Justice Department expert: Police shooting of dogs has become an epidemic.

US police shoot dogs so often that a Justice Department expert calls it an “epidemic”.

the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Michigan affirming that when police shot two pit bulls while executing a search warrant, they did not not violate the dogs owners’ constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable seizures.

Laurel Matthews, a program specialist with the US Department of Justice’s community-oriented policing services office, says fatal encounters are an “epidemic” and estimates that 25 to 30 pet dogs are killed daily by police.

Can Police Stop Killing Dogs?

The Sixth Circus' ruling is complete nonsense.

While a dog is the property of the owner, it is not an inanimate object, it is a living, breathing animal.

For those of us who suspected that this is a serious issue, you were right.


F emale free after stand between trooper, dog.

But theres a much bigger issue at hand.

While they werent addressing the question of illegal searches and seizures, we need to put a stop to SWAT type raids and the rubber stamping of search warrants.

There are approximately 50,000 S.W.A.T. raids in the United States annually, and there are more than 100 S.W.A.T. raids a day..

Source: Radley Balko, “Once a town gets a SWAT team you want to use it,” Salon (July 13, 2013).

These are a clear violation. By no stretch of the imagination did the Founders intend for the state to have this kind of ability to violate the rights of a citizen.

Dear President Trump, if you really want to do something for citizens, instead of infringing on our 2A rights in the form of a #bumpstock ban which instantly turns innocent people into felons, how about issuing an EO that halts all SWAT raids as well as the use of military equipment by the government and its agents on domestic soil.

Americans love guns, guns fire bullets, bullets can kill living things, Americans love shooting at things. As an outsider I will be verbally "shot down" within this thread, as I see a common denominator in these shootings, access to firearms makes people have itchy fingers.

Policing then becomes "i felt my life was in jepordy" thus I can murder someone, we have crime in the UK (bizzare I know) yet the number of police officers murdered by firearms is minimal, the number of innocent citizens murdered by anyone with a gun is minimal, the number of criminals murdered and not standing in front of a jury is minimal.

Justice is not handed out from a revolver in most countries, yet America accepts it on a daily basis.

Murdering People with impunity, murdering animals with impunity

pathetic cowards

a reply to: XAnarchistX

I was confronted by a guy's Irish setter at the post office yesterday. Guy opened his car door and the dog jumped out and came right for me. The guy kept yelling, "He won't hurt you! Stop it rusty! Come back! No Rusty! He won't hurt you!"

The dog bit the hem of my pants for a second then dashed off between other cars. The guy told me rusty just loves people, before running off to find rusty.

I didn't shoot the dog. I know that in this state I'd do serious time if I had assaulted the dog. Plus I was unwilling to shoot the owner, which would have only been a small fine....

a reply to: Graysen

I'd repay the favor.

It'd be much slower though.

Cops have turned into terrorists.

originally posted by: gladtobehere
a reply to: Graysen

Yeah, when the delivery service encounters your raging pitbull, the UPS guy just writes down that your package was "undeliverable" and makes you come pick it up.

Cops are not allowed to write down that public safety was "undeliverable" and require you to drive down to the service center to pick it up....

originally posted by: gladtobehere
a reply to: Graysen

Awesome perspective!
Maybe they should carry treats.

a reply to: Graysen

Oh bs. A dog can be pepper sprayed, if needed.

Cops need to be smarter than dogs.

I know that's a lot to ask.

As much as I'm not for shooting animals, we even more so have an epidemic of terrible (entitled) dog owners. Constantly ignoring leash laws, blaming others when their dog runs up to people/attacks, leaving dogs outside to bark all day long, can't be bothered to clean up their dogs crap, exploiting ridiculous 'support animal' loopholes. What's the larger problem? I'm going to guess that for once it's not actually the cops in this situation (btw, the source for this 'expert' is from 5 years ago and it was just a guess without any validity in their numbers).

a reply to: gladtobehere

If you want to stop all this BS with cops shooting people/dogs.

You gotta pressure their insurance carriers. If you can get insurance companies to drop the police. They will have to stop killing things. Otherwise the lawsuits will pile up.

a reply to: okrian

Maybe you could stick to the topic, or start another thread?

Police shooting dogs is the topic.

I am not an effing criminal, but have this situation in the back of my mind every time I drive with my dog.

I shouldn't need to be scared of cops.

The problem is dumb cops needed for enforcing dumb laws.

Mailmen use pepper spray.

Cops are already carrying the spray.

Effin use it!!

It's sociopathic behavior.

A dog clamping on someone's neck is one thing.

Blasting a barking dog is psychotic and cowardly.

a reply to: Mandroid7

How are unruly dogs not the topic pray tell? Dogs are unpredictable and just because your dog (anecdotal) is nice to everyone doesn't mean that other neglectful owners and the people they encounter are in the same situation.

Additionally, this is quite the about face for the right on ATS. Trump and his justice dept have spoke out repeatedly that cops need to be tougher, not beholden to the regulation of the Obama admin, and specifically, Trumps DOJ said this... "The Department of Justice under this administration will never negotiate or sign a consent decree that could reduce the lawful powers of the police department,”. Blue Lives Matter... remember? Or are we throwing that away now and want more police regulation?

a reply to: okrian

Not every dog is dangerous. Police have been known to shoot lapdogs, like Chihuahuas and pugs. What immediate threat is there in those situations?

a reply to: okrian

Psh..Read your list of dog complaints, you even went as far as saying "entitled dog owners"
I'm not interested in your emotional opininons of dogs or owners.
Animals should never be shot unless they are attacking. Period.

Don't pidgeonhole me with the "right on ATS" tard group.
Trump is a shill. Backing a police state, the Patriot Act, The Electronic (non)Privacy Act, the Smith-Mundt Act, increased firearm restriction, red flag laws, gun part bans.
He can talk all he wants, his actions speak louder.
His tax stance of "I don't pay taxes, I'm smart, here's what you can pay"
Should be enough for a revolt.
His bs temp tax break will be more than wiped out with increased cost of goods on the tarriffs side.
The gov is taking no loss there, but making more money off the front end.

If you shoot a police dog, you get charged with murdering a police officer. So it's only fair that cops be held to that standard if they want to treat dogs the same as humans.

Obviously some dogs are aggressive due to poor treatment. If a rabid dog attacks an officer OK shoot it, but if we're treating dogs as humans now, then there needs to be a thorough investigation each time one is killed.

Common sense goes a long way.

a reply to: Wookiep

Yeah exactly, great point and to add, cops are actually training them to attack people.

I am surprised the justice dept is the source of this info.
I respect that.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
a reply to: okrian

Psh..Read your list of dog complaints, you even went as far as saying "entitled dog owners"
I'm not interested in your emotional opininons of dogs or owners.
Animals should never be shot unless they are attacking. Period.

Don't pidgeonhole me with the "right on ATS" tard group.
Trump is a shill. Backing a police state, the Patriot Act, The Electronic (non)Privacy Act, the Smith-Mundt Act, increased firearm restriction, red flag laws, gun part bans.
He can talk all he wants, his actions speak louder.
His tax stance of "I don't pay taxes, I'm smart, here's what you can pay"
Should be enough for a revolt.
His bs temp tax break will be more than wiped out with increased cost of goods on the tarriffs side.
The gov is taking no loss there, but making more money off the front end.

Did I say you? Look at all the other general posters in this thread.

Hmmm, failing to see where my post was emotional. You seem to think that there isn't an issue with neglectful dog owners just because your dog is super nice and you are a responsible owner. I'm sure you know that your highly anecdotal situation is not representative of the masses. Again, dogs are unpredictable, especially to someone who doesn't know that dog, and a dog off-leash running up to a child (or anyone for that matter) can look the same if it's going to lick its face vs. sink its teeth into it. Irresponsible dog owners are the topic.