'Flip', a malinois with a distinguished police service record was shot to death in Findlay, OH. This tragic loss has raised many issues concerning the rights of property owners and a percieved assault on a police K9.

The details of this sad turn of events can be found through the following links:

Findlay police dog killed
Findlay studies lawsuit over police dog’s killing
Findlay mourns loss of police dog, rejoices in Steeler's gift to replace it
'Officer' down
Man pleads not guilty in killing of police dog
Findlay buys police dog with Roethlisberger gift

I'm sure the guy did not know the dog was in fact a k9 police dog but nonetheless, who gets home, sees a dog on their front lawn ,runs in their house to grab a gun and shoots it, ridiculous!
I have come home many times with my 2 littles girls with me and had straight dogs on our lawn, I certainly did not feel the need to shoot them in order to get my girls in the house.If it meant for me to go back for a drive around the block for a few minutes to see if the dogs were gone well that is what I'll do. Fortunely ,the times that we have found us in that situation, I would get out and grab my hoze that is by our front door and squirt the dogs, they always would go to the next yard, no prblem.I just think if you are a little patient ,you will do something else then shoot the dog.You never know whos' dog it could end to be

the trailer trash around here are constantly letting their dogs run loose, and i have to admit that shooting them is the last thing on my mind. the closest thing i've done to hurting another dog was dropkicking one under the jaw when it lunged at my (on leash) dog.

i guess we can't know everything that went on in that particular situation though, and it'll probably just boil down to unfortunate that the dog was loose. poor guy.

 Quote: Jamie Fraser

i guess we can't know everything that went on in that particular situation though, and it'll probably just boil down to unfortunate that the dog was loose. poor guy.

What more do you need to know?? There are 6 articles above, all with the same story. The worthless neighbor's story never changed...the dog did NOT become aggressive-ever during the time on his yard. Yet he shot him.

If you're so terrified of a lone, passive dog in your yard, get out your cell phone and call the police. You don't have a cell phone, drive the hell out of the driveway and find a phone. He's hiding behind his 2 year old son, using him as his excuse for mortally wounding a passive animal.

I'm a mother of 3 and would fight anyone and anything to save my children but if they are safely ensconced in the car, a dog is no threat to them.

Go get help if the dog won't leave - end of story.

How tragic... what a waste, poor dog (and of course poor police officer).

Sure he was at fault for letting his dog roam, but everyone makes mistakes. I completely agree with Judy, the dog was clearly being passive and non-threatening, even by the shooter's accounts, so why shoot him if you're not being threatened?
The issue with the baby is irrelevant; the child was in the car and wasn't at risk. The man easily could've called animal control or driven away (or get a shovel or stick and chase the dog off, but a gun!).

Some people are too gun-happy.

I'm sure that everyone has lapses in judgement every now and again and has had times where they've let their dog escape, but unless the dog is extremely aggressive and is a danger to others, it's just an honest mistake.
Find the owner, get an apology out of him, get him fined, whatever, but no need to kill an innocent animal just because it's "on your property".

I hope that the police dog program in that city doesn't suffer as a result; they've certainly lost a big investment with that dog being killed at 5 years old.

I don't comment often, but I had to on this subject. I hope that this guy is punished for being ignorant and aggressive. I don't mean randomly either, but in a court by his peers, a fair trial if you will. We all have that right whether we deserve it or not.

I have never harmed a dog because it was in my yard. I understand his trepidation that the dog kept advancing, but come on, get a hose, get a stick (not to beat the dog with!), drive around until the dog leaves, etc. There have been a number of suggestions thus far.

I don't think that this man knew it was a police dog, but come on... just to indiscriminately kill the dog...

It just made me think about my Doberman and if she got out accidentally, would someone shoot her because she was a large breed dog off leash?

Perhaps it is because I feel a kinship with civilian police since I'm active duty military.

 Quote: judy troiano

 Quote: jamie fraser

i guess we can't know everything that went on in that particular situation though, and it'll probably just boil down to unfortunate that the dog was loose. poor guy.

What more do you need to know?? There are 6 articles above, all with the same story. The worthless neighbor's story never changed...the dog did NOT become aggressive-ever during the time on his yard. Yet he shot him.

i hope i'm not taking your post incorrectly, but i wasn't saying it was right what the guy did. but you can't really, fairly judge an incident with precision based over what you read in (albeit, several) articles. for all we know, all 6 authors got their information from the same place (and not the original neighbour).

if the guy knew it was a police dog, by all means he reacted wrong. if not, you'd be surprised at what the laws (and if not laws, "accepted customs") in various parts of the country and world will let you do with a dog that's on your property. again, not saying it's right, personally i would not have shot it. heck, we have no fences here, and as long as no one's outside i could care less if there's a dog in my yard.

i realise that it's my uneducated speculation, and i might be anthromorphizing here, but what is perhaps most tragic is that in the dog's mind he was probably just searching for his handler.

 Quote: cat jolley

get a hose, get a stick (not to beat the dog with!),

i know almost nothing about PPDs and police service dogs, but just from looking at a few videos, but would waving a stick or a hose actually do anything to such a dog? i highly doubt he knew what the dog was - if he did, then i would say you have a REAL case at "hanging" (figuratively speaking of course) the bastard - but i'm just curious as to how a PPD would react to a threat if he found himself sans handler.

 Quote:

It just made me think about my Doberman and if she got out accidentally, would someone shoot her because she was a large breed dog off leash?

i live on the edge of a small town, surrounded by farmland. i was terrified the couple of times my brother in law's dog bolted for that very reason. it's "acceptable" in many places to shoot a dog on your property, no questions asked. me pressing legal/criminal action after the fact wouldn't change the fact that one of my beloved pals wouldn't be with me any more.

 Quote: jamie fraser

... i live on the edge of a small town, surrounded by farmland. i was terrified the couple of times my brother in law's dog bolted for that very reason. it's "acceptable" in many places to shoot a dog on your property, no questions asked. me pressing legal/criminal action after the fact wouldn't change the fact that one of my beloved pals wouldn't be with me any more.

It's stunning, isn't it, how many people allow their dogs to roam freely. Like you, I would be terrified if my dog was gone on his own and I didn't know where.

Just a one-time mistake like this one, and the dog is dead. Yet there are many owners who allow their dogs to roam all the time.

Update on Flip.....
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007707170380