According to KUSA 9News out of Denver, a bill to protect family dogs in Colorado from being killed by police officers may soon become law.
State senators David Balmer and Lucia Guzman are co-sponsoring a bill to protect dogs from being shot and killed by police.
The bill would require all Colorado municipal police agencies and sheriff's departments to undergo annual training classes that deal with dog behavior.
Law Enforcement Today has already warned officers on the civil rights violations they may be charged with should they shoot a family dog
Most officers accused of shooting family dogs use the same old 20/20 hindsight and claim they were in fear for their life. American dog lovers are more than tired of hearing this excuse, and this bill is a positive step in helping police access whether there's a real danger when confronting a family dog.
Denver police Lieutenant Vince Gavito doesn't believe the bill will prevent family dogs from being shot. He gave a statement to 9News saying "I don't believe passing legislation is going to do anything to teach common sense that's just something you have or you don't."
As a reporter and avid dog lover, I agree with Gavito. While some dogs may have been a threat to a responding officer, there are too many officers who make questionable remarks after shooting the family dog. This is what occurred in the case I covered where a Des Moines, Washington family received a court awarded settlement of at least $51,000. The officer in the resulting lawsuit yelled "NICE" after he fired the first shot at Rosie, who was running from the officer at the time.
There are even more officers who shoot to kill when other methods to subdue the dog are available. American dog owner's are fed up with their pathetic excuses and are now taking these officers to court.
Perhaps if the training class were to teach the consequences they would face should they kill the family dog, the training may prove somewhat effective. Knowing a lawsuit is likely, and the officer would be named personally, may have some impact on those officers who believe being a police officer gives them the license to shoot anyone or anything they see as a threat.
Unfortunately, common sense is not the only thing these dog killing police officers lack. They also need a good dose of compassion, as many seem to have been born without it. Any officer that will shoot a family dog in cold blood, especially in the vicinity of children, would benefit more from a change in career than a training class.
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