE!!!! This will save a lot of heartache. Remember that no matter how hard someone tries to prevent it, pets will escape. Pet owners, PLEASE MAKE SURE THE PETS HAVE A COLLAR AND TAGS. I hate reading and hearing about these tragedies.
Pet Lover
Jul 19, 2013 at 1:32 pm
I would also let the police department and local shelters know that my dogs are on the loose as soon as possible. That way if the police come upon the dogs they would know that they were pets on the loose.
Carole
Jul 19, 2013 at 12:37 pm
What I find sad is the fact that The majority of commenters here see it as a miscarriage of justice when the police shoot a dog. The laws in most counties in the USA are quite clear dogs must be on leashes tagged and have their immunizations. It is obvious. That these two dogs were loose and had no human controllers. If the owner left the dogs with inlaws then the owners should have made it clear that collars and tags were required at all times. I am pretry sure this was not their first eacape therefore babysitters should have been prepared. Obviously this breed can be an agressor when.small animals are their toy for the day. Ask yourselves this, what if the cat were a small child? Then it would have been okay to kill the dogs? Obviously these dogs were killing another creature. I agree if pepper spray did not deter the dogs then the situation was to dangerous to put their hands in the middle of it.
Obviously some commenters are non dog owners since they feel that having a cat killed is appropriate. As for keeping cats locked up. Come on now that is just silly. It is not natural.to keep cats prisoners because dogs live in neighborhoods too
The in laws and owners made the mistake here but die hard people just have to blame aomeone so blame the cat owner and the cops. I say wake up people somerimes animals die because their himans are not responsible pet owners
Jennifer
Jul 20, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Carole, if you would have read all of the posts as you claim to, you would know that the dogs were let out as a result of a breaking and entering in the home they were in. They were let out by burglars. Which to me proves another point, in that these dogs were not vicious to humans or they would have defended the home. Either way, the police officers could have found another way to control these beautiful animals. And also…everyone that blames the dogs owner…what about the responsibility of the cats owner? Cats don’t belong roaming free either!
Ann
Jul 20, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Maybe the cat was an inside cat that got out this one time? It’s possible. BUT…..the cat was in it’s OWN YARD when it was attacked. The dogs were not. Legally, that makes the dogs owners responsible.
Jennifer
Jul 22, 2013 at 12:23 pm
And again…DUH…you obviously can’t read… The dog owners would have not been held responsible. IF the “trigger happy” cops would have found another way to restrain the dogs, then the owners would NOT have been responsible. It was all an accident because of the dogs being let out as a result of the breaking and entering. READ. I hope this never happens to you and if it does, remember how you thought that the dog owner should be held responsible. You need to be on the other side of the fence. It is a terrible injustice that has happened.
Ann
Jul 23, 2013 at 7:28 am
NO WHERE in this article does it say the dogs escaped due to burglars. You have no proof as to why the dogs were roaming -other than you say that’s what happened. It is a terrible injustice that was done – to the CAT – the original victim. The police were assiting the CATS owner at the time and trying save their pet. You’re total idiot if you really can’t undertand that.If it was your pet being torn apart by 2 bigger animals you’d be doing anything you could to save your pet. And, yes, according to THIS article that we are all commenting on-the dogs owners would be legally responsible for any damages to the cat.
Kathee
Jul 29, 2013 at 9:08 am
Thank You.
Linda Ann Smith
Jul 19, 2013 at 12:37 pm
pet or no pet, beautiful as they were, still had NO tags, or collar on. The police did right, tried to break it up with pepper spray that didn’t stop the dogs, so the fired a shot, seems that one shot didn’t stop them so they make sure they were dead. I have a beautiful dog, sweet as could be too, but she is inside or in a locked back yard. If she did get out you would see her halter and 3 tags to identify her. Bottom line, don’t let your pet out loose with no identification
Valerie D
Jul 19, 2013 at 12:09 pm
While my heart breaks for the family who lost their beloved dogs and for the poor cat being attacked by these dogs, the sad and unfortunate truth is that in the end, the responsibility for what happened rests with the owners of these companion animals.Most parents know the outside world is not a safe place to allow a small child to navigate alone, similarly the world is NOT a safe place for dogs, cats or other pets to EVER roam unattended.
Whether the risk is an itchy trigger finger, a fast moving automobile, a dangerous animal, unsafe property, toxic edibles or anything else, part of being a good pet guardian is doing everything in your power to keep the animal safe.
This includes ONLY allowing animals outside in secure and supervised environments, being sure they are wearing identification, checking on them frequently and accepting that if they roam away from your home, they are at grave risk of serious danger or death.
Blaming the police is pointing fingers AWAY from the only people who could have definitely prevented this sad situation.
Sandra Dunne
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:37 am
trigger happy cops where will it all end a death of a child, elderly what excuse will they then use
Caroline
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:41 am
I agree Sandra! Trigger happy is right! Ignorant jerks!!!!
Caroline
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:34 am
I totally disagree whole heartedly with some of you on here….. I have had Siberian Huskies for 24 years, 3 of them, and have had a similar situation where my girls killed a neighbors’ cat in our yard…. Eventually the dogs would have stopped and there is NO DAMN reason to shoot them…. I AM outraged!!! There would be you know what to pay if these were my dogs! This makes me sick to think these cops could be that stupid!!! Seriously???
Brandon
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:42 am
The dogs would have stopped after they killed the cat. Then they would have been put down afterwards. I have a Siberian Husky and I have seen him kill a squirrel and a possum. I tried to get him to stop but both time was too little too late, it happens so fast. If it was your animal being mauled on your own property by 2 animals 20 times the size if itself then you would be on the other side of the fence.
Your story is different, the cat was on your property. Here the dogs were on someone else’s property killing their animal.
randie
Jul 19, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Thank you Brandon….and the other people realizing how this could have happened. Heartbreaking for everyone……..but thank you esepcially to Brandon
Sharon C.
Sep 15, 2014 at 1:29 pm
There was a time, though, that cops would have shot to WOUND, not kill. Today it’s not even a thought in their little pea brains: they simply want ‘to remove the threat’, even though the ‘threat’ is one of the American people and a beloved pet. It’s reprehensible. There’s also no excuse for not being able to tell a Siberian Husky from a coyote. It’s not as bad as either of the cops who thought that the border collie or the Jack Russell terrier were pit bulls, but it’s close.
Becky
Jul 19, 2013 at 1:08 pm
If your dogs were killing my cat in MY yard I would certainly shoot your dogs to save my cat. Then I would sue you for whatever I could get. The owners of the dogs are 100% responisible for this. If you want an animal with a high prey drive than it’s up to you to control them. And no kidding that eventually they’d stop-when the poor cat is dead. Did you even try to stop them??? You’re a moron. I feel sorry for your dogs AND your neighbors.
Kathy Smith
Jul 19, 2013 at 2:48 pm
I have a york terrior and a shi tzu. Both small lap dogs. Several years ago, a cat got into our fenced in yard. The dogs were in the house, and all of a sudden, jumped and out the doggie door they flew. My husband and I both heard this awful noise, went tearing out the door and saw that the dogs had a cat against the fence. It took both my husband and myself to get those dogs off that poor cat, who thank God was not injured but only because the dogs had small teeth and couldn’t get through her long fur. It was a struggle for us. I can’t imagine 2 grown huskies doing the same to a cat. I can’t imagine the police being able to separate them, those dogs are strong! They tried pepper spray. They did the right thing. To say they did it only because they thought they were wild animals—and in the same breathe say that one of the police is a dog handler–is contridictory.(sp). If he was a dog handler, he has seen plenty of huskies. I think the police did what they had to do in this instance. I think it could have turned easily into a case of self defence.
Pat Curtis
Jul 19, 2013 at 2:51 pm
I’m with Brandon and Becky. Your lack of feeling for other people’s pets is dreadful. I feel bad for your neighbors.
Laurelink
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:27 am
This was an accident and the dogs’ owners or the in-laws caring for the dogs should not be blamed. The police need more training on subduing dogs. People who work in humane societies and pounds do it every day without needing to SHOOT dogs. The police also need to carry stun guns or tranquilizer guns. This type of killing by the police is happening way too often and needs to be addressed proactively.
Kathee
Jul 29, 2013 at 9:05 am
IF the public wants the police to learn and use tranquilizer guns, then the public needs to band together and raise the funds to supply the training and guns/drugs. There needs to be training into where to shoot an animal with the darts and there are different doses of the drug needed depending on the size and type of the animal. That is why they often call Animal Control in NON-EMERGENCY cases.
There is no mention of if the cat was severely injured. By having the cat outside, the owner also was making the cat unsafe from coyotes (the real ones), big birds of prey,snake bites, and possibly skunks and other wild animals. My guess is that the cat was severely injured if either dog got a hold of it.
And, yes, huskies and malamutes are prone to attack cats ( a prey/food sized animal). They are also escape artists, often “climbing” or digging under chain link and wood fences with no difficulty.My huskies and shepherds are raised with cats, but my cats do not run from them either. If my cats got out, they would not run from an attacking dog. The responsibility would be mine.
Leigh Hilderbrandt
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:09 am
This story is so sad because it was completely preventable. The dogs should have had collars and tags on and should have been properly contained. If they had visible collars on, they would probably not have been mistaken for wild animals. Huskies are notorious for being escape artists and running away, so they should have been supervised/on leashes when they were out at the in-laws. The complainant’s cat, which I assume did not fare well, should have been kept safely indoors. And, finally, the police should have made more of an effort to identify the dogs before shooting them. I’m glad to learn that they at least tried to use pepper spray first, but multiple gunshots to each dog was overkill.
carolyn hamiltonakacarriecat@
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:58 am
I don’t think a dog tag would have mattered. With the news lately about cops and dogs being shot, they would have been shot anyway. They always say they thought their lives were in danger. Mistaking huskies for coyotes? What? I’m so sick of these trigger happy police who should never be wearing a badge. Too many bad cops are hired . So so sad.
Hawk Hart
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:22 am
I think I need to say thin again… I must disagree here. I am a trainer and I work with police officers and they ARE concerned. But they must also use judgement!! Does the animal pose a threat? EWhat options do I have? Have I used all options availablile before deadly force?? The WONDERFUL officers I work with consider these things! As with ALL professions there are those that are those who are reckless and unprofessional! I think in this case the officers did what they had to. But I also question why the cat was outdoors, and if the owner was aware of THOSE risks!
susan
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:55 am
The piece stated one of the officers was a (K-9) handler? It’s to sad that the dogs had to die at the hands of someone who is supposed to be trained. Perhaps
“Dogs and how to identify them “101” would come in handy!!! RIP puppies!
Sandra
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:49 am
First and foremost, your family pets should have collars and tags! The police couldn’t have mistaken them for coyotes if they had collars and tags! Yes, it is true this is happening too much, police do need to be stopped from shooting family pets, but there is also a responsibility on the part of dog owners! I would say especially the owners of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Many people confuse them with wolves, and are frightened by them, but they are extremely loving and gentle family pets. They are also great with children, but they are NOT good around cats. If you own a husky, for goodness sake, make sure he or she cannot get to a neighbor’s cat! Your dog’s life depends upon it! My husky has blue eyes, and people tend to be especially frightened of the blue eyed huskies. We can work on laws to protect pets, but owners need to do their part first!
Pat Curtis
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:34 am
What about the irresponsible owner who let the dogs run loose, with no supervision so that they had the chance to kill someone else’s pet? Not hearing a whole lot about that. If the dogs had been properly supervised none of this would have happened. My sympathies to all three animals and the person who owned the cat.
Patricia
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:42 am
I don’t think they “let them run loose” – sounds like the dogs escaped… we are very careful about our two dogs, but once in a while, our one dog sneaks past us and we have to go get her. I think most “responsible” pet owners will have their own “dog escaped” story.
HOWEVER… I do think they should have had collars and tags on… vicious or not, the officers would have at least known it was a pet and not a wild animal… and perhaps would have tried something beyond pepper spray but before shooting.
It is a very sad situation…
Lindsey
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:16 am
Its a sad story but to be honest in this case I think the fault falls on the owner of the two dogs. Dogs can get loose by accident yes, but they should have had collars and tags on. There are tons of stories circulating lately about police shooting family pets, and a lot of the time it seems to be they shoot first. In this case it sounds like the police tried to handle the situation differently. What would you do if two dogs (whether they were thought to be wolves or coyotes or not) were attacking your cat or dog in your yard? A lot of people who do not have much knowledge on dogs and breeds of dogs could easily have mistaken those huskies for wolves. Whether dogs or wolves your not just going to stand around and let them kill your pet are you? I myself knowing they were dogs not wolves would have went out and tried to scare them off, but if I thought they were wolves I would have done the same thing, called the police. Sad situation that could have been prevented.
Sherry
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Read the original report. Burgler broke into the house. Door was left open. Dogs got out. A LOT of owners don’t have their dogs collars on inside their own home because of the risk of getting caught on something and strangling when the owner is at work. No one expects to have their house broken into and their dogs released.
Hawk Hart
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:13 am
I can see not putting collars on dogs inside, but I have 5, and I foster and they ALL have collars on when home! If it is an issue of ‘danger’ then they are in a kennel when I am not home! Not having collars on is really NOT an excuse in this case I am afraid! It is Quite unlikely that huskeys could ‘choke themselves’ in a normal home situation!! If you fear that, then kennel when not home!!
Mitzygirl
Jul 21, 2013 at 4:47 pm
Sherry that is just an excuse and a dumb one. I have 3 dogs all wear collars on at all time except for bath and beg for them to be put back on after bath. A dog should have a collar and tags on at all times.
Amanda
Jan 27, 2014 at 9:37 am
Every animal is different not taking a side because I love cats and dogs and idk what I would have done in this situation but yes all dogs are different!!!! not wearing a collar bc they are at their house is not an excuse my dogs dont wear their collars 24/7 bc its unfortable and irritates them so just because your dog like collars dont pass judgment on some one else for caring about their dog & their dog not liking to wear them!!!!!!!!
joyce england
Jul 19, 2013 at 9:56 am
the police say they tried not to shoot them. An unfortunate situation >Sorry for
their loss of their pets. I saw Max, the Rottweiler video. Those police were so wrong in what they did to the man and the dog. I hope they are no longer police. They were taking out their anger on that man and dog instead of just making him leave the area.
tara
Jul 19, 2013 at 9:54 am
a dead air shot couldn’t have been tried first??!! shoot first, ask questions later…seems to be the mentality lately….animal or human. God’s comfort for these people who lost their beloved pets to non-reasoning, weapon happy “officers”….
i am so sorry for the kittie’s owner but there is a way to have an animal release without killing them….and the owner of the dogs would be liable for vet bills…not the cost of burying their dogs.
God help us….
Brandon
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:21 am
A dead air shot has a chance of coming down and killing a human, not well thought out… They pepper sprayed the dogs first to get them to release and it didn’t work. I have a Siberian Husky myself and he is a great and super friendly dog but I have first hand had to stop him from killing small animals and it is not easy, especially if he didn’t know who I was. If it was your animal being attacked by 2 dogs 20 times the size of your animal I am sure you would feel differently. Crappy situation but I (for once lol) will have to side with the cops on this one.
susanw
Jul 20, 2013 at 1:22 am
I was thinking the same thing! I know cops r trained not to fire up in the air but couldn’t they have shot into the ground near the dogs 1st to see if that would startle them and stop them from attacking the cat? 2 very sad stories here, the dead dogs and the cat being attacked. How r we supposed to expect cops to protect and not kill our pets when they can’t even protect children? I guess at least they r not going around shooting them all the time like they r doing to dogs.
Heather
Jul 19, 2013 at 3:18 am
At least the police tried pepper spray first. That’s more than a lot of dogs get. I don’t feel as horrible about that as some other pet dog shootings as the dogs were attacking a cat. They can easily kill a cat alone, but together they can mangle it. Imagine having to watch 2 dogs tear apart your beloved pet cat. I do however wish that people would learn about dog breeds a bit more so that they would stop mistaken some breeds for wild dog-types like wolves or Coyotes. One story about a shelter worker mistaking a 13 yr old Shiba Inu (small Japanese Spitz type breed) for a Coyote and had the police take it and release it into the woods. As far as I know the small aging dog was never seen again by her family. People in jobs where they may need to deal with dogs need to know what their local wildlife looks like as they continue to put pets at risk because of their lack of education. I agree that the police have a bad rap for shooting dogs and asking questions later, and that something needs to be done about it. These officers did not immediately go for their gun, and the dogs were actively attacking someone’s pet cat.
Jade
Jul 19, 2013 at 9:04 am
The cat should have been inside and the dogs should have had collars on. Sad tragedy could have been prevented.
annette delgau
Jul 19, 2013 at 12:27 pm
I see this unfortunate incident. It is a catch 22 if you will. I feel that if the dogs had tags and collars on The police would have known that they were pets. If the cat was inside, The police did try other means of trying to defuse the situation. I have both dog and cat and I feel sorry for both of the owners. However , I also feel that the officers really had no other choice. I also reacted with outrage when I first saw this story’ However, I thought what would I have done if I had been faced with two out of control dogs ripping apart a poor little cat. Would the outcome be any different if it was known that these were family pets. They were still ripping apart a small cat?? I just think people should thing before making a judgement . I am an animal lover and I’m just saying!!!!!!!!!
Sherry
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Police wouldn’t have given a two bit damned that they were family pets, tagged or not. They haven’t yet, what on earth makes you think it would make any difference now.
Hawk Hart
Jul 20, 2013 at 2:17 am
I must disagree here. I am a trainer and I work with police officers and they ARE concerned. But they must also use judgement!! Does the animal pose a threat? EWhat options do I have? Have I used all options availablile before deadly force?? The WONDERFUL officers I work with consider these things! As with ALL professions there are those that are those who are reckless and unprofessional! I think in this case the officers did what they had to. But I also question why the cat was outdoors, and if the owner was aware of THOSE risks!
karen
Jul 19, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Also, there is the irresponsibility of the dog owners for not assuring that the dogs din’t get out.
Sherry
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:05 pm
original report if anyone cares to read it lists them as being let out when the house was broken into.
Dorothy
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Totally agree with Jade.
michele
Jul 20, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Right on! Cats are NOT out door animals as they are also destructive to wild life and the bird populations. Cats can also carry disease that can be passed on to critters that will eat the carrion they leave behind, hence spreading their disease on to innocent predators. Tragedy yes that could have been preventable on both sides.
Lisa Sherman
Jul 20, 2013 at 10:51 pm
I have to agree with Jade. Both animal owners should have been more responsible but I still can’t condone what the officers did.
Peggy Chase
Jul 19, 2013 at 2:55 pm
Is there a leash law there? The dogs should have had collars if not collars nd taggs.I hate to hear about police killing family pets, but the dogs were attacking another family pet and It was a last resort.This is one time where I don’t believe the police were at fault.