Posted on 08/09/2017 1:12:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Dutch-German shepherd mix killed; no charges expected
Protests planned for Livonia City Council after fatal shooting of dog in family's yard by contractor Dutch-German shepherd mix killed; no charges expected
A utility worker is accused of shooting and killing a Livonia family's dog.
LIVONIA, Mich. - The Livonia City Council is holding a scheduled meeting Wednesday evening and protests are planned after a contractor shot and killed a dog in a yard while working outside a neighbor's house.
The incident happened at about 9 a.m. on July 28 on Angling Street near 8 Mile Road. The homeowner said his dog was sitting in his usual spot in the front yard when the contractor, who was working in the yard next door, stepped into his yard.
Kadie was a Dutch-German shepherd mis. The dog barked when the contractor stepped into the man's yard, and within seconds, the homeowner said he heard a single gunshot.
Livonia police said charges are not expected and that the dog was an imminent threat.
"It's terrible," said Douglas Eiben, the dog's owner. "It should never happen."
Emotions are still raw for the family, which loved Katie, the 4-year-old Dutch-German shepherd mix.
"I'm so upset," Eiben said. "I'm hurt because if he would have missed that dog, that shell and that gun was in my direction. It could have been me. That's the thing that I'm so upset about it."
Eiben said he heard his dog bark just as he stepped out his front door and into the driveway.
The utility worker said he feared for his safety, so he shot the dog.
"I heard a pop and saw the dog laying on the ground," Eiben said.
The single gunshot was fired by a Corby Energy contractor who was doing work on the other side of the fence.
"Why are you crossing through yards?" Eiben said. "You're supposed to use front entrances."
The worker crossed into Eiben's front yard by cutting through a fence. When he did, he was met by Katie, but little did he know the dog wore a shock collar.
According to a police report posted to a Facebook page Eiben created, the dog was barking and showing its teeth and the contractor verbally identified himself as a utility worker. It reads:
"(Utility worker) stated that he was verbally identifying himself as a utility worker and this his intent was to walk to the front door and advise the homeowner that he was going to enter the rear yard."
"She knows the boundary of where to go," Eiben said. "She won't cross that line."
The yard is protected by an invisible fence, which allowed Katie to roam within limits.
When asked why he shot the dog, the worker said he feared for his safety, but the family doesn't understand why the man was carrying a gun on the job or why he fired so quickly.
Kadie was buried in the yard. The utility worker was doing work on the other side of this fence when he crossed Douglas Eiben's front yard. "The dog only barked twice, then it popped," Eiben said. "It wasn't three to four seconds. She was doing her job protecting our property. That's what she was here for."
Corby Energy said the field data collector was performing pole survey work for AT&T when the shooting happened.
The company released a statement with six bullet points. You can read the statement below:
We expect our employees to comply with all applicable laws.
We are aware of the situation, reviewing the circumstances and surrounding facts, and conducting our own investigation. Once that investigation is complete, the Company will determine whether any additional action regarding its employee is necessary.
We've instructed our employee to fully comply with local police in all respects, if requested.
The Company is also prepared to fully cooperate with the police, if requested.
At this stage, the Company has not been advised by the police as to whether they believe that any laws have been violated.
If and when such a determination is made, the Company will be prepared to take that fact into consideration.
Read no further for TL;DR
I wonder if the dog was registered? A recent court ruling said that an unrequested dog is contraband. Police can legally shoot them without consequence.
A friends renters own an American Bully (pitbullish)... female, over 100 pounds of pure muscle. Sweetest dog, friendly full of love.
I trust her about as far as I could throw her.
I’m not a fan of weaponized dogs. I truly believe that owners of weaponized breeds should be licensed and follow a K9 version of CCW. German Shepherd(s) included. I have been attacked and chased by a German Shep and narrowly escaped by climbing up a rope. That dog was in full attack mode.
Weaponized dog breeds serve a purpose.
And what "mix" was this "contractor"? Afghani and Paki? No mention of who the shooter was so I'm suspicious.
Ruling in what court? If a civilian shot the unregistered dog, they would still be charged with animal cruelty? That sounds like a ridiculous ruling.
An invisible fence? What's that? The shooting might not have happened if the homeowner had a real fence.
Federal Judge Rules Unlicensed Dogs Aren't Protected By Fourth Amendment
"Nikita Smith sued the Detroit police after they shot her three dogs on a pot raid. A judge ruled the dogs were "contraband."
But I thought even registered dogs weren’t protected?
Then shouldn’t all animal cruelty laws be struck down?
It makes cops immune to these pesky lawsuits now. No tag, POW! And they have a good nights sleep without worry.
The dog nor the gun was the problem. The answer lies between the owner and the worker who fired the gun. There is a great deal of bias of dogs and guns in our new order of things. I have never had a problem with either owning German Shepherds and upholding my 2nd Amendment.
>> the dog was an imminent threat.
**********************************
As he should be. The utility worker stepped onto private property. The dog was doing his job.
The establishment will continue to back their own until the masses organize and tell them NO MORE. Then watch how fast they change their mind.
So what impact would this ruling have on undocumented immigrants?
A phone call to the property owner would have averted this. Common sense, common courtesy before stepping onto private property.
This kind of nonsense will continue unabated until the citizenry rises up.
As for registering dogs, gov’t as usual goes too far. Many citizens have had it with gov’t laws requiring registration, licensing, certifying, permits, and fines and penalties for failing to jump through their tangled mess. The mess is revenue enhancement. Like I said before, it will continue and worsen until the People have had enough.
Since when have utility workers become armed and authorized to utilize lethal force?
As a side note, the dog was known to all the neighbors and kids and the target of throwing balls and frisbies.........
How stupid can you be? The dog was shot on the property owner's land!!!!!.........Sheesh, the stupid runs deep these days............
Try it and find out :)
Dog lives matter
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