There are double standard penalties for police officers shooting
family dogs. Or should I say no penalty? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
double standard as "a set of principles that applies differently and
usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances than to
another." This is what I'd call a double standard penalty when a police
officer shoots a family dog rather than a private citizen committing the act.
Meaning the officer gets away with it, while someone who's not a member of law
enforcement goes to jail.
A recent example of a private citizen being arrested for animal cruelty after
shooting two dogs occurred in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania on February12.
Gabriel Pilotti, 72, was charged with two cases of animal cruelty after killing
two dogs Pilotti originally claimed were after his sheep. He later changed his
story saying he shot one of the dogs while it was slowly coming toward him, and
the other dog as it was running away.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan stated in a news
release "there was no justification for the killing of these two dogs. The
defendant has been charged and will be dealt with appropriately. Our sympathies
go out to the family and children who lost their beloved pets."
This is a far cry from the statements issued across this country
at an alarming rate when police officers shoot a family dog under very similar
circumstances. Countless dogs have lost their lives these past few years due to
the trigger-happy attitude of some police officers. Many of these dogs were
murdered on their own property, or chased to another property where they were
gunned down.
A common excuse made by the officer is "I feared for my
life, therefore I had the right to defend myself." Sadly, the officer is
usually cleared of any wrong doing. The officer must be cleared, or it's an
admission of guilt. In monetary terms, admitting guilt means paying out big
bucks when the family of the dog sues the department or town.
The internet is filled with the stories of innocent dogs being
shot by police. The Facebook page Dogs Shot By
Police has new stories added almost daily. In the majority of these
cases, the dog is either on or adjacent to where the dog lives. On many
occasions, the officer is at the wrong address entirely.
Legislation needs to be enacted on a federal level defining
strict fines and prison sentences for police officer's who abuse their
authority and kill innocent pets. If an average citizen can be charged for the
same offense and face fines and jail time, then so should the officer
committing the same crime. A police officer is no better than those of us not
in uniform when committing such a horrendous act.Perhaps this "kill at
will" attitude will change as more dog owner's are suing those responsible
for the wrongful death of their pet. Many of these lawsuits name not just the
department, but the actual officer involved. Why aren't police officers
"dealt with appropriately?" Why do police departments not issue any
words of sympathy when their officers kill the family pet? How do the readers
here feel? Should the police be held to the same set of standards as the rest
of us. Or should the double standard philosophy continue to apply, basically
giving approval for officers to shoot first and explain their way out of it
later? Your comments are welcome.