Family Lab Shot After Police Respond to House Alarm

Postby maberi » October 7th, 2010, 8:33 am

I'm honestly NOT trying to start another argument about police and how they handle dogs. As Demo pointed out, we have to take EVERYTHING we read on the news with a grain of salt. I'm sure this happens every day but we are seeing more coverage of this due to the other stories in the news. None the less, it is sad to see an elderly dog's life end this way.

We have an alarm system in our house, but I disarmed it after we adopted Earl


http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-be ... 56058.html


The Oakland Police Department is apologizing for the death of a family's dog.

Gloria, a yellow Labrador, was the only one home Tuesday when offcers arrived to check out a burglar alarm call. The Hallock family says 11-year-old Gloria had arthritis in her hips and had trouble getting around.

Oakland police say Gloria began growling and barking and then made a threatening move toward the officers as they approached. The officers shot three times -- one shot hit the dog in the head.

Mary Kate Hallock arrived home from running errands to find a note from officers on the front door of the home explaining that the dog had "advanced on officers in a threatening manner before being shot and killed."


The Hallocks say they want to know what police didn't use Taser, mace or pepper spray on the dog instead of going right to the deadly force of a handgun. They say they don't want to sue the department, but they want the change the department's policy nobody else has to go through same turmoil their family id dealing with now.

Police say the officer who pulled the trigger has not been placed on leave and continues to work.
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Postby LMM » October 7th, 2010, 9:04 am

RIP Gloria, you didn't deserve that :(
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Postby PetieMarie22 » October 7th, 2010, 9:40 am

:( This scares me. If someone shot my dog like this, I would be in jail (or shot obviously).
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Postby iluvk9 » October 7th, 2010, 11:09 am

Good-bye, Gloria. :( I hope it was quick. :sad2:
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Postby plebayo » October 7th, 2010, 11:24 am

Officer's should be required to take a class on animal behavior and dog handling. Sometimes in situations like that, all you have to do is be stern and tell the dog to knock it off. Not every situation, but the dog was an old lady and I'm sure she would have backed off if someone had told her to.

Also really lame the dog had to be shot three times. Maybe in the behavior class they should learn how to properly take down a dog too.

Poor Gloria, you were doing your job RIP.
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » October 7th, 2010, 1:26 pm

Like I said in the other dog-shooting thread, my department can't even afford classes for firearms and unarmed self-defense. There's not a chance in hell they'll pay for all of us to attend animal behavior/dog handling classes. And quite frankly, that's not our job. Our job is people wrangling, not dog wrangling.

And not to be a bitch, but let me know when you can hit a moving target and KILL IT on the first shot.
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Postby HappyChick » October 8th, 2010, 8:01 pm

"Oakland police say Gloria began growling and barking and then made a threatening move toward the officers as they approached. The officers shot three times -- one shot hit the dog in the head."

Approached where?? In the house? Does anyone think if a dog is in IT'S OWN HOME it should be shot for protecting it's territory? Outside? Was the yard fenced? Was the dog running the neighborhood?

Assuming certain things about the story (yea, I know what assuming means) the police shot the dog in it's own home. Really. Can one of you seriously tell me this is justified? If so, then please explain how and please don't be a DICK about it. In my house if a burglar was really here, I think my dogs would be ON the burglar, not waiting for the police to show so they could attack THEM. It really does not take that much common sense or dog knowledge, does it???
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Postby copperlegend » October 8th, 2010, 8:37 pm

Not to mention a dog doesn't know the difference between a police officer and an intruder. So sad, RIP Gloria.
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Postby iluvk9 » October 8th, 2010, 9:29 pm

HappyChick wrote: If so, then please explain how and please don't be a DICK about it.


That just made me laugh out loud....
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Postby airwalk » October 8th, 2010, 9:37 pm

HappyChick wrote: Approached where?? In the house? Does anyone think if a dog is in IT'S OWN HOME it should be shot for protecting it's territory? Outside? Was the yard fenced? Was the dog running the neighborhood?

Assuming certain things about the story (yea, I know what assuming means) the police shot the dog in it's own home. Really. Can one of you seriously tell me this is justified? If so, then please explain how and please don't be a DICK about it. In my house if a burglar was really here, I think my dogs would be ON the burglar, not waiting for the police to show so they could attack THEM. It really does not take that much common sense or dog knowledge, does it???


Again, I wasn't there so I cannot make any representation about that particular situation, but in general, it is a constant balancing act.

We all want Police to respond if the alarm in our home is triggered, that is why we install alarms. So we want them there, but of course, our dogs don't know the difference between the good guys and the bad guys, so they treat everyone that comes through the door that they don't know - when Mom and Dad aren't home - the same, as if they are intruders (because to the dog they are).

While I agree there are times that Police are quick on the trigger when it comes to dogs, I do not believe they are any more or less quick that any other segment of the population. Some cops know dogs, read dogs...no sweat. Some cops don't know dogs, and don't want to know dogs. They are trained to know and read humans.

So we as dog owners and home owners are constantly balancing what we wish to protect and how. I have an alarm, that is never set. Why, because Scooter looks like a Pit Bull to he average person and makes people jump, Magic is a complete idiot that would come flying with mouth open, Doogie growls and looks very scary as he's running backwards. I know that, so I don't set the alarm. I'll take a chance on a burglar that has the courage to enter the house with those three and pray they either don't or they don't shoot them. That's a choice I've made.
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Postby amazincc » October 8th, 2010, 9:53 pm

Mine are all crated when I'm not home... take my freakin' TV and whatever else you want, just don't hurt my dogs. :neutral:
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Postby mnp13 » October 8th, 2010, 10:14 pm

There you go. Diana answered and wasn't a dick about it.a dog has no idea if a police officer is a "good" intruder or a "bad" intruder. The "bad" intruder could have already left, but it is the police officer's job to go into the house and look and see if they are in there hiding some place. Perhaps they are the one who "sternly told the dog to go away" and are hiding upstairs. Perhaps with a knife, waiting for the female owner of the house to return (as happened to someone I know.).

I teach classes for dogs with behavior issues, half the people who OWN dogs don't know the difference between aggression and simple bad manners - and they live with the dog!!!

If an alarm goes off and an officer responds and gets charged by a dog, that dog is likely going to die. Simple fact. My sister works for an ambulance and they have had heart attack calls where they have had to call the police because there was a dog in the house. The dog was preventing the paramedics from entering.

When you set your alarm and leave your dog loose in the house, you are taking a huge risk. If that alarm goes off, the alarm company sends the police - that's what you pay them for! So like you said, the dog "is just protecting it's home" but the dog doesn't know the difference and will go after the officer as well. Should an officer be ok with getting bitten because the dog "is just protecting his house"?
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Postby mnp13 » October 8th, 2010, 10:15 pm

amazincc wrote:Mine are all crated when I'm not home... take my freakin' TV and whatever else you want, just don't hurt my dogs. :neutral:


Ours are too. The alarm is set, the dogs are crated.
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Postby LMM » October 8th, 2010, 11:53 pm

I guess it depends on the area but I used to set my alarm. It went off a few times (faulty sensor on the door) but the police never came INTO my house. There is a lot of information missing from the article it almost seems as if Gloria was outside? There is no mention of an open door the officers were trying to investigate.

At any rate, I get why both sides get riled up but people are still going to be very sad and upset that a senior dog (any dog really) is killed protecting their home. They can feel sad/angry and question why it happened without feeling bad about doing so. I'm not usually one jumping to blame the police but sometimes, they do screw up. Not saying that happened here but they, like everyone else, are not above reproach.
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Postby airwalk » October 9th, 2010, 9:57 am

Yep Jenn sometimes the cops screw up...you are absolutely right. I'm not saying they didn' here, I don't know enough of the details to be able to say one way or the other.

And you are right that whenever these things happen both sides are going to be very upset.

When I first read they left a note, my initial reaction was ... what an A$$hat thing to do. Then..what did I think they were going to do, sit there until someone came home (however long that might be)...so it was crappy all the way around.
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Postby dlynne1123 » October 9th, 2010, 1:33 pm

mnp13 wrote:There you go. Diana answered and wasn't a dick about it.a dog has no idea if a police officer is a "good" intruder or a "bad" intruder. The "bad" intruder could have already left, but it is the police officer's job to go into the house and look and see if they are in there hiding some place. Perhaps they are the one who "sternly told the dog to go away" and are hiding upstairs. Perhaps with a knife, waiting for the female owner of the house to return (as happened to someone I know.).

I teach classes for dogs with behavior issues, half the people who OWN dogs don't know the difference between aggression and simple bad manners - and they live with the dog!!!

If an alarm goes off and an officer responds and gets charged by a dog, that dog is likely going to die. Simple fact. My sister works for an ambulance and they have had heart attack calls where they have had to call the police because there was a dog in the house. The dog was preventing the paramedics from entering.

When you set your alarm and leave your dog loose in the house, you are taking a huge risk. If that alarm goes off, the alarm company sends the police - that's what you pay them for! So like you said, the dog "is just protecting it's home" but the dog doesn't know the difference and will go after the officer as well. Should an officer be ok with getting bitten because the dog "is just protecting his house"?


I only want to add it applies to any situation. What if your house was on fire? How can they save your animals if they are frantic and running around. A crate is a safer place, especially if you already have an alarm! Most people want a 'door bell dog' but don't realize what could happen if its a door bell at the wrong time. Or that when really pursued the dog will lash out! Lots of clients say they dont' mind the dog barking when company comes over. They want to know when people are there. However, what do you do when its someone you want there and you are not home?
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Postby DemoDick » October 11th, 2010, 10:57 am

I know of no police agency in the U.S. in which officers responding to an alarm will force entry as a matter of practice. They most likely found an unlocked or open door or window, which would mean that the homeowner (1) left the dog loose in the house, (2) set the alarm and (3) left an open point of entry. In this situation, it is the officer's job to enter the home and check for intruders. Most dogs will act in a threatening manner when this happens, and most dogs will get shot.

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Postby DemoDick » October 11th, 2010, 10:59 am

HappyChick wrote:"Oakland police say Gloria began growling and barking and then made a threatening move toward the officers as they approached. The officers shot three times -- one shot hit the dog in the head."

Approached where?? In the house? Does anyone think if a dog is in IT'S OWN HOME it should be shot for protecting it's territory? Outside? Was the yard fenced? Was the dog running the neighborhood?

Assuming certain things about the story (yea, I know what assuming means) the police shot the dog in it's own home. Really. Can one of you seriously tell me this is justified? If so, then please explain how and please don't be a DICK about it. In my house if a burglar was really here, I think my dogs would be ON the burglar, not waiting for the police to show so they could attack THEM. It really does not take that much common sense or dog knowledge, does it???


Perhaps you shouldn't act like a passive-aggressive "dick" when you ask the questions in the first place.
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Postby Ino » October 11th, 2010, 11:31 am

mnp13 wrote:
amazincc wrote:Mine are all crated when I'm not home... take my freakin' TV and whatever else you want, just don't hurt my dogs. :neutral:


Ours are too. The alarm is set, the dogs are crated.


Ino too, although it is mostly to protect him from my feisty kitty :oops:!! He actually prefers to be in it- if I go out front for a minute, he is usually in the crate when I come in. He has a comfy setup!! :D I think it actually makes him feel calm- like he is relieved of his duty (barking) when he is in his crate. He relaxes and sleeps.
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Postby HappyChick » October 12th, 2010, 10:44 pm

DemoDick wrote:
HappyChick wrote:"Oakland police say Gloria began growling and barking and then made a threatening move toward the officers as they approached. The officers shot three times -- one shot hit the dog in the head."

Approached where?? In the house? Does anyone think if a dog is in IT'S OWN HOME it should be shot for protecting it's territory? Outside? Was the yard fenced? Was the dog running the neighborhood?

Assuming certain things about the story (yea, I know what assuming means) the police shot the dog in it's own home. Really. Can one of you seriously tell me this is justified? If so, then please explain how and please don't be a DICK about it. In my house if a burglar was really here, I think my dogs would be ON the burglar, not waiting for the police to show so they could attack THEM. It really does not take that much common sense or dog knowledge, does it???


Perhaps you shouldn't act like a passive-aggressive "dick" when you ask the questions in the first place.


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