New Orleans Police shoot unarmed, crippled Doberman

A brief break from my trial chronicles to report:

Yesterday WWL aired a report on a Lakeview family whose Doberman was shot and killed by NOPD officers responding to a security alarm that had been accidently tripped. The dog in question, which police claim they had to shoot in order to save their own lives, was recovering from spinal surgery which required that his owners carry him in and out of the house and up and down the stairs. The most disturbing part of this disturbing story is that the police shot the dog EIGHT times. Good thing they weren't startled by a child.

You can view the full report here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
As a doberman owner, this story really upsets me. The scary part though, this is a good example of a cop that shoots without thinking ! I do hope they take his badge away because you're so right, what if it had been a child.

Dobermans have enough with trying to get people to really look at them and not just what they see in the movies.
Anonymous said…
I am simply stunned by this story. Why in the hell didn't the officer use non-lethal weapons (pepper spray, Taser) on this dog first if he thought his life was in danger? Maybe backed off and taken a second to realize that the dog couldn't get down the steps before putting a bullet in its head?

As a Dober owner, this story has truly shaken me, and lowered my opinion of the NOPD and their training. I'll be hugging my Doberboy a little closer tonight. My deepest condolences to this Dober's family on the loss of their fine, loyal companion. What is this world coming to when your dog isn't safe in his own yard?
Anonymous said…
This story is heartbreaking, and I hope the NOPD reviews its training and disciplines the officer as a result. Here's a thought - how about trying NONLETHAL weapons first? Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

My heart goes out to the Dobie's owners, who have lost a true friend and companion.
Anonymous said…
you know this is the trouble with things today, that a poor animal with no defense is judged by his appearance and not his ability. no dog is dangerous unless you corner him or his is trained to fight. give the poor animals a chance, and the family, my heart goes out to them for their loss of a family member. Good thing i wasnt there i probably would have turned that gone on the nopd who shot him. YOU ARE RIGHT he should be put on desk leave until his rashness is investigated, next time it could be a child who scares him off guard.
Anonymous said…
I am so saddened to hear of this incident, thinking about the poor helpless dogs and the heartbroken owner, and to think the policemen were outside laughing about it. Heartless and inhumane, to say the least.
Anonymous said…
This dog was completely incapable of harming to anyone or anything. I work at the clinic were the dog had his surgery. He sat through so many tests and never once showed any aggression towards anyone. I hope the NOPD learns that you can’t judge a dog by the breed.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the owners of such a Great dog. That dog will always be remembered as the kind, loving soul he was.
Anonymous said…
This story sickens me. This dog was murdered based solely on his appearance and the ignorance of this cop. You come to someone's house to try to help them, there is no sign of a break-in, and you end up killing their dog. It is senseless and I hope this cop gets his just deserves.
Anonymous said…
I am sick to my stomach.My heart goes out to the owner who clearly loved that dog with his heart and soul. If a cop can't run away from a crippled defenseless animal then how is he capable of chasing real thugs. I truly hope that the owner pursues this situation so that it doesn't happen to other dogs "minding their own business" in their own fenced yards.My deepest sympathy to Dr. Coleman.
Kris said…
I'm usually pretty lenient with police in these cases, but in this case it is clear that the officer was reacting with hysteria to the dog that at most could have stood up and wobbled toward him.

It's downright shameful for a police officer to be scared of a dog to begin with. These guys deal with armed criminals every day. Comparatively even a healthy guard dog in peak condition would be easy to deal with, much less a crippled pet.
anonymous said…
I work where Jax had his surgery too and he was definitely a sweetie and in no way capable of even appearing threatening due to his surgery. Not only could he barely move, but he had the 8 inch incision - which, along with the fact that the area was shaved and stitched up, was visible from a mile away to anyone who looked at him.

The poor owners are absolutely devastated.

Unfortunately I've known several very sweet dogs shot by NOPD - some survived, some didn't. As the owner of a pit bull, it's something I really worry about... luckily the cops around here don't usually respond to 911 calls in my experience, so that reduces the risk of death-by-cop a bit...
Anonymous said…
Dear Ken,
thanks so much for your books! I have read "Dogs Who Found Me" and I loved it. I found the book at a garage sale about two years ago and then loaned it to a friend, who has passed it along again. So your sales do not reflect your readership- your book is traveling along among other dog lovers.
On your dogster blog, Ollie just broke my heart. Really, I'm sitting here with tears for that little man.

Any and all work that helps out the mutts is to be lauded, and good writing, creative work, is a great way to do it.

thus, uh, hope you keep reading cause here comes the pitch:
I am a Seattle artist and a dog rescuer, several of whom are Pit Bulls who are now living in good homes. Attached is a painting i did of one of the Pits I rescued. I am offering it as a print on canvas from which 10% of purchase price goes as a donation to Pit Bull Rescue Central. So if you'd like to help out Pit Bulls as well as a dog artist, posting a link would do a lot for both!

Should you be feeling generous, here are the basics:
Anchor text: Support Pit Bull Rescue Central and buy Pit Bull art!
description: Colorful and whimsical dog art prints, portraits, greeting cards and more by Seattle artist Nancy Schutt
URL: http://www.nancyschutt.com/store_item.php?ID=1
http://www.nancyschutt.com/

Whether or not you help out, you have helped out some very desperate animals, and my gratitude extends to you for that!
thanks so much,
nancy

Nancy Schutt
www.gooddogart.com

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