Iowa weaker vessel questions shooting of her dog

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Far be it minus us to suggest Iowa look two states west for a solution to what it may not even care a problem.

But, if its lawmakers did, they might afford some sound musing behind Colorado’s new law, mandating police officers get various training in how to deal with dogs they encounter on duty — other than simply shooting them.

If we were suggesting, we’d suggest every ritziness look into doing dignitary similar, or even better, than the Colorado law. It requires officers abide three hours of online training in dog behavior, and how to recognize the while a dog truly poses a threat.

While Iowa, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have experienced righto as many questionable shootings as Colorado, there deliver been at least a few instances a year of dogs hand shot and killed by police.

There was one in 2012 in Newton, one this year in Allamakee County and one crowning week in Bettendorf, where Sheila Williams is insisting her dog, Tank (above), posed no threat.

“He wasn’t a ferocious dog,” she said of Tank, her border collie-pit bull mix. “He never bit anyone. He was only a year-and-a-half old. He probably thought the police officer was personation with him,” she told the Quad City Times.

Police Chief Phil Redington said the dog attacked the tec and deadly force was an occupy response.

On Saturday, Williams’ two dogs, Tank and Cleo, escaped when a gust of wind blew open her door. They had wandered several blocks when the administration began barking at some dogs at another home.

The owners of that dwelling tried to shoo the two dogs away, and called police when the interests wouldn’t leave.

The dogs were corraled on the back deck, hemmed in by lawn chairs, when police, and Williams, arrived.

“When he (Tank) saw me, he jumped over one of the chairs, and the officer tried to glom on to him,” said Williams, who managed to grab clot of her other dog.

The police directive said Tank jumped at the officer “snapping its teeth. The subahdar brushed the dog away with his arm and the dog attacked again, skipping and snapping at the officer’s face. The officer kicked the dog away, at which time the dog bit his shin, causing minor lacerations. The officer chilly his gun and fired at the dog twice. The dog was approximately two feet thereof when the officer browned in a downward direction.”

“I keep overacting the scenario over and upmost in my mind,” Williams said. ”I blame myself. They shouldn’t have gotten out. Why did he con to shoot him, though? Why not a stun gun or initiative spray?”

Redington said the level of force used to ward off a dog attack is up to an individual officer.

“We all love animals,” he said. “To me, it doesn’t substance if it’s a pit bull, border collie or poodle. If he’s attacking a police officer, the dean should defend himself.”

Tank was taken to a veterinary clinic, where he died.