Pets on my Mind

Got a disturbing email from a reader whose chocolate lab was shot by a Memphis police officer. Is this still happening? I wrote a story about this happening several years ago and I thought it had slowed down? Here's the email. Do you have a similar experience?

NOT ONLY ARE WE LETTING THE WEEDS GROW AND GET OLD ENOUGH TO BEAR SEEDS SO
IN A YEAR OR SO WE WILL BE KNOWN AS THE "CITY OF WEEDS" ,BUT WE ARE KILLING
OUR PET DOGS WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS GO TO ANSWER AN ALARM. I THOUGHT MAYBE
THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BUT SINCE IT HAPPENED PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME
TO TELL ABOUT THEIR DOGS BEING SHOT UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAVE
HIRED A LAWYER TO HELP ME STOP THESE SHOOTINGS. IF YOU HAVE A DOG AND YOUR
ALARM GOES OFF THE POLICE MAY COME ON TO YOUR PROPERTY AND SHOOT ALL OF YOUR
DOGS WITHOUT ANY JUSTIFICATION.

I'M VERY LUCKY, FREDDIE WAS SENT TO THE VET AND AFTER HER OPERATION COSTING
AT LEAST $2,500 THE DOCTOR SAYS SHE HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF RECOVERING TO 95%
OF THE WAY SHE WAS BEFORE. FREDDIE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER THE SHOCK
SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH. AFTER THE OFFICER SHOT FREDDIE IT WASN'T 2 MINUTES
BEFORE MY HOUSE WAS COVERED WITH POLICE OFFICERS . SOME DIDN'T HAVE
UNIFORMS. I GUESS THEY WERE TRYING TO COVER FOR THEIR FELLOW OFFICER BECAUSE
I TRIED TO GET A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND WAS TOLD I COULD HAVE IT IN A
FEW DAYS.

THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT OUR POLICE OFFICERS IS THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO
CARE. MY BROTHER IN LAW ASK WHERE FREDDIE WAS AND THE OFFICERS SAID SHE WAS
IN THE BACK YARD TO THE RIGHT. WELL AFTER LOOKING FOR A WHILE HE FOUND HER
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE YARD HIDING UNDER SOME LEAVES. HE JUST FOLLOWED THE
TRAIL OF BLOOD, IT'S A WONDER SHE DIDN'T BLEED TO DEATH. THE OFFICERS DIDN'T
OFFER TO HELP OR SAY THEY WERE SORRY IT HAD TO HAPPEN.

MY THANKS GOES OUT TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER PERSON THAT HELPED CALM FREDDIE
DOWN.

Walter M. Broadfoot Jr.