Neighborhood outraged after officer shoots dog
Neighbors in Valdese are outraged after a police officer shot a well-known neighborhood dog.
Holly Woody went to the store Sunday night. When she got home, she saw cop cars surrounding her home.
"They said 'we had to shoot your dog,' and my son started crying," Woody told WBTV.
Police had received a report of a dog on the loose.
Woody was not there to witness the shooting, but several neighbors were.
Sydney Mason lives across the street from Woody. Mason tells WBTV there was no need for officers to use lethal force.
"There was no need for violence or a gun to be drawn. What was going on? What is happening? Why is there a nine millimeter or .38 being pulled in my small neighborhood of Valdese, where there are small children? What is going on because this is unnecessary force over a dog that hadn't bitten anybody," Mason said.
The dog that was shot had to be euthanized because of its injuries.
WBTV reached out to the Valdese Police Department for comment.
The Police Chief said his officers felt threatened by the dog. He declined an on-camera interview in case the Woody family decides to pursue legal action.
At this time, Woody does not think she will file a lawsuit.
The dog that was killed did not bite or injure anybody during the incident.
OUTRAGE AFTER POLICE SHOOT THIS ‘WELL-KNOWN NEIGHBORHOOD DOG’
Neighbors in Valdese, N.C., are outraged after a police officer shot a “well-known neighborhood dog,” WBTV-TV reports. The dog later had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
The dog’s owner, Holly Woody, said she arrived home on Sunday night and there were cop cars surrounding her property. What they told her next broke her heart.
“They said, ‘we had to shoot your dog,’ and my son started crying,” the woman said.
Police were reportedly responding to reports of a dog on the loose and say they found the animal aggressive.
More from WBTV-TV:
Woody was not there to witness the shooting, but several neighbors were.
Sydney Mason lives across the street from Woody. Mason tells WBTV there was no need for officers to use lethal force.
“There was no need for violence or a gun to be drawn. What was going on? What is happening? Why is there a nine millimeter or .38 being pulled in my small neighborhood of Valdese, where there are small children? What is going on because this is unnecessary force over a dog that hadn’t bitten anybody,” Mason said.
Valdese Police Chief Jack Moss told the news station that his officers felt threatened by the dog and decided to use lethal force. He refused to appear on camera in the event that the Woody family decides to take legal action, though Woody said she doesn’t think she’ll file a lawsuit.
The dog did not bite or injure anyone before it was shot, according to the report.