Dog Fighting Event in Georgia Is Raided -- By Police Helicopters

Thirty-four people were arrested at the highly organized dog fight, which even had a food truck.

It's time to raise a glass to multiple law enforcement agencies across Georgia, who not only broke up a dog-fighting ring, but did so at a moment's notice with helicopters and spotlights while a dog fight was in progress, saving the dogs and arresting spectators and participants. 

It sounds like something out of prime time TV. On Saturday, authorities investigating the ring learned that a fight was scheduled to go down that night, and they rallied the troops, according to the Times-Herald.com. 

“Our narcotics unit has worked tirelessly on gathering intelligence on the event, and at a moment’s notice, they ‘rallied up’ and met at the training center where a briefing was conducted,” according to Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith in a press release.

The team included members of the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Woodbury Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, and animal control.

Then they swept in. First, they set up a perimeter full of officers. Then they brought in the helicopters, shining spotlights on the participants and spectators -- who fled right into the arms of waiting authorities. Suspects who hid in the bushes were located with the helicopter's forward looking infrared, of FLIR, cameras.

In all, 34 people were taken into custody. Authorities also seized more than $28,000 in cash, 26 vehicles of those arrested, five guns, two generators, lighting equipment, the fighting pit, and a catering truck, according to the Times-Herald.com. 

Yes, a catering truck. Express Wings was serving fried chicken and fish to those gathered at the event. 

As for the dogs, authorities found two Pit Bulls, with one injured and bleeding inside a large fighting pit. Animal Control Officer Beth Miller took the dogs into protective custody, and a vet is treating the injured dog with antibiotics. According to Times-Herald.com, one dog is eating again and even gave the vet some kisses. 

Those arrested face a litany of charges: gambling, cruelty to animals, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, theft by receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit or promote dog fighting, and other crimes associated with the dog fighting operation. 

Via Times-Herald.com and WTVM.com; photos via WTVM

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Do Police Shoot Innocent Dogs? It Happens -- And It's Preventable

Laws are proposed to require more police training. In the meantime, here are things you can do

Police officers killing innocent dogs might be something you've never thought about. But there's evidence to suggest it's more common than we might imagine. According to a story in the Seattle Times, there is no documented incident of a dog killing a police officer in the United States. Yet police officers have killed many dogs.

A study by the National Canine Research Council concludes that a majority of intentional police shootings involve dogs. The study says several law enforcement agencies in California indicated that at least half of their police shootings involved animals. The percentage was more in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to track such statistics nationwide because no government authority documents these killings. Regardless, we've commented and reported on such incidents, including a Pit Bull killed in Riverside, CA, in his own back yard by a police officer who was assisting in an arrest taking place two houses away.

While shooting a dog is a crime in most states, it isn’t a felony. The general tendency of review committees and juries to give police the benefit of the doubt means that those shootings rarely result in formal charges or convictions, or victories in lawsuits brought against departments. This danger to beloved pets exist whether you live in a big metro area such as New York City or a small one such as Vallejo, CA.

If dog shootings weren’t serious enough, dogs are also hit with stun-guns such as Tasers as well as pepper-sprayed, kicked, and and battered with batons or night-sticks. Officers inevitably claim self-defense, and charges are even less likely when they use these “less than lethal” methods.

The Colorado Senate in April passed Senate Bill 226, called “Don’t Shoot My Dog,” which enjoys bipartisan support and is making its way through the Colorado House. The law, which could become a model for other states, requires training for police on how to deal with domestic dogs. The bill would require training in how the animals act and react, and how to minimize the dangers to themselves and the dogs. Further, the bill will require that police receive additional training in the area annually.

Such trainings are held on topics such as DUI investigation, correct use of pepper spray, and community interaction. Only time will tell whether these trainings, should the bill pass and be signed into law, will reduce or prevent police-on-dog violence.

Dog owners also play a role in protecting our fur children from police. The National Canine Research Council includes as a major factor in the shootings "reckless, uneducated, or inhumane owners." Some of the things we can do involve training and obedience, others involve handling, and still others involve managing certain situations.

Training is important to keep your dogs safe. Police are most likely to react violently to a dog who barks, jumps toward them, or looks like it’s going to bite. Getting your dog as comfortable as possible around strangers is important. Where you can’t do that, having a dog who obeys when you order “sit,” “down,” or “heel” can prevent harm. Preventive training that keeps your dog from barking, advancing, or attacking initially is incredibly important, because most dog shootings happen quickly when police feel threatened.

Handling of your dog as important as training. Anecdotal evidence suggests that leashed dogs have been victims, but, statistics show leashed dogs falling victim to police with far lower frequency than off-leash dogs. We all love playing off-leash with our dogs, but the place for that is in a fenced yard, or a dog park, or another contained area. Walking your dog off leash greatly increases the risk of police violence.

Situation is also key to keeping your dog safe. Most dog shootings happen in the dog’s own yard or home. Often, they happen when a police officer enters a fenced yard and then feels trapped between a dog or dogs and the fence itself. Police don’t always knock or seek permission before entering a fenced yard, especially if they're pursuing a suspect on the run or -- as in the case mentioned above -- guarding against a suspect fleeing. So if you want to keep your dogs safe, make sure that they’re supervised when they’re in the yards. It gives you the opportunity to intervene if a police officer has to visit.

If your dogs have to remain outside unsupervised, keep them in areas segregated from the front yard. A separate fenced enclosure or dog-run can greatly protect your beloved pets. If you don’t have the resources or live in a rental unit, even though it's a highly controversial practice, consider keeping an unsupervised dog tethered in the back yard, so the police officer is less likely to wander into the dog’s area or can at least move to a place the dog can't roam.

I recommend everyone send a message to their elected officials recommending a local version of the “Don’t Shoot My Dog” law. In the interim, following these steps will help protect your dogs from police errors.

About the author: Now that he has finished law school, Cassady's most reliable income is working as a stand-up comedian at a suburban movie theatre (yeah, he spells it the English way, so what?). Cassady specializes in the areas where pet ownership and the law overlap. Mina the Cat taught Cassady everything he knows.

Other stories on dog training:

• Does Your Dog Have a Strong Prey Drive? Mind Does -- Here's How I Curbed It
• Is Your Dog Really Ready to Go Off Leash?
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

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Just Plain Mean: Burglars Poison Police Dog, Rob Officer's Home

The dog was locked in a kennel -- there was no need for poison. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

This week, thieves staged a brazen burglary in Richmond, CA, at the home of a police officer after poisoning two of the officer's dogs. One of the dogs was a police dog.  

The robbery is as brazen as it is baffling. 

Police say that the officer received a call from him wife at 6 a.m., saying that their 2-year-old black Labrador Retriever, Trax, was sick. The officer came home, locked his police dog, a Belgian Malinois, in a backyard kennel, then took the Lab with his wife to the vet. 

Then, the burglars struck, stealing three sporting guns, two handguns, and some other items. 

"His house was ransacked, and five firearms were stolen as well as numerous personal possessions," Richmond Lt. Bisa French told KGO.

The thieves also poisoned the police dog, who was locked in his kennel. He was no threat. The poisoning makes no sense. 

"They didn't even need to poison the [police] dog -- it was locked up in a kennel," French told the San Francisco Chronicle. "If they wanted to burglarize the house, they could have done it without poisoning the dog."

Richmond officer Joe Avila, who is also a K-9 staff member, says, "Both of the dogs involved in this were locked, secured in kennels. They were of no threat to any burglar. It was obviously an intentional act. They could have broken into the house and committed the crime that they committed without doing anything to those dogs."

The family's Lab ended up dying from the poison-laced meat, but the police dog is expected to pull through. 

"It didn't look good for his partner for quite some time, and luckily he got the attention he needed immediately," said Avila.

Police haven't identified the officer or the police dog, citing security concerns. 

"They're just an extremely hardworking team, one of the most dedicated teams in our unit," said Avila.

"It's frightening that somebody would target him specifically, that they would not only burglarize the house but also harm the dogs," French said.

Via KGO and the San Francisco Chronicle

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Who Searches When a Police Dog Goes Missing? Everyone!

Wisconsin sheriff's deputies mobilize foot patrols, a helicopter, snowmobiles and ATVs to find Toro.

Missing dogs get varying amounts of attention. Some might get a lone sign hanging on a telephone pole, whereas others get large community efforts that use the power of social media.

Out of all the rescue efforts, however, we still haven't seen one particular methodology -- an official one. In other words, if the cops lost one of their dogs, how would they find it? Well, we have an answer. The cops would go crazy until they found their dog. 

Last week, the Wood County Sheriff's Department's police dog, Toro, disappeared while assisting Wisconson state police during a drug bust. Actually, he took off into the nearby woods, which are filled with steep, hazardous terrain. The deputies wasted no time in mounting a full-scale search, on foot, by helicopter, by ATV, by snowmobile, and even getting the local news on the story. 

"Right now we have Sheriff's Rescue out there, Spirit Air is helping us out as well, and a couple of snowmobiles," sheriff's Lt. Shawn Becker told WSAW.com. "We're trying to get as much help as we can right now.

"It's difficult for everybody. Toro is just like another officer to us, and we're all very concerned."

Why did Toro run off? Authorities speculate that he might have chased an animal, then just kept going. 

That theory seems likely, because when they finally found Toro -- 37 hours later and a half-mile from where he'd most recently been seen -- he was feeding on a deer carcass. 

Whoa. When police dogs go AWOL, they don't mess around. 

Fortunately, Toro was fine, with just a small cut on one of his paws -- "excellent health," said Sheriff Thomas Reichert. On Friday, Toro -- who is trained in drug detection, tracking, and apprehending -- will go back to work. 

Via Green Bay Press Gazette

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It's Probably Not the Best Idea to Have a Police Dog Retrieve a Gun

Ivan the dog was called in to locate a missing gun in Massachusetts. He found it. And he shot it.

A Massachusetts police dog named Ivan shot a gun this week, bringing the total number of dogs who've shot guns in the past few weeks to two. (You will remember Dale Lanier's dog, riding shotgun in a truck, recently shooting his owner with a 9mm in Florida.) 

As for Ivan, he shot a gun when he was sent looking for one in a snowbank, according to KSN.com. It was put there by three criminals. Earlier that night, an officer on patrol heard three gunshots, went to investigate, and saw a car speed away from the scene. The car stopped, and then a man jumped out and buried something in the snow.

The officer quickly caught the men, then called for backup to search the area. Backup came in the form of Ivan, a German Shepherd police dog. His handler, Lt. John Pickles, ordered Ivan to search the area after a shell casing was found in the car. 

Ivan started pawing through a snowbank. When he was digging, his paw hit the trigger of a loaded Ruger semiautomatic. Ivan shot the gun. 

"I definitely thought for sure my dog just got shot," said Pickles, who works with the Essex County Sheriff's Department. It sounded “like a loud firecracker. I never even saw the gun. I was walking up on my dog, and I was probably only two to three feet behind my dog when it happened.”

"I surmise that the snow was there for a week, and it was probably like ice," Lawrence Police Chief John Romero told CNN. "The individual probably was not able to bury it very deep, and he had no time."

Everyone is okay. They couldn't figure out where the bullet went, but police went around to houses and woke everyone up and asked whether anybody had been shot by the dog.

The three criminals were arrested and charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, receiving a firearm with a defaced serial number, and receiving stolen property, according to Chief Romero.

“This is a first. I’ve never seen anything like this -- and we can laugh at it now because no one was injured, including the dog Ivan -- but I’ve never seen it before,” said Romero. 

"The dog’s supposed to just lie down or sit when he finds the article," said Pickles. "I think it’s just because it was buried in the snow. A one in a million chance there.” 

Via KSN.com

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Canine Hero of the Day: Police Dog Thwarts Would-Be Bomber

How a police dog helped SWAT team members descend upon a bomber in Kansas after a three-hour standoff.

If you're going to threaten to blow stuff up, be forewarned: That dog over there, who is trained to thwart any and all such threats, can't understand a word you say.

A police dog bravely ended a three-hour standoff Tuesday night after a man barricaded himself in a Wichita, Kansas gas station claiming that his backpack was full of explosives, which he intended to ignite.

The suspect entered a Shell station at around 10 p.m. Tuesday and confronted employee Sazzad Kahandaker. As seen on a KWCH News video, Kahandaker described this encounter:

"I ask him, 'How can I help you?' He said, 'Lock the door.' He has a backpack and he opens that," indicating that it contained explosives.

A police dog and a SWAT team prepare to enter the convenience store. Photo courtesy KWCH

As reported by KFDI News, the suspect held Kahandaker and some customers captive for half an hour. When the suspect finally let them leave, Kahandaker covertly pressed the secret alarm button, alerting police. 

Officers arrived and made contact with the suspect from outside the station's shop. "He advised that he had some C-4 and was gonna blow everybody up," said Wichita Police Captain Jeff Easter on the KWCH video.

C-4 is a type of plastic explosive used extensively during the Vietnam war and by al-Qaeda terrorists in the 1996 bombing of the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen. This stuff can cause serious damage. When the suspect refused to surrender or budge, Wichita police set up a 1,000-foot perimeter around the station, evacuated 15 nearby homes, and stopped traffic in the area. At that point, the suspect cut off all communication.

SWAT team members surrounded the station, accompanied by human and robot members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal bomb squad. But what finally ended the standoff at about 1:30 a.m.?

A SWAT officer escorts the suspect from the station. Photo courtesy KWCH.

Four legs, sleek fur, steely eyes, expert training, a keen mind, and extremely strong jaws.

"We deployed one of our dogs inside of the building," Easter explained. The video shows heavily uniformed cops ushering an alert German shepherd dog into the station. 

Once inside, the dog backed the suspect into a corner, at which point "SWAT was able to go in and apprehend him," Easter said. "He has a few injuries from the dog, but no major injuries."

Nearby roads remained closed throughout the wee hours as the bomb squad investigated the suspect's backpack. No explosives were found in it. The suspect's motives remain a mystery, Easter said.

What isn't a mystery is that age-old fact: Canines can outrun us. They can outbite us. Aren't you glad bad guys know this?

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Unlikely Canine Hero of the Day: Choking Dog Saves His Own Life By Dialing Police Hotline

"We still don't know how he managed it. He's not usually very smart."

When police dispatchers in England heard the desperate heavy breathing from someone who had called 999 (the British equivalent of our 911), they sent four cops to the West Yorkshire home stat to check on what seemed to be a dire emergency.

The police were about to break down the door when a neighbor ran up and let them in with the key the family had given him. While the officers sprinted through the house searching the rooms for someone who had collapsed or been injured, the neighbor ran into the living room to find the family's enormous Bassett hound, George, choking because the phone wire had a death grip on his neck. He ripped the phone apart to free the "absolutely terrified" dog.

Photo via The Sun. See more of their amazing photos over here.

"Incredibly you could see where his paw print was on the phone to ring 999 — he literally saved his own life," neighbor Paul Walker said in an article in the Sun.

"When the police came into the room and realized what had happened they burst out laughing," he said. George recovered quickly and seemed no worse the wear, fortunately.

What's especially amazing about this story is that the phone had an old-fashioned dial. So it wasn't as if he just got lucky and pressed "9" three times in his panic. He had to really dial with his large paws.

Owner Lydia Brown says her beloved Bassett would probably have died if he hadn't dialed 999. But what might seem like a Lassie or Rin Tin Tin feat of cleverness and cunning was probably just luck, she thinks.

"We still don't know how he managed it. He's not usually very smart," she says. "He's really dopey and just likes to chew socks."

Whatever the case - luck, miracle, or stunning know-how - it's a pretty awesome story. We are sooo happy Brown did not have to come home to what could have been a very bad, sad scene. Maybe it's time for a cordless phone with a key pad.  (I just hope George figures out how to use it if he ever needs help again.)

Source: The Sun

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Alleged Drunk Driver Can’t Escape Nose of Michigan Police Dog

Michigan police dog Brix stares intently at a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy, who is holding a coveted toy.

There’s one thing I’ve learned while doing the research for my book, Soldier Dogs, which comes out next week (Wow, next week! I am very excited! Please check out my website or Facebook page to learn more.):

Little escapes the nose of a well-trained law-enforcement dog. No high-tech machinery can take its place.

Such was the case Sunday evening with a German Shepherd named Brix, a Jackson County (Mich.) Sheriff’s Department K9. Brix was assisting his handler, who was pursuing an alleged drunk driver who’d had an accident and fled the scene.

It was a difficult place for tracking, especially because it was a swampy area. But it probably didn’t hurt that the driver was barefoot. Try as we may to be all clean and fresh, we humans smell very potent to our canine friends. Here’s how Alexandra Horowitz puts it in her excellent book, Inside of a Dog.

“Humans stink. The human armpit is one of the most profound sources of odor produced by any animal; our breath is a confusing melody of smells; our genitals reek. The organ that covers our body — our skin — is itself covered in sweat and sebaceous glands, which are regularly churning out fluid and oils holding our particular brand of scent. When we touch objects, we leave a bit of ourselves on them; a slough of skin, with its clutch of bacteria steadily munching and excreting away. This is our smell, our signature odor.”

As you have surely figured out by now, the dog found his man. His smelly man. His rapturously odiferous man with bare feet. And as if that weren’t reward enough, Brix probably also got loads of praise from his handler, and maybe even a ball to chonk on for a minute.

Dogs are so cool, aren’t they?

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Police: SC Woman Puts Small Dog in Garbage — Twice

Oreo could probably use a good bath after what s/he has been through. (Photo is a loved "model" and not Oreo; from the Flickr photostream of angela n.)

Earlier this week, a sanitation worker found a Shih Tzu in the garbage can of a South Carolina woman while collecting trash. The worker took the dog to the house, where Nancy Smythe, 58, said the dog was hers.

Fortunately the trash collector didn’t laugh it off as a cute little mishap, but instead called in animal control officers. When they got there, guess where the little Shih was? Yup. They fished the dog out of the garbage once again, brought the dog to Greenville Co. Animal Control, and made sure Smythe didn’t have a third try; she was arrested and charged with “ill treatment of animals.”

The dog, who is black and white, has been named Oreo at the shelter, and will soon be up for adoption.

What is it with some people?! What was Smythe thinking? So glad the garbage worker was observant. The automated trucks used by so many trash collection companies can preclude any inspection of garbage. We tip our Dogster hat to the trash collector, who did just the right thing at the right time.

Source: Associated Press

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Frenchie Makes Friends with Police Horse at Occupy Wall Street

This little French Bulldog is so excited about meeting a mellow police horse at Occupy Wall Street that she inhales the horse’s breath and spins in quick circles. She’s positively beaming, too. Meanwhile, the horse looks like a most patient friend. She is nearly as curious about the dog as he is about her, but fortunately she does not spin. (At least, I think they’re both shes. I did not inspect their belly sides for the length of the video, so unless I hear otherwise, they’re girls.) (Update: Reader Amy patiently waited and saw the horse’s gender clearly when he turned around at 2:01. Yes, very clearly, a “he.” Sorry for not realizing this earlier, big fella!)

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Man Bites Police Dog, Sues Police

Zeke and his handler (Photo: Phoenix Police Department)

Yes, you read that right: A man who bit a police dog who had nabbed him after he allegedly burglarized a house is suing police and two Arizona cities involved in his capture.

According to reports, the dog, Zeke, caught up with Erin Sullivan, 33, and apprehended him by biting him on the shoulder, as K9s are trained to do. But Sullivan didn’t want to be caught, according to reports.

“Sullivan punched Zeke in the face then bit Zeke on his muzzle. Zeke then repositioned his bite to Sullivan’s upper left arm. Sullivan pulled Zeke’s face toward his and bit Zeke over his right eye,” according to the Glendale, Ariz., police report. At that point, officers used pepper spray on Sullivan, and Zeke pulled him from his hiding place.

Sullivan is now is serving an eight-year prison sentence for the incident, which happened last spring. He was convicted of criminal trespassing, second-degree burglary, and cruelty to animals.

But that hasn’t stopped him from filing a lawsuit demanding $450,000 for his alleged mistreatment. He claims that when he heard the police helicopters, he dropped to his knees and put his hands on his head, and that the dog viciously attacked him anyway. So he bit back. You can read more details of his claims — including that he needed 40 staples to close the damage done by Zeke — in this Daily Mail article or on Fox News.

Zeke also needed medical attention after the bite, according to police, but he has not sued Sullivan.

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Police Dog Gets Past Python and Other Animals to Find Pot Stash

A Light Phase Asian Rock Python from the San Diego Zoo. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

A police dog near Genoa, Italy, was able to get past an alleged drug dealer’s menagerie which included a cat, a rabbit, and a seven-foot-long python to sniff out a large stash of marijuana, according to ANSA.

According to the report, the little zoo was there to foil the noses of police dogs. But the dog, named Umos, was not distracted, and even the python didn’t faze him.

Umos “soon turfed out the snake and we found the man’s cannabis as well as equipment to process it,” police said. “He was fearless.”

I am still on my trip, and as we left Italy yesterday, we saw this story on the TV news at the train station. It had “Dogster” written all over it.

(We are now in Athens, leaving soon for Santorini. Athens is a fun and lively and beautiful place, but it’s hard for me to be here because of the terrible situation with homeless dogs. They are everywhere. Very sad, and unexpected. I’m going to do an article on this when I get back and have a chance to do more research.)

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