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.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

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

Only retrieved one, so "Toots" said F U and your little dog too!.....LOL

I bought her another set bigger than the last so she finally forgave us.

[MRMEAN]

Dog hit by gun fire improving Sunday, June 26, 2005By Susan K. Treutler CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER Hooch, a 10-year-old boxer, has improved enough from being shot in the head, Friday, that by late Saturday he had a 70-percent chance of survival -- up from the 50-50 chance he was given after the shooting. The dog, who is arthritic, gray and unable to run, according to its owner, is having trouble with blood collecting in his throat, but is hanging in there. It is still not known if the dog has sustained brain damage, said Susan Shogren. If he did, he will be put to sleep. A Montague police officer who had gone to Shogren's house because she had inadvertently left a gas station without paying for fuel, shot the dog twice as he approached the house. The officer arrived at the house about 3 p.m., Shogren said. She had gotten the gas about 11 a.m. and returned around 1 p.m. or earlier to pay after coming across the check she had written to Wesco in her purse. The officer apparently had not been notified that Shogren had gone back and paid for the gas. She said the dog "is pathetic to see. He is in pain. It was so senseless." Shogren said the officer who shot the dog would not give her his name, and she was too upset to look and see if he wore a nametag. Montague police did not return a phone message left to the department and Mayor Henry Roesler said he did not have a phone number for the police chief. Shogren has not had any follow-up from the police. She has contacted an attorney to discuss legal action. © 2005 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission Copyright 2005 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

[Mr. Nobody]

I would imagine many durg dealers will use a mean dog to be an alarm system. Cop shoots, everyone knows the cop is tehre.

[VRing]

"Shogren said the officer who shot the dog would not give her his name"

Cops are junk.

[brytlea]

You think he would bite a policeman's shoe???
:)
susie

[SoIA-79]

You forgot rule 4

the 'cops can do no wrong' crowd and other circular reasoners that will insist that any action taken by a police officer is justified simply by the sole fact that the police officer did it.

[SoIA-79]

You forgot rule 4

the 'cops can do no wrong' crowd and other circular reasoners that will insist that any action taken by a police officer is justified simply by the sole fact that the police officer did it.

[PAR35]

I don't think anyone would suggest that "the cops could do no wrong" in this case. Two shots at point blank range and the dog survived suggests that the officer, at the very least, needs additional training.

[SoIA-79]

I can agree with that regardless of whether the shots should have been fired.