SNOWFLAKE — A Snowflake-Taylor Police officer shot a one-year old German Shepard on August 15 in front of a young mother and her four children while responding to a false alarm at a home according to Destiny Cates, 35 of Snowflake. The dog survived after treatment in the Valley. The police department said the dog had “attacked” the officer who had no choice but to shoot it.
Cates is the married mother of seven children, age three to 16, and is the proud owner of a “smart” wristwatch which has an “SOS” feature on it. At around 10 a.m. that morning, Cates said, the watch was charging on the mom’s nightstand when her six-year-old son decided to play with it. Seems the boy activated the SOS feature on the watch and an emergency alert went to every one of Destiny Cates’ emergency contacts including her parents in Vernon and a sister in law in another state. The recipients tried to contact Destiny, but the watch was on “vibrate,” while charging and she was busy with one of the other children at the time and was unaware of the alert, she said.
This is a perfect example that you need to get training for your dog. Any unknown dog charging at you will cause you to question it's intent. Does it want a pat on the head or is it going to take a bite out of your leg?
This is ridiculous......during training as peace officers does anyone ever tell the recruits that dogs bark and get excited when someone comes to their door.......these cops nowadays are a bunch of trigger happy wimps. This is what happens when you train officers that everything and everybody is a threat and they go into our communities all amped up and find it easier to kill puppies than absorb a little risk, the risk that comes with the job. Pathetic.......I will be reaching out to this poor woman to refer an animal rights activist Attorney......hope everyone likes their tax dollars paying this family's veterinary bills.
Yes they do, they also tell recruits, Officer Safety is the most important thing, which it is. Whats pathetic is your way of thinking, the cops should just "absorb the risk", by your logic they should just patrol the streets naked because they have a dangerous job and they should be ok with getting killed or mauled by a dog. Instead you should be reaching out to the police department to get the whole story rather than demonizing law enforcement and the offocer based on a few snippets from one side of the story. I love my tax dollars going to Officers like this, did the officer know the family? Did the officer know who's dog? Did the officer know what was taking place inside the home that just called 911 and hung up!? The dog could have been a stray that got into the home at attacked someone. It took the Officer less than 4 seconds to see an attacking dog and react appropriately, protecting himself and any other human lives in the area. It is unfortunate it was the family's pet and there was no 911 emergency, but the officer did not know that. The only wimps I see, are they ones commenting on the actions of other because they're to cowardly to "absorb the risk" themselves.
that would be "too" cowardly not "to". What if there was a child hidden from sight behind that dog? I don't want this officer ever coming near my house
That trigger-happy cop should be fired and prosecuted! This has happened all too many times in this country already! Also, the cops should be required to foot the bill for the dog's care!
Some of these comments are ridiculous. There was absolutely no need to try to kill this family’s pet. Should the owner have secured the dog before opening the door..yes. Could the officer have used pepper spray or a taser if he was so terrified of the puppy..absolutely. Using a service weapon should be the last resort, not the first. Thank god one of those bullets didn’t kill one of those children! A dog barking at you is not “an attack”, and a dog approaching you is not always “charging”. This officer definitely needs retraining on interacting with the public that he swore to “protect and serve”.
So he's armed with pepper spray, a Taser and a lethal firearm, and his FIRST instinct is to draw and fire a lethal firearm in close proximity to small children?!? Sounds like an epic failure in training. Or judgement. Or both.
Please file a complaint with the Snowflake police about this if it bugs you that they are ignoring us and disregarding our dissatisfaction with this safety issue.
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(15) comments
Restrain your pets!
This is a perfect example that you need to get training for your dog. Any unknown dog charging at you will cause you to question it's intent. Does it want a pat on the head or is it going to take a bite out of your leg?
This is ridiculous......during training as peace officers does anyone ever tell the recruits that dogs bark and get excited when someone comes to their door.......these cops nowadays are a bunch of trigger happy wimps. This is what happens when you train officers that everything and everybody is a threat and they go into our communities all amped up and find it easier to kill puppies than absorb a little risk, the risk that comes with the job. Pathetic.......I will be reaching out to this poor woman to refer an animal rights activist Attorney......hope everyone likes their tax dollars paying this family's veterinary bills.
Yes they do, they also tell recruits, Officer Safety is the most important thing, which it is. Whats pathetic is your way of thinking, the cops should just "absorb the risk", by your logic they should just patrol the streets naked because they have a dangerous job and they should be ok with getting killed or mauled by a dog. Instead you should be reaching out to the police department to get the whole story rather than demonizing law enforcement and the offocer based on a few snippets from one side of the story. I love my tax dollars going to Officers like this, did the officer know the family? Did the officer know who's dog? Did the officer know what was taking place inside the home that just called 911 and hung up!? The dog could have been a stray that got into the home at attacked someone. It took the Officer less than 4 seconds to see an attacking dog and react appropriately, protecting himself and any other human lives in the area. It is unfortunate it was the family's pet and there was no 911 emergency, but the officer did not know that. The only wimps I see, are they ones commenting on the actions of other because they're to cowardly to "absorb the risk" themselves.
Thank you for your well thought out comments.
that would be "too" cowardly not "to". What if there was a child hidden from sight behind that dog? I don't want this officer ever coming near my house
That trigger-happy cop should be fired and prosecuted! This has happened all too many times in this country already! Also, the cops should be required to foot the bill for the dog's care!
Keep on firing/suing police officers for defending themselves and pretty soon none will be left to defend you when the real criminals show up.
Some of these comments are ridiculous. There was absolutely no need to try to kill this family’s pet. Should the owner have secured the dog before opening the door..yes. Could the officer have used pepper spray or a taser if he was so terrified of the puppy..absolutely. Using a service weapon should be the last resort, not the first. Thank god one of those bullets didn’t kill one of those children! A dog barking at you is not “an attack”, and a dog approaching you is not always “charging”. This officer definitely needs retraining on interacting with the public that he swore to “protect and serve”.
So he's armed with pepper spray, a Taser and a lethal firearm, and his FIRST instinct is to draw and fire a lethal firearm in close proximity to small children?!? Sounds like an epic failure in training. Or judgement. Or both.
4 seconds..
We need to know what action will be taken against the overkill cop. I don't like being fearful of the police.
Anyone up here ever heard of civil rights? Its obvious it's not taught in AZ schools.
We have no civil rights where the police are concerned.
Please file a complaint with the Snowflake police about this if it bugs you that they are ignoring us and disregarding our dissatisfaction with this safety issue.
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