How about using a less than lethal alternative? pepper spray?

Dogs are family? Uh, family is family. And what about the families all over the world which have had a family member killed or maimed by pit bull?

So, a child gets abused by a person and all kinds of judicial and internet heck breaks out. But people just turn the other cheek when a pit bull rips the flesh from a child. This is probably the greatest facepalming issue of our time. The cognitive dissonance is strong in the pit bull breeding/owning world.

Go do a google image search of pit bull attacks. Get back to me when you’re done.

First of all, I am an avid dog lover and own multiple dogs and always have. I like them far better than I like most people. That said, however, from what I read, the owner deliberately let the dog out unleashed, unfenced, to do its business. That is just not responsible pet ownership, though I am extremely sympathetic for their loss and it really breaks my heart that what sounds like a very sweet girl has died.

I do agree that the Boise Police need to figure out how to handle conflict with pets a tad more effectively than blowing them away on sight. Frankly, Boise PD has had some similar issues in the past dealing with some conflicts with human beings, too. There surely are ways to address difficult situations that don’t always have to include deadly force…

While I agree with TJ that if this were my dog, I would have utterly flipped at such a situation, the truth also is that if it were my dog, I would not have deliberately let my dog out unattended. Because YOU know your dog is gentle does not mean you have the right to let it roam free anywhere other than your own private property. Many years ago when my son was little, I recall being quite upset a few times at rather large dogs coming toward us unattended at the park and also just on local streets. Although I am truly a dog person, the fact was I had a little defenseless kid to take care of, and there was an unknown dog coming at us. The times I said something to the owners, they usually gave me the “he’s very friendly” comment, which is similar to what I read about this story. That is really not good enough. What if you don’t like dogs? What if you are afraid of dogs? What if you cannot read dogs well and misinterpret the friendly heading over to lick you as an aggressive move? Honestly, people should not have to bear the onus of that confrontation because the owner is not controlling the animal. I think we, as pet owners, have a responsibility to properly control our pets.

BOYZEEEcynic (I am fairly certain that is how you and your cronies pronounce Idaho’s capital city)
One more time, you are way out in left field with your odiferous opinions, we don’t just disagree one more time, we strongly disagree.
I didn’t see anything in this instance about children, citizens, or even one of Boise’s finest enforcers, resplendent in his bullet resistant vest, baton, capsaicin spray, more than likely wearing black “sap” “stud” gloves and probably a carrying Taser actually being attacked. Bullies with phobias, K-9 or otherwise, should probably take up, either voluntarily or involuntarily, a new career in retail sales at a McDonald’s fry station.
A poor decision by the owner to let the family dog outside to do her business that MAY have been at most a misdemeanor resulted in a hastily made pee-poor decision by a, used to be at least, “Public Servant” to execute the pet on the spot.

If all you have is a hammer (or pistol) or else using a hammer (or pistol) is all you are really trained in is using a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

I will not say anymore about it but yes, some dogs really are family members. You would fare just about as well shooting at me, my wife, mother, son or daughter.

I was glad to see the comment from MyTwoCents bringing up the fact that the dog was not under owner control (the law requiring that to be a fence or a leash). I’m a dog owner, and in fact have a pit bull and two bird dogs. I would be devastated if something happened to any of them.

The thing is, having an unsecured dog is very, very dangerous to that dog. This dog could have easily been hit by a car, been stolen by someone for a bait dog, been attacked by another loose dog, or what actually did happen. This does not suggest that the officer’s action was at a reasonable level, but it does mean that if your dog is loose, it could be killed. Maybe the reason she’d just had a litter was that the owner made a habit of letting her off-leash and she had an accidental litter.

There are just too many negative possibilities for a dog to be off leash or out of a fence in Boise proper.

Rick, yes a person would be justified in shooting an attacking dog and that has happened twice in the last year. Or maybe you just don’t pay attention.

Guardian, your analogy to mail carriers, there is something wrong with that. One, you leave out the fact that mail carriers can and do stop delivering mail if there’s a vicious dog that can’t be bribed with treats. In fact, didn’t this happen right here in boise a few years ago? Should cops simply ignore calls if there’s a dog snarling at them?

Bitten five times? That is sad, just pathetic. So what would happen if the mail carrier shot a dog? They would be fired? And since jobs are scarce, no mail carrier is going to risk their job… I can’t believe that mail carriers have to take a bite over their job. Their Union must not be as good as the police and fire unions.

EDITOR NOTE–You already made the point about suspending service. The point of mail carriers is they visit EVERY HOUSE in the USA six times a week!

No no no. Please point out one case, ever, where a cop shot a person who injured a police dog. And if there is a person does shoot at a police dog, then that would be an extremely foolhardy thing to do. And furthermore this is apples to oranges. Unlike delivering mail, presumably, when a police dog is involved, the human subject is wanted for something and the cops have a duty to arrest that person. It is their job whether we like it or not.

People went crazy with lynch mob comments over the recent hit and run accidents. So which is it? Do people want cops to do their job or not?

To use your own logic. What if it was you and not a cop. You’re having some altercation with a person and they pull out a gun and shoot your dog. You also have a gun. What are you going to do? You will probably pull your gun, and then, you are committed to use it.

And, you’re putting words in my mouth. I never said anything about cops always being right. What I am pointing out is that pit bull type dogs are causing problems and have been for a long time. Does no one else see the false dilemmas? People demand law and order from police, and rightly so, but anarchy is ok when it comes to keeping dogs on a leash.

Come on people. Just 3 weeks ago in Baker City a five year boy was killed by a pit bull. Just 2 or 3 years ago a 6 year old girl was mauled in Caldwell and then a 70 year old man in Fruitland. Am I the only one that can remember things for more than a day?

What if it was a mountain lion attacking your dog? Watcha gonna do? You’re gonna call BPD. But when dogs attack kids, no one gives a damn.

One statement from the media or reports indicated the dog was shot in the back of the head. Humm!
Meridian had an off duty officer shoot a dog in his neighborhood. Bing you are done. If you are off duty in civilian close in your neighborhood why do you need to carry your weapon?

Cynic… the problem with your arguments is that the dog was not attacking anyone…..I would really like you to explain how he shot the dog in the back of the head while it was charging at him…. Even Oswalds bullet wasn’t that good….

Despite the outrage by the public, nothing will happen from this. No protests, no police training, no discipline to the cop(s).
I put (s) because if this dog was being so fierce and threatening Cop A what was Cop B doing? If in fact this was so urgent then I would expect my battle buddy to also be shooting at the dog at the same time I have to shoot. You can bet if it was methhead coming at Cop A with a weapon there would have been TWO empty mags.
I would love to see a protest downtown this weekend in the face of PBD with signs of “Don’t shoot my dog”.

90% of off duty cops carry… Ive been in the Buffalo club and witnessed a very drunk off duty cop… even heard the bouncer ask him if he was “packin” Don’t know which dept he worked for and didn’t stick around to find out….
Do I hate cops… no… they are a necessary evil… I equate them to 4 wheel drive… If you get in a situation where you need either you made a prior bad decision.

I find it unfathomable that any logical and reasonable person can argue that LE does not need better supervision. There is a surfeit of these incidents, they are not isolated at all. Look at the ombudsman’s site and you will see several, the unfortunate thing is the number of actual egregious actions will pale in comparison to the actual number.

Ya pepper is effective…. but get ready for a felony….

I feel compelled to copy what has been rewritten for articles (Statesman, local news, Seattle CBS)as stated by the dog owner: “Stropkai said the bullet went through the back of Kita’s head and out her stomach.” Think about that… I can only visualize a dog facing me, head down (a known defensive posture, dog person that I am)….a bullet shot forward and down towards the supposed threat would enter back of head and exit stomach. I can’t see this as proof the dog was either innocent or was retreating. A retreating animal would not have a stomach exit wound. We otherwise weren’t there, and can’t pretend to know what happened on either side.

nope….. surfeit is what I meant to say….

two wrongs don’t make a right. So a dog attacks or kills…. ACCORDING TO YOU CYNIC we then have the right to shoot all dogs. Following that logic is the same as gang on gang or religion against religion or ethnic group against ethnic group. Simple hate with no logic.
Cops should be the last to pull a trigger. “protect and serve” ? How did “shoot” get so high on the list of options ?

Well said John

If they did that to one of my furry friends they better have lots of backup for their cowardly bullying.

EDITOR NOTE–With that we are done. No more comments.