Dog shot after encounter with Montague police officer

WZZM13 News ^ | 6/26/2005 | Gita Pullapilly

[MRMEAN]

Oceana County - Susan Schogren filled up her truck and boat with gas at a Montague gas station and forgot to pay for it. But shortly after, she says she went back to the gas station and paid $75. Problem solved she thought until she went home.

A Montague police officer stopped by her home. His police chief says the officer thought he was going to be attacked and shot Schogren's dog twice--once in the head and once in the shoulder.

But Schogren says the attack on her dog was unjustified. She says her dog Hooch is a 10-year German boxer who is arthritic. "There are days the poor thing can't even get off the floor," said Schogren.

Schogren says Hooch doesn't even have any real teeth. "The majority of his teeth are missing if you look there's not even a fang, that's just skin right there. There's no teeth."

Life hasn't been easy for Hooch. "He was a rescue, they got him when he came out of the heights. He was a fighting reject. He wouldn't fight," said Schogren. "The bullet went in right here. Went through roof of mouth, tongue, and came outright here." The second bullet went into the shoulder. Both bullets exited the dog's body. "He really had no business coming out here because I had gone back, paid for gas and went about my day," said Schogren.

But Schogren says the officer shot Hooch before she could explain her situation. "I first thought that he maced him because I saw him twitching on the ground but then there was blood you can't imagine the amount of blood."

Now, the Montague Police Chief says the police officer thought he was being attacked. He says Hooch tried biting the officer's shoe. The officer thought he was going to get attacked so he fired his gun. The police chief told WZZM it was an "unprovoked act by the dog and the officer acted in self-defense."

Schogren disagrees, "The boot was dry. No salvia no nothing. He only has one fang."

Schogren also alleges she asked the officer for help in taking Hooch to a vet and he said no.

WZZM spoke to Hooch's vet. She says "Hooch is a docile old dog." She said she has never seen an aggressive tendency in him.

The vet said it was amazing Hooch survived the shooting. However, on Sunday, Hooch had multiple seizures and we're told his situation is grave.

The police chief says the Oceana County Sheriff's Department is investigating the bite and the shooting.

[DJ MacWoW]

He wasn't shot for attacking another dog.

So the wussy, arthritic dog scared the cop? Ok. Hope that cop never ever ends up in a truly dangerous situation. His shoes might shrink from spit.

Btw, why did a large dog try to bite his foot and not his leg which was at mouth level? I'm sorry but something just doesn't sound right.

[gd124]

Other dogs, if you believe her. He wasn't shot for attacking another dog.

No. Nor was he shot for attacking a human. He was shot because he 'tried to bite' a shoe, meaning he didn't even bite it. The officer 'thought he was going to be attacked'.

Any officer who will shoot a dog because he thinks it might bite his shoe should be off the force.

[PAR35]

Boxers are almost universally sweethearts.

And folks on here post how good pit bulls are with Children.

A quick Google turned up stats from from Australia for 1997. Boxers make the top 10 list of breeds for attacks reported, with this comment, " There were an equal number of attacks by Rottweilers and Boxers on people and animals."

So it appears that you have a 50-50 chance that a Boxer will leave your pet alone, and just attack you.

[PAR35]

Btw, why did a large dog try to bite his foot and not his leg which was at mouth level?

Did you ever think he might have been kicking it at the time?

[coloradan]

After reading the condition of the dog sounds like putting him down might have been a good thing long ago.

Oh, you mean like Terri Schiavo? Or you (according to the local magistrate)?

[DJ MacWoW]

Did you ever think he might have been kicking it at the time?

No. It had one tooth. Maybe he stepped on it? And it objected. He still sounds like an idiot. With a gun.

Btw, I do believe there are vicious dogs and I read the posted stories on FR. I just don't believe this was one of them.

[ArmyTeach]

Sierra is a beautiful dog...

[Darnright]

I guess Australians have a different strain of Boxer from those in the US:

The Centers for Disease Control studies dog bite incidents, including the types of dogs most likely to bite. The breeds that the CDC considers highest risk include:

* Pit bulls
* Rottweilers
* German shepherds
* Huskies
* Alaskan malamutes
* Doberman pinschers
* Chows
* Great Danes
* Saint Bernards
* Akitas

[ArmyTeach]

As I read it, the dog was not 'retired.' He never was a fighting dog because he did not have the heart for it. Much like our sled team dogs up here - if they don't shew the competitive spirit and the team spirit as puppies, they are given to families as pets. Still good dogs, just not good for the team.

[paul51]

Is it just me or have dogs become targets of opportunity for trigger happy types?

It's not just you. I have to admit I'm bothered by this recent rash of cops shooting dogs. Naturally they always say they were justified however I'm having a hard time seeing that given the written account. This is one that seems questionable to me. If the cops are so afraid of dogs, maybe they should get someone else to handle the calls where there may be such contact. They seem to be a little quick to draw and shoot.

[paul51]

Is it just me or have dogs become targets of opportunity for trigger happy types?

LOL. I have a cat for the perimeter security. One really doesn't want to get past her. That's pretty much the last non lethal level.

[SALChamps03]

Here we go again. You weren't there. You don't know what the dog did and automatically the officer should be fired? The default anti-cop position among some Freepers is sickening.

[SALChamps03]

No, we live in the age of the 24 hour news cycle with every insignificant event thrust onto the world stage, regardless of whether or not it's newsworthy.

[PAR35]

Thanks for the American listing. The Australian stats were the first think that popped up on my Google search.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

Sierra is a beautiful dog...

She is that! Problems only arise this time of year as she has a wolf's down fur underneath and sheds it. Sierra and I both stay in the dog house for about 2 months every summer, as she refuses to sleep any farther than about 3 feet away from me......She thinks the wife is 3rd in the line of succession........LOL

She even "ate" Toot's diamond ear rings once, when I made her stay home and took the wife camping. That one was just a little over the top, doncha ya know. Heh, heh. 

[SoIA-79]

He says Hooch tried biting the officer's shoe.

Dog shooting JBT alert.

officer needs to be fired.

[MRMEAN]

Since when is Barney Fife allowed to have TWO bullets???

LOL!

[seowulf]

Oh, you mean like Terri Schiavo? Or you (according to the local magistrate)?

I hope you're not saying Terry Schiavo's life had the same value as the dog's. People are on a different plane in my book.

Just call me a "speciesist".

[GBA]

"The default anti-cop position among some Freepers is sickening."

I'll admit we don't know the full story. But yes, police officers are held to a higher standard and dogs are held to a higher esteem. I will always question authority, but never question the love and devotion of a dog.

This same story happended to a friend of mine. He, his wife and son, and his dad were tending a fire in his back yard (in a 50 gallon burn barrel). A deputy sherriff stopped by to check it out. No one knew the deputy was there so as he came around the back of their house he surprised everyone. Their well trained german sheppard went to him to check him out, as any dog will do in its own yard. And the deputy shot him dead in front of everyone.

The woman made a mistake and it sounded as though she had done her part to fix her mistake. And it sounds like a gun toting lunatic with a badge killed her pet as a result. Let that be a lesson to her.

[Ken H]

She even "ate" Toot's diamond ear rings once,

Did you get them back, or did you say, "Fu Forget it!" :)