Dogs Shot By Police In Kenwick, One Dead

[White Shepherd mom]

Dogs shot by police in Kenwick, one dead

Phil Hickey From: PerthNow July 20, 2011 5:48AM

AN internal police investigation has been launched after two dogs were shot by police officers after they attacked a K9 police dog in Kenwick overnight.

One of the shot dogs died.

Duty Patrol Commander Neil Blair said police were attending to a disturbance at a home in Wanaping Road about 11pm when two large dogs came from the rear of the home and attacked the K9 police dog, which was at the front of the house with its handler.

“Two police officers who were with the dog handler at the time discharged one round each,” Cmd Blair said.

“As a result one dog died and the other sustained a bullet wound.”

The K9 dog was injured in the attack and was treated overnight at a vet hospital in Murdoch, as was the other shot dog.

An internal investigation into the shooting is now underway.

----------------------------

I take this to mean that the attack happened on the dogs' property. Were the police right to shoot the dogs? I wonder if they tried to seperate them first.

What do you think?

[Chezy]

the K9 was in front ,safe access to front door should be assured , same as with any1 that enters any property

eta that considering the K9 was injured, then it seems to have been a fairly full on attack , but then I was not there, obv why there is an investigation

Edited July 20, 2011 by Chezy & Chopper

[Sandra777]

Personally I think they were right to shoot.

If a police dog came on our property there's a pretty good chance our dogs would attack it, but that doesn't change my opinion.

[monkeytrunks]

I go past that road a bit and if it is the property I am thinking of, it is a house on its own surrounded by bush. It is a semi-rural there. It would have been pretty dark. I have seen a bloody big dog out the front of this property before having a snooze in the sun and if this was the one attacking the K9, shooting it would have been the only way to stop it. It was huge! And there was another dog as well. It would have been a very frightening experience indeed.

[hortfurball]

The dog in question is supposedly a pitbull x boxer, so not that big, no bigger than the K9 dog would have been. Photos of the dog shown on the news support this.

I'd like to know why the police took a k9 dog onto the property in the first place but if they had reason to do so then I suppose they had to shoot the dog once it went for the police dog, even though the poor thing was just defending its property.

RIP doggie.

[sas]

The Police dog is a Police Officer so has the same rights as a Human one, so yes they should have shot the attacking dog imo.

Edited July 20, 2011 by MEH

[sas]

The dog in question is supposedly a pitbull x boxer, so not that big, no bigger than the K9 dog would have been. Photos of the dog shown on the news support this.

I'd like to know why the police took a k9 dog onto the property in the first place but if they had reason to do so then I suppose they had to shoot the dog once it went for the police dog, even though the poor thing was just defending its property.

RIP doggie.

That's a pretty powerful dog. Trying to justify it with stating the size of the dog doesn't make sense to me.

It's not your concern why they had their Police Dog with them....a Police Dog is a Police Officer.

[Tempus Fugit]

The dog in question is supposedly a pitbull x boxer, so not that big, no bigger than the K9 dog would have been. Photos of the dog shown on the news support this. I'd like to know why the police took a k9 dog onto the property in the first place but if they had reason to do so then I suppose they had to shoot the dog once it went for the police dog, even though the poor thing was just defending its property. RIP doggie.

That's a pretty powerful dog. Trying to justify it with stating the size of the dog doesn't make sense to me.It's not your concern why they had their Police Dog with them....a Police Dog is a Police Officer.

I don't think this is correct. My understanding is that a service dog is normally considered to be equipment, same as a gun, taser, pepper spray etc.

Disabled persons' assistance dogs are legally medical appliances, not humans.

Dogs are territorial by nature and it would be normal for many dogs to challenge another dog coming onto their territory. They do not have the wit to discern the difference between a police dog and an agressive stray.

[GeckoTree]

UPDATE: 1PM Internal Affairs officers are investigating whether owners of a dog shot dead by police last night had deliberately set their canines on the police dog.

Acting assistant commissioner Tony Flack said Gosnells police shot two dogs when they ran from the rear of the Wanaping Road house in Kenwick about 11pm yesterday and attacked their dog, Rumble, who was on a leash.

“One of these [dogs] has taken the police dog by the throat while the second has taken the police dog by the rear leg,” Det-Supt Flack said.

“What is not known at this time is whether the dogs were deliberately set upon the police officers or the dog and how they came to come from the rear to the front.”

He said police went to the home when the resident asked for people to be removed from the house.

Dog owner Jordan Mead, 19, said he was upset police shot his staffy x boxer named Tiger.

“I’ve had him for six years, since he was a puppy,” he said.

Mr Mead said he warned police not to get Rumble out of the car because it would spark a stand-off between the canines.

“He should not have brought the dog out of the car because as soon as he did my dog came flying out the gate and went straight for their dog.”

Mr Mead said Tiger was trying to “protect his pregnant wife”, another dog named Zena, who was also shot in the incident.

Both Zena and Rumble are undergoing surgery in Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital, they are in stable conditions.

Rumble’s injuries included a puncture wound to his neck and lacerations and bite wounds to his front right leg.

Det-Supt Flack said the internal affairs unit would investigate whether the use of police weapons was lawful and whether it complied with police regulation.

“The internal affairs unit will now look at the circumstances of this event and look at whether the use of the firearm was warranted and we will also look at how and why the police dog was deployed at the scene,” he said.

“There is a duty of care for police to protect the police dog and we’ll also be looking at how that duty of care was enacted.”

Mr Mead was upset shots were fired very near to where his three young sisters, all aged under 12, were standing.

“Nobody has been injured by a ricochet or discharge,” Det-Supt Flack said.

No charges have been laid at this stage.

Rumble at Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital.

[persephone]

The Police dog is a Police Officer so has the same rights as a Human one, so yes they should have shot the attacking dog imo.

[lovemesideways]

The dog in question is supposedly a pitbull x boxer, so not that big, no bigger than the K9 dog would have been. Photos of the dog shown on the news support this. I'd like to know why the police took a k9 dog onto the property in the first place but if they had reason to do so then I suppose they had to shoot the dog once it went for the police dog, even though the poor thing was just defending its property. RIP doggie.

That's a pretty powerful dog. Trying to justify it with stating the size of the dog doesn't make sense to me.It's not your concern why they had their Police Dog with them....a Police Dog is a Police Officer.

I don't think this is correct. My understanding is that a service dog is normally considered to be equipment, same as a gun, taser, pepper spray etc.

Disabled persons' assistance dogs are legally medical appliances, not humans.

Dogs are territorial by nature and it would be normal for many dogs to challenge another dog coming onto their territory. They do not have the wit to discern the difference between a police dog and an agressive stray.

All dogs are not territorial by nature, and there is a large difference between barking to say "Hey this is my space" or trying to drive off another dog, than going to kill another dog that is on your front lawn.

I hardly think its at all in any way normal for a dog to try and kill another dog who is on leash and under very effective control. They where out the front of the house, what if someone just happened to walk down that street with their dog? Is it "normal" and ok if their dog gets killed because these other dogs are just territorial?

The police where called because there where people fighting, in my understanding they often send K9 officers to these sort of disturbances because they break up a hell of a lot quicker with a dog around? (I could be wrong here). The Boxer X connected with the police dogs throat (where he has puncture marks), he was shot in the head and died instantly. Seems fair enough to me.

Edited July 21, 2011 by lovemesideways

[Tilly]

The dog in question is supposedly a pitbull x boxer, so not that big, no bigger than the K9 dog would have been. Photos of the dog shown on the news support this. I'd like to know why the police took a k9 dog onto the property in the first place but if they had reason to do so then I suppose they had to shoot the dog once it went for the police dog, even though the poor thing was just defending its property. RIP doggie.

That's a pretty powerful dog. Trying to justify it with stating the size of the dog doesn't make sense to me.It's not your concern why they had their Police Dog with them....a Police Dog is a Police Officer.

I don't think this is correct. My understanding is that a service dog is normally considered to be equipment, same as a gun, taser, pepper spray etc.

Disabled persons' assistance dogs are legally medical appliances, not humans.

Police dogs are not "service dogs" - they are K9 Police Officers and as such an assault on a police dog is the same as an assault on a police officer.

[GeckoTree]

Another thing I think needs to be said is that Police generally are not animal control officers with animal control tools available. Do WA police have tasers though? I think guns should be drawn and fired as a complete last resort, especially if kids are close by.

[TsarsMum]

ok this house is a problem house its not just any old house with a one off reason for the cops to be there hence why the dog was probly taken to this house. its been in the news for other reasons.

poor police dog doing its job. and good on the police for doing what was needed in saving there work mate

Edited July 21, 2011 by TsarsMum

[GeckoTree]

Do you think the risk assessment was correct in deploying firearms in the vicinity of children without an immediate human danger involved? I know a police investigation will be going on over this, any time a firearm is discharged it has to be done.

This is why I ask if tasers are in the WA police force.

[trinabean]

"What is not known at this time is whether the dogs were deliberately set upon the police officers or the dog and how they came to come from the rear to the front."

He said police went to the home when the resident asked for people to be removed from the house.

Dog owner Jordan Mead, 19, said he was upset police shot his staffy x boxer named Tiger.

"I've had him for six years, since he was a puppy," he said.

Mr Mead said he warned police not to get Rumble out of the car because it would spark a stand-off between the canines.

"He should not have brought the dog out of the car because as soon as he did my dog came flying out the gate and went straight for their dog."

Maybe I'm missing something here. Perhaps Mr Mead could have leashed his dog or shut the gate if he was so concerned about a canine" stand-off" ? He apparently knew what his dog's likely reaction was going to be but didn't make the effort to control/ contain his dog?

Something doesn't sit right about this story for me. Him warning police not to get their dog out of the car sounds more likely to have been a threat to me. Maybe I'm just a cynic with a suspicious mind though...

[TsarsMum]

i think there is tasers but not all can have them (dont quote me on that)?? there is just about more who har with tasers then guns in wa.

maybe the way the attack was tasers where out then u have 2 dangerous dogs maybe it was not an option. we will never be told the whole truth as always just what media wants us to see.

i dont think they did anything wrong they did what was needed and the poor police dog did not look the best at all.

im not sure why there is such a thing on here about 2 cops saving their dogs life but killing a dangerous dog in the process.

this is a home that has been on the new many times and cops raid it alot its a too hard basket house and now its the cops fault for shooting their dog ????

if i was going to that house and was a cop that dog would have been out also its a dangerous house.

[White Shepherd mom]

Mr Mead said he warned police not to get Rumble out of the car because it would spark a stand-off between the canines.

“He should not have brought the dog out of the car because as soon as he did my dog came flying out the gate and went straight for their dog.”

If this is true, the police should have told the owner to restrain his dogs before they brought the police dog out of the car.

Police dogs are not "service dogs" - they are K9 Police Officers and as such an assault on a police dog is the same as an assault on a police officer.

I guess someone forgot to explain this to the dogs on the property.

Very sad for all the dogs involved in this...no matter whose fault it was.

[Keira&Phoenix]

I agree with WSM very sad all round for the dogs. Once again people not being responsible and their pet has now paid the price for their stupidity and so has a police dog.

lovemesideways - It is a bit unreasonable to expect a dog to distinguish between an unleashed out of control dog and a leashed, effectively controlled dog. Dogs don't process that, just that there is another dog on their property. And for a dog aggressive dog this reaction was not out of the ordinary. Clearly the owner was aware his dogs had issues and he should have restrained them.

RIP Doggie

Edited July 21, 2011 by Keira&Phoenix

[lovemesideways]

Maybe I'm harsh but I would considering shooting a dog who was literally latched onto the throat of my dog fair.