Shooting of dog upsets Girard councilman

Shooting of dog upsets Girard councilman

GIRARD — A councilman is upset at how police handled the shooting of a dog several weeks ago, but police officials say the shooting was just and a proper use of police discretion.

An Olive Street family told members of city council, by letter, that its 16-year-old Dalmatian dog had wandered away from the yard through an open gate in mid-October. The letter said the dog was nearly blind and deaf and was wearing no collar because it irritated his neck.

The family, the letter said, searched for the dog for several days, calling the police and putting up fliers in the community. The letter said police officers told the family no one had called to report a missing dog. A respondent to one of the fliers, however, told the family that police officers had been called and taken possession of the animal.

The letter said the family was told by police that the dog had been hit by a car and died, so it was placed in a large trash bin behind the police station.

After continued inquiries, however, the family said they learned the dog had been taken to an area near the Mahoning River and shot twice with a shotgun.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.