Visitors to this site have frequently noted the alarming frequency with which law enforcement officers shoot dogs first and apparently have to answer no questions later.   For instance, if a law enforcement officer feels threatened by a dog, s/he apparently has the “right” to use deadly force against the animal.   But are these officers trained in reading canine warning signs so that they know when a dog is actually a threat?   Or are they simply taking out any and all dogs that could potentially be “pit bulls”?   Do law enforcement officers have “pit bull” shoot-to-kill orders…or is it just “pit bull” shoot-to-kill allowances?

And I shouldn’t even limit it to “pit bulls” (though I should clarify that   “pit bull” is not a breed).   Earlier in the month, a federal officer who works at Fort Myer in Virginia apparently shot dead a Siberian Husky at a dog park because the officer misread the Husky’s playfulness with his German Shepherd.   Charges are pending, and rightfully so, against the officer for animal cruelty and improper discharge of a firearm.   Ok, so what makes this situation any different from all the reports we frequently hear where police officers indiscriminately shoot “pit bulls”?

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