What started as a typical December night for the Carr family in Georgia changed in an instant after two police officers showed up in their front yard. The officers were responding to a distress call in the area. As father Justin Carr went outside to speak with them, the family’s two dogs, Hank and Zeta, followed him out. Within seconds, one of the officers had shot Zeta in the head. Under Cobb County guidelines, “shooting a domesticated animal should be a last resort,” only if an animal becomes aggressive and only after measures like pepper spray, batons or tasers. Officers should “avoid shooting the animal in the head” or “in view of the public, especially children.” Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said that Zeta was "perceived as a potential threat." Incidents like this are common, an aspect of police violence known as canicide, reports Courthouse News Service. Police kill about 10,000 pet dogs per year. There is no official national count.
Cases of police shooting dogs have risen dramatically in recent years said Sherry Ramsey of the U.S. Humane Society. Almost all of the incidents could have been deescalated, she said.
"The worst thing is, there are a lot of these cases that are just absolutely unnecessary," said Jim Crosby. A retired Florida cop, he now serves as director of the Canine Encounter Training program at the National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse. He also designed the Law Enforcement Dog Encounter Training course, a program of the National Sheriffs Association. Sometimes, police-dog encounters can lead to human casualties. "Remember, there's not just the animals that are at risk here," Crosby said. He cited a 2015 Iowa incident in which an officer was responding to a domestic dispute. A couple was arguing in their front yard when their dog came running out of their house. The responding officer panicked, drew his weapon, slipped on the snow and ice and accidentally shot and killed the mother in front of her four-year-old son. Despite the stakes, most police departments do not require animal-encounter training. Only California, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas have state laws mandating dog-encounter training for law enforcement.