STOP POLICE SHOOTINGS OF FAMILY PETS - ODIN'S STORY

When did the law allow for police officers to gain access to our property either legally or illegally and fatally injure or kill our family pets? There are far too many instances where this is being allowed and it is nothing less than animal cruelty at its worse. All the officer has to do is claim they were defending themselves. Well….is that right? Does this officer show evidence of a bite…scratch…attack? NO! If a story likes this makes the press….the Departments in most cases slap the officers on the wrist and then turn around and laugh about it in their locker rooms. These are the people who have been sworn to protect and serve its citizens. There have been so many police shooting dogs lately and this is totally unacceptable. I have seen children destroyed by this…I have seen grown men fall to their knees crying because their beloved pet was shot by those who are there to protect and serve.  A few months ago it was Candy in Tx, yesterday it was Wolfie in MN, now it is Odin in CA, Cream in NC, Arzy in LA, Gabanna in PA, and many, many more. Are we going to set back and allow this injustice to continue? Do we wait until it is my dog…or...your dog before we take a stand and say enough is enough? Are you willing to risk this happening to your family? Your dog?  

Google “Police Shootings of Family Pets”….I did….and you know…there are over 64,500,000 results. Can you believe that? All stories of trigger happy officers who fear everything from a pup to an elderly dog who cannot walk. Many of these stories go unnoticed…why? Because it is an animal…that’s why!  Well…It is time to demand that police officers receive the proper training in how to handle a situation involving animals. There is no need to use deadly force. There are other alternatives. It is time to remind them that a bullet to the back of the head does not vindicate their claims of a dog attack. Shooting our dogs, our beloved family members is like killing our children…our family.  What gives them the right? Folks…we have rights…our animals have rights…and what we are allowing is what will continue.  We must put a stop to this….we need to stop it now. Anytime an animal is shot by an officer, there needs to be a full investigation of the officer involved and the full extent of the law should be applied with the appropriate charges giving no leniency. Of all people these officers should know the law…and should be held fully responsible to the laws they break. Killing our family pets is not ok and we will not stand for such action to continue. As taxpayers and citizens of our counties, our cities, our states and our country, we…as the people who vote leaders into office we are demanding for these shootings to stop NOW!

Odin’s Story:

Odin a 7 month old pit bull lived with his 2 litter mates in a home where he was loved by his family, the Bush’s and Pietra McCotter. The family had a 6 ft gated yard that was clearly secure and marked “Beware of Dog” and “No Trespassing”. The San Diego Sheriff’s Dept had received a call from a neighbor that there were dogs running loose in the neighborhood. After not seeing any loose dogs running…. Deputy Gerardo Perez and Deputy Kevin Price approached the Bush’s residence opened the secured gate and walked into the fenced yard.  As they approached the house 3 dogs emerged from the house. Claiming his own fear of safety, thinking that Odin, a pit bull would bite him Deputy Gerardo Perez pulled his gun and shot Odin twice. The other two dogs retreated back into the home and Odin ran around the back of the home where he then died. The Deputy Perez did not claim the dog was attacking…only that he feared the pit bull dog. Later he apologized to the family for killing Odin. The Bush’s or Pietra McCotter were never charged for the initial call because they were in compliance with the law. The reason for no citations is because the dogs were never out and the neighbor making the report had identified the wrong pit bulls. Also it was said the dogs had been reported to the Escondido Humane Society and when contacted to get its take on how the events unfolded the EHS representative said that they “were never notified”. This family is devastated. Their dogs were not running loose, the deputies had no right to enter the private property. Odin was a 7 month old pit bull with no history of aggression or biting anyone. Odin and the other dogs were simply approaching the officers who had entered into their yard like any other dog would do. The deputy not only used excessive and unreasonable force by shooting and killing Odin he used very poor judgment by entering a clearly marked “Beware of Dog” fenced property. Had normal law been followed the deputies would have never been in the Bush’s yard and never approached by the 3 dogs. This is a senseless killing of a family pet who was by law properly secured within a fence on its own property that was clearly marked. "There needs to be some recourse," said McCotter. "Sheriffs cannot come on to private property and just shoot your family pet."

Police all over the country are using excessive force with animals.  There is video of officers shooting a dog who is just standing there wagging its tail, reports of a police shooting a dog sitting on its own front porch and even reports of officers going into someone's yard and shooting dogs on their own property.  This needs to end, a precedent needs to be set. Our family pets are not fair game for target practice.  Officers need to be held accountable for the way they choose to handle these situations. Deputy Gerardo Perez and Deputy Kevin Price had choices in this situation and they opted to enter private property, to use excessive force when it was not necessary and Deputy Perez killed Odin McCotter, a family pet. Let's make sure that Deputy Gerardo Perez and Deputy Kevin Price are held accountable for their careless choice. This action by Deputy Gerardo Perez in shooting and killing Odin on private property should call for the deputy’s immediate resignation and for criminal animal cruelty charges to be filed against him. Deputy Kevin Price should be reprimanded by his actions as well. Anything less is criminal injustice.