Guard Dog Shot Five Times By Deputies Responding To Call
Guard Dog Shot Five Times By Deputies Responding To Call
POSTED: 6:11 pm EDT September 29, 2008
UPDATED: 6:15 pm EDT September 29, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A guard dog was shot five times and a business owner is demanding answers from the Orange County Sheriff's Office. He says two deputies killed his dog after he called them to report a burglary.
By the time deputies arrived, the burglars were long gone, but when cops pulled up the owner's dog trotted out to see who they were. Deputies opened fire, shooting the dog not once, but five times.
Owner Javier Calveron says Scooby, a German Sheppard-Chow mix, was part family pet and part burglar alarm for his auto body shop.
"The dog was very friendly with everybody, you can trust with everybody," Javier said.
Scooby did his job early Saturday morning when burglars tried to break into cars. He barked, the night watchman turned on the lights and the bad guys took off, but that's when the real problem began.
Javier said he was sitting on the step with his dog by his side waiting for the cops to show up. When deputies did come, the animal took off. But by the time Javier got close, it was too late; the dog had already been shot five times.
"I say, 'Stop! Stop! I waiting for you and you are killing my dog. Why are you killing my dog? Stop! Stop!" Javier explained.
Deputies thought the approaching dog was aggressive and dangerous. Two of them fired shots.
Javier said Scooby was just curious and eager to greet. Whatever the case, he was not on a leash. After a vet removed the bullets, the dog died at the emergency animal clinic.
"It's so sad, that's not fair," Javier said.
Now Javier is stuck with a $1,200 vet bill and can't bear to throw out Scooby's old dog bowl. He wants to know why deputies had to use so many bullets to stop a dog.
The sheriff's office says it won't comment on the case other than it is under investigation and the deputies thought they were going to be attacked.
Javier said that dog was only a year and a half old and had no history of violence.
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The sad thing is, that this happens all the time here in Fl.
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