ATL:
In early October, officers in St. Petersburg, Florida shot and killed a 12-year-old, arthritic golden retriever named Boomer. That’s because in St. Petersburg, it’s just standard procedure. Well, that was standard procedure, until Boomer was killed. The St. Petersburg Times has more information:
Boomer belonged to personal injury lawyer Roy Glass. Since his dog was killed, Glass and his wife, Lauren, have led a campaign to demand that police be trained in dealing with animals. The movement includes an online petition at change.org and a dedicated Facebook page with more than 3,700 followers.
Did they really think that they could just kill a lawyer’s dog and get away with it? If this personal injury attorney could’ve brought a wrongful death claim for his dog, I’m sure he would’ve. But here’s what happened because Glass wouldn’t sit and lie down after Boomer’s death:
[On] Wednesday, [St. Petersburg police Chief Chuck] Harmon announced policy changes for the department, including the use of “catch-poles” to help restrain dogs and stricter requirements for deploying officers on vicious dog calls.
From now on, officers will be dispatched to such calls only when a person is in “imminent danger,” Harmon said.
So now, instead of shooting random dogs, police in St. Petersburg will try to treat dogs more humanely. And it took a solo practitioner’s activism for that change to happen.
Kudoes to Mr. Glass. But what kind of spineless, cowardly, wimp of a pig cop thought she needed to kill "a 12-year-old, arthritic golden retriever"? I'm looking straight at you "Officer Misty Swanson, 25." Are you really such a wuss you thought you were in danger from that dog?
