Ask Local NY Police Learn Better Methods On How to Handle Animals When On Calls

Please sign and share this petition on all media sites in an effort to encourage the Suffolk County Police Department to train all their officers on how to handle and respond to animals when on police calls. We are offering the advise that as officers are trained, they work closely with local vets and shelters so that all animals are treated in a humane manner; not resorting to shooting and injuring an animal.

An investigation is underway after news reported the injury of a family's pet 9-year old pit bull dog by an officer while on a routine call. The poor animal named Black was shot in the face when she was playing with a ball in the snow within her own, fenced-in backyard. Her owner heard a pop and suddenly Black came within the home, blood strewing everywhere. The owner, Mr. Baldwin stated that “Blood was shooting out of her face, I had to grab her and hold her.” His fiancée' also stated that “My house looked like a crime scene. Blood on the doors, all over the floor, on my couch, on blankets, on clothes. Whatever you could imagine, there was blood.”

When checking on their yard, it was discovered that a female police officer shot at Black, claiming the dog attacked her. But the dog was enclosed on her own property. The officer was responding to a 911 call and says the dog was tied to a tree and barking in the cold. According to those allegations, Black's owners state that “I’m angry because they lied, because they said my dog was tied to a tree, I don’t have any trees in my backyard."

Something went terribly wrong with this 911 call and now this dog has to undergo several surgeries to her jaw, removing the bullet, removing teeth and other medical procedures that will range around $6,000. These devastated owners are asking for a full investigation into this incident along with being compensated for all vet bills.

The Suffolk County police department has agreed to complete a thorough investigation while also stating they do not have standard operating procedures or policies that covers how animals should be handled and treated when on routing police calls. We are asking for your help in encouraging the New York Police Department to implement some training, procedures and policies, while working with local vets and shelters on how to handle and approach animals while on calls in a more humane manner that is safe for the humans and the animals alike; avoiding the urging to shoot, kill and severely injure.

You can help us in our goals to get results on these procedures, policies and training by signing and sharing this petition on all your media sites so that, together, we can have our voices heard. In this situation, we believe that Black and his owners need to be compensated through paid vet bills and sincere apologies for the pain and suffering once the investigation is complete and found to be a terrible mistake that could have cost this pet's life.