http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_334000046.html

This is very upsetting to me, I just don't understand how someone can mistake a dog for a deer.

I've talked to some hunters, a number of them will shoot a dog in the woods on sight in belief the dogs are harrasing the deer and spoiling thier hunt, in some areas loose dogs are a problem but imo the guys are jerks.

This brings up some questions:
1. How can you mistake a dog for a deer???
2. Why does the police dept have a noise-shy (bad-nerved) dog in the first place?
3. Why was the dog not under control?

Thanks Dennis, now I know.

Here is a news story from when the dog was first missing.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4799252

Thanks for the clarification. Lordy, it sucks that they lost such a promising young dog. I'll still ask why the police dept had a noise-shy dog, though.

I doubt any hunter would mistake the dog for a deer. However, I would say that the hunter that killed the dog probably thought it was a coyote. I know that when I see them in the woods I kill them.

 Quote: Steve Drake

I doubt any hunter would mistake the dog for a deer. However, I would say that the hunter that killed the dog probably thought it was a coyote. I know that when I see them in the woods I kill them.

Why would you do that Steve?

 Quote: Steve Drake

I know that when I see them in the woods I kill them.

REDNECK

Mike - DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN.

Not if you care to continue posting to this web board. Just because you don't hunt does not entitle you to the right to call someone a red neck.

The fact is we have a coyote problem here. My neighbors have had their cats killed. I worry about my pups and will shoot them on site.

Now back to this dead police dog. This thread has MISSED the main point here. That is HOW CAN A POLICE DOG (EVEN A NARCOTICS DOG) RUN FROM FIREWORKS????????????

What part of that am we missing?

I have a number of emails back and forth with a reporter for the Philadelphia Enquirer on this issue.

1- This dog should not have been a service dog. No dog that shy's from loud noises should pass a selection test. Not even a narcotics dog. What is the handler of a dog like this to do if a truck backfires on the street when he is doing a drug search??????

2- What happened with the OBEDIENCE TRAINING ON THIS DOG?? Where was the RECALL?????? Why would the dog not come back to his handler? You know what - if I owned a dog like this and it ran off and would not come back - well ???? I certainly wouldn't miss the dog.

3- I would be taking a hard look at where this dog came from. Did it come from a vendor? Well there is a law suite.

4- Was this the handlers first time dog handler ? He had better be or he had better have documented these problems in his training records.

Police service dogs are not pets. They are held to a higher standard which this dog did not come close to.

I happen to be one of those hunters who will never criticize someone who shoots a dog that is chasing deer.

 Quote: John Aiton

 Quote: Steve Drake

I doubt any hunter would mistake the dog for a deer. However, I would say that the hunter that killed the dog probably thought it was a coyote. I know that when I see them in the woods I kill them.

Why would you do that Steve?

I am not sure about where Steve's from, but here in Ontario, we have a bounty out right now on Coyotes.
They've become a huge problem in our area here due to the fact that we have a brand new four lane expressway going through a part of Red Hill Creek/Bruce Trail (which SUCKS!) and its driving the coyotes further into the city.
Thus they are very much encroaching into territory that is full of family pets and there has been an increase in the instances of them killing pets.
sorry, didn't mean to take this off topic.