[pyrnet] Re: Trainer's dog shot by police in MN

[Julie Johnston <raven4luck@home.com>]

Becky - thank you for passing on this story.  I called the Mayor and left a
message then the Police dept. who referred me to the Sheriff's office.  I
was told Sergeant Ballard at (651) 266.2951 was handling calls on this
"matter."  What a sad story.

Julie


> Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 11:26:49 -0500
> From: morri051@tc.umn.edu
> Subject: Re: [pyrnet] MISC :  Trainer's dog shot by police in MN
> 

> I thought everyone should hear this and be aware that it can happen to =
> any of us.  This trainer and her dog were working with one of my recent =
> rescue placements...the dog community here is up in arms.  It makes you =
> realize it could easily happen to any of us. =20
> 
> 
> <<Beth Hatch, an APDT member and well-known dog trainer in the =
> Minneapolis/St.
> Paul area was a victim of a case of mistaken identity by the St. Paul =
> police
> department. On the morning of 6/23/01, police entered the family's =
> backyard
> in a drug bust on a mistaken address. Beth's Labrador retriever, a =
> highly
> trained dog used as a demo dog for her training classes, barked at the
> intruders and was shot three times and killed. Her children then ran out =
> of
> the house and found the dog, followed by her husband, and the police
> department then realized their mistake. Too late for the dog, and the =
> family
> that just lost a valued friend.
> 
> I'd like to urge the dog training community to contact the St. Paul =
> police
> department and the St. Paul mayor's office to voice their displeasure. =
> Those
> numbers are:
> St. Paul Police Department: 651/291-1111
> St. Paul Mayor's office: 651/266-8610
> 
> Please pass this information around to all the dog people you know, and
> perhaps we can begin to mobilize a group that will put pressure on the =
> area
> police departments to get rid of their "shoot first, ask questions =
> later"
> policy regarding dogs on drug raids. The Minneapolis Police Department
> apparently has already been put on notice regarding their need to reduce =
> the
> number of dogs shot during raids, but apparently they have not done much
> about it.
> 
> If Beth's dog was not safe in her own back yard, then none of our dogs =
> are
> safe.
> 
> Becky Schultz
> Shorewood, Minnesota
> APDT #2678, Exp. 4/7/02