SENT THIS OUT TODAY TO PET LOSS/GRIEF PROFESSIONALS - January 20, 2014 TO: Pet Loss Bereavement Professionals FR: Cynthia Davis Merriam RE: CHILDREN WITNESSING PUPPYCIDE aka Cop on Dog Shootings I recently compiled Pet Loss Bereavement information in connection with work I do related to PUPPYCIDE, incidents of law enforcement shooting family dogs even though the dog did nothing wrong. I am sharing the bereavement information I’ve compiled on the Facebook pages set up by the families left behind by dogs shot by law enforcement. As I compiled this information, I gathered your contact information so that I could write to you and ask your help in ending PUPPYCIDE as quickly as possible. Your help is needed in making it very clear to government officials and law enforcement professionals that when a law enforcement officer, a person in a position of trust relative to a child, shoots a child’s beloved dog in front of the child, the trauma they inflict upon that child is long lasting and harmful, extremely harmful on multiple levels. After you finish reading this letter and the PUPPYCIDE information I’ve sent and perhaps done some PUPPYCIDE research on your own, would you please, PLEASE, share your written PUPPYCIDE thoughts either on the Dogs Shot by Police Facebook page (https://facebook/DogsShotbyPolice) or via reply email message to me, or both? On Attachment 1, I provide links for you to a representative sixteen (16) PUPPYCIDE cases involving children witnessing their dog being shot by a law enforcement officer. There are more such cases, many more. To give you an idea as to the prevalence of PUPPYCIDE, here is the link to a MUST WATCH VIDEO prepared by Humanity for Others in memory of dogs shot by law enforcement (youtube/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T-YZcBq5BJY). Then, there is the information on this webpage, links to 146 Facebook pages in memory of individual dogs shot by law enforcement: cops-shooting-dogs.blogspot/p/fb-cause-pages.html. There are many more Facebook pages created to address the issue of PUPPYCIDE. A PUPPYCIDE documentary is now in the works (Facebook page: https://facebook/pages/Puppycide-The-Documentary/557471920974012 and website puppycide/) with an anticipated completion date at the end of 2014. Recently, in a very short period of time, concerned people across the country donated $45,463 so this documentary would be made. Here are links to Facebook pages called (i) Cops for Canine Compassion (https://facebook/pages/Cops-for-Canine-Compassion/132091863667946?ref=stream); and (ii) Canine Encounters with Jim Osorio (law enforcement professional, https://facebook/groups/143829639153456/), and here is an excerpt from, and the link to, a PUPPYCIDE article written by someone raised in a law enforcement family: Questions need to be asked and an honest dialogue needs to begin about why deadly force is being used preemptively. Is this a lack of an appropriate assessment of situational awareness? Are officers operating under more stress and therefore not able to determine a ‘real’ vs. ‘perceived’ threat? Or are some officers just, quite honestly, afraid of dogs, which could stem from a childhood incident or family influences when it comes to domestic animals? – See more at: baltimorestyle/index.php/style/lisa_shenkle/disturbing_trend_police_on_dog_violence/ The following is information regarding PUPPYCIDE publications from (i) law enforcement professional sources and (ii) national animal welfare organizations. Even though some of these publications have been readily available for YEARS, Puppycides continue. LAW ENFORCEMENT PUPPYCIDE PUBLICATIONS In the Line of Duty Special Issue Fact Sheet: What Dogs Try to Tell Cops (23:50 program length, for Continuing Education Credit) animalliberationfront/Practical/Pets/factsheetbehavior.pdf August 2013 “The Police Chief” magazine article titled “Officer Safety Corner: Dogs and the Police Response: A Guide for Safe, Successful, and Humane Encounters.” policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=3000&issue_id=82013 “Management of Aggressive Canines for Law Enforcement” by Troy Kechely think-dog/TDC_Services.html The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters cops.usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e051116358_Dog-Incidents-508.pdf National Canine Research Council on DOJ’s Manual nationalcanineresearchcouncil/blog/dojs-training-manual-provides-much-needed-resource-as-evidenced-by-fatal-shooting-of-dog-by-law-enforcement-officer-in-austin-tx/ LE’s own publication “Law Enforcement Today” warns “Officers need to be concerned about the possibility of a lawsuit being filed if an officer is involved in a dog shooting! lawenforcementtoday/tag/dog-shooting/. examiner/article/law-enforcement-today-article-warns-police-not-to-kill-family-dogs Laura Scarry, Attorney at Law Shooting Dogs: Taking a Bite Out of the Constitution lawenforcementtoday/tag/dr-olivia-johnson/ Police One April 2013 Article: policeone/K-9/articles/6183772-Proposed-bill-would-re-train-police-on-handling-dog-encounters/ 2012 Article in Law Enforcement Today by Charlotte Raschke, “Don’t Shoot My Dog” lawenforcementtoday/2012/06/01/don’t-shoot-my-dog/#comments NATOINAL ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION PUPPYCIDE PUBLICATIONS ASPCA: Summer 2013 Position Statement on Law Enforcement Response to Potentially Dangerous Dogs aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statements-on-law-enforcement-response American Legal Defense Fund: Dogs Shot by Cops: Companion Animals and Law Enforcement: aldf.org/resources/when-your-companion-animal-has-been-harmed/dogs-shot-by-cops-companion-animals-and-law-enforcement/ Best Friends Animal Society, July 24, 2013 “Police Shooting of Dogs: A Disturbing Trend” by Francis Battista, Co-founder .blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2013/07/24/police-shootings-of-dogs-a-disturbing-trend/ National Humane Education Society “These examples only scratch the surface of recent reports of dogs being shot by officers on duty…” nhes.org/articles/view/1028 Also attached (Attachment 2) is a copy of the letter I recently sent to Florida government officials, law enforcement professionals, animal activist groups, chambers of commerce, etc., asking them to: (i) take immediate, temporary action to minimize the likelihood of future Florida PUPPYCIDE tragedies as you (ii) Initiate long-term, state-wide legislation similar to Colorado’s Dog Protection Act (“DPA”) with added accountability measures. As you read the attached Florida letter, you’ll find information organized in the following categories: 1. Florida Government Accountability and Transparency as it Relates to PUPPYCIDE; 2. PUPPYCIDE Prevalence; 3. PUPPYCIDE Legislation in Colorado and Maryland; 4. Irreconcilable Differences Between Reasonable Public Expectations and Law Enforcement’s Oath of Honor (according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police theiacp.org/PoliceServices/ProfessionalAssistance/Ethics/WhatistheLawEnforcementOathofHonor/tabid/150/Default.aspx); and 5. Unchecked PUPPYCIDE Consequences. The attachments to the Florida letter, which I am also sending to you, are: Attachment1 Other States With PUPPYCIDE Legislation Attachment 2 Florida PUPPYCIDE Cases Attachment 3 WHO is Killed When Law Enforcement Shoots a Dog Attachment 4 PUPPYCIDE Publications Attachment 5 Children Witnessing PUPPYCIDE Cases Attachment 6 Unjustified PUPPYCIDE Thank you for taking the time to help with the critical issue of PUPPYCIDE. I look forward to reading your thoughts on PUPPYCIDE. Attchment 1 Children Witnessing PUPPYCIDE Attachment 2 Letter to Florida Officials re PUPPYCIDE (with attachments) ATTACHMENT 1 CHILDREN WITNESSING PUPPYCIDE 1. 10 Year Old Boy Sees Mount Vernon Cop Shoot His Dog copdogkillers.blogspot/2012/06/boy-10-watches-cops-shoot-and-kill-his.html 2. Arlington officer decided that he was so scared of this little dog that he opened fire in front of little children” galoor/crime/2018305-justice-for-bucky-arlington-cop-kills-small-dog 3. Boise, Idaho police shoot dog dead in front of mother and 2 year old son dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2471335/Police-officer-shoots-pet-dog-dead-mother-2-year-old-son.html 4. Chicago Cops Raid Wrong House, Threaten Children and Kill Dog policebrutality.info/2013/03/cops-raid-wrong-house-threaten-children-and-kill-their-dog.html 5. Columbia SWAT Team Kills Restrained Dog For Barking In Front of Child youtube/watch?feature=endscreen&v=qpfLLtPJvxA&NR=1 6. Detroit police opened fire during a raid on a home that also contained children, freep/article/20100519/NEWS01/5190360/Special-police-team-sued-07-dog-shooting-incident 7. Fort Worth teens hurt when cop shoots dog clipsyndicate/video/play/1390553/teens_hurt_when_cop_shoots_dog?wpid=5435 8. Hartford, CT Two Police Officers Shoot Dog in Front of 12 Year Old Owner articles.courant/2012-05-17/news/hc-hartford-dog-shoot-0518-20120517_1_family-dog-front-yard-bark-and-snarl 9. Leander, Texas Police Shoot Dog in Front of Six Year Old Boy After Raiding Wrong Home in Search of Man With Expired Vehicle Registration naturalnews/041055_police_officers_family_dog_fatal_shooting.html 10. Memphis, Tennessee dog shot while playing with 9 year old child examiner/article/tennessee-dog-shot-while-playing-with-child?CID=examiner_alerts_article 11. Minneapolis police shoot dog next to toddler and toddler’s pajamas splattered with dog’s blood freerepublic/focus/chat/3006938/posts 12. Minneapolis police handcuffed children to sit next to the carcass of their dead and bloody pet for more than an hour courthousenews/2012/07/18/48482.htm 13. Ripley, Mississippi child hit by bullet fragments wmctv/Global/story.asp?S=14293727 14. St. Paul, Minnesota cops handcuffed children forced to sit near dead pet reason/blog/2012/08/10/st-paul-cops-shoot-dog-in-wrong-door-rai 15. Two Waldorf, Maryland children were watching, including a 2 year old just a foot away when dog shot nbcwashington/news/local/Kids-Watch-Police-Shoot-Family-Dog.html 16. Lyle Simpson wont forget Sunday afternoon. Around 3:30, he was sitting outside with his dogs, when Onawa Police Officer Joe Farrens pulled up to check a house next door for vandalism. Ferrons got out of his car and charged into Simpson’s yard toward Simpson’s nine-year-old dog Mary Jane who was standing five (5) to ten (10) feet in front of his nine-year-old boy. Ferrons opened fire upon Mary Jane, shooting her in the face. The 9-year-old boy began hysterically crying, saying Shes bleeding everywhere. Officer Ferrons then said to the NINE YEAR OLD BOY yah cause shes got a 45 slug stuck in her ass!!! Then he said he was going to start shooting every dog in town who is not leashed. There were four (4) witnesses before and during the shooting and about ten (10) to fifteen (15) after the shooting. Chief Gary Addy found no violation of department policy and felt the officer handled himself in the correct manner for the situation he was in, Onawa Police are still investigating the incident. They say the owners may be cited for not having control of the dog. “… a cop deliberately provokes a previously peaceful dog in its own yard so that he can claim to be justified in shooting her in the face and gets his ass covered by the boss, while the owner gets fined for harboring a “vicious” animal.” examiner/article/opd-officer-targets-and-shoots-9-year-old-pit-bull-and-family-seeks-justice and https://facebook/DogsShotbyPolice/posts/381627038573170 and ktiv/story/19388900/pitbull-shot-by-cops-onawa-iowa Dogs Shot by Police
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 02:56:56 +0000
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