Calling all animal lovers: isn't this completely outrageous!?

Question

My friend experience a tragedy last night with his dog. Here's the article:

An off-duty Omaha Police officer is under fire, accused of shooting a family's dog to death. The Nebraska Humane Society says Omaha Police Officer Jarvis Duncan shot a Husky named Layla three times in his front yard, after he says he was charged by the dog. The owners say the dog would never threaten anyone. "I stepped out of the garage and looked up the street and I could see my dog laying in the middle of the yard," says the dogs owner Eddie burns
"You're safe in your house. You wife is safe in her car. Where is the immediate threat," says Stephanie Brunt-Howard, Burns mother. Burns says he and his mother will continue to fight for what they believe is right, considering all legal options.

Here's the link to that article (and there is a video if you are interested): http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?
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WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS? I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR OTHER OPINIONS.
THANKS!

The officer who shot the dog was their neighbor.

Answer 1

There's nothing there,they've taken the story off.I think it's terrible,though.I've seen stories like that before.Cops are disgusting,they think they have the right to kill anything or anyone. If they thought the dog was a threat,they could have tasered it or something,instead of killing it.Any excuse to use their guns! Most of the cops I know ( at least in my town) don't like dogs or don't take care of their dogs.I live near the police station and had a cop live next door to me,and he and his brother,also a cop ,were horrible to their dogs,didn't feed them,wouldn't get them fixed.I ended up with one of his dogs and one of his cats,because he and his wife were just going to let the cat die from a blocked bladder,and they let the dog get pregnant and were sending her to the pound,so I took her and kept her and 5 of her 6 puppies.That was 14 years ago,and I still have one of her daughters.I just don't trust cops,sorry.

Answer 2

I did a search for NE leash laws and found that it is illegal for any dog owner to allow his dog to be loose on any other person's property.

Therefore, the dog owner was legally in the wrong in the first place.

As to the dog... even though the owner claims the dog would never attack anyone, the dog could have developed a brain tumor or some other problem that would alter the dog's personality, and so the dog may well have threatened the officer who then shot it as it was on the officer's property attacking him. The owner's claims are made on their belief of the dog's temperament. They did not witness the incident.

Answer 3

I'm unable to access the story. My question is why was the dog loose on the neighbor's front lawn? You don't have to be the Dog Whisperer to know if a dog is coming at you intending to do harm or just running towards you with it's tail wagging to be petted. I've had both situations and it's very, very frightening if it's the former. And, the other poster is right, most owners of dogs who bite will always say that their dog wouldn't hurt a fly. I, of course, would be horrified if someone shot one of my dogs, but my dogs aren't running loose.

Answer 4

I want more details.

Seems a little slim to me.

All I know is that I've never, EVER heard the owner of a vicious dog say, "My dog attacked that person, I knew it was a risk to the public, and I let him out anyway."

EVERY SINGLE OWNER OF A VICIOUS DOG SAYS IT WOULDN'T HURT ANYONE!!!
No matter how many times it's bitten someone, including them. No matter how many warnings they get, their perfect little poochie wouldn't hurt a fly. Just tear the face off a passing child, that's all.
After all, it's just an innocent animal and doesn't know any better, right?

Why were the police at that house?
Were they breaking the law?
Police officers have more to do than randomly enter a yard and shoot a dog. Think of all the donuts that won't get eaten.

People are quick to blame everything on police, but complain bitterly when they can't get a cop to stop crime happening to them.

Hypocrites.

Answer 5

Too bad the dog had to die for its owners ignorance and irresonsibility. I have to deal with dogs running the neighborhood and coming in my front yard and I can't even walk my own dogs outside on leash because they will bother them and me. If the owner of the dog REALLY gave a hoot about their dog it would have been in its yard instead of running loose in the neighborhood bothering other people. I don't know that I would shoot a dog but then again, I don't know that I wouldn't given that I have had dogs 'charge' me before as well and having dealt with many dog bites in the ER, I don't particularly want to wait and see if some irresponsible person's dog is 'nice' or not. The irresponsible and neglegent dog owner should be brought up on charges.

Answer 6

It's a very sad situation but unfortunately I don't think your friends have a leg to stand on legally. The dog was in the guys front yard and not in his own yard. Even if the judge is sympathetic there won't be much he or she can do. It is the owners responsibility to ensure that the dog is contained. Accidents happen, but the law doesn't care about that. I really feel for your friends though. Best wishes.

Answer 7

The page as been removed. My thoughts is the policeman was in the wrong and he will get away with it. Hell in this city if a policeman shots a person it is always ruled justified. I even wittiness a police shooting that was not justified and said so as well as a number of other people and nothing happened. That is why I never trust the police

Answer 8

I think that no matter how well you know your animal, you can't always predict its actions. It 's like saying that your dog doesn't bite-Anything with teeth can bite.It's all relative to the circumstances.Never would have felt that way until I had a few horrible experiences with dogs I raised from 4 weeks, neutered them myself before their testicles even dropped!I was the next thing to giving birth to them myself!! PS I am a surgical technician

Answer 9

It's hard to comment on it when you don't know what really happened. It's he said she said.

Answer 10

"in his front yard"

No further questions your honor.