Update (April 17, 11:36 a.m.): We have received information that the other dog, which was taken to ACCT Philly, was euthanized due to injuries suffered in the shooting.
Update (8:13 p.m.): Police responded to a report of vicious dogs. One was shot and killed on the scene, police said. The other has been taken to the animal shelter on West Hunting Park Ave.
8:00 p.m.: Police reportedly shot two dogs on 48th Street between Pine and Osage. A reader who lives across the street reported hearing two loud pops just before 7 p.m. and then saw two dogs lying on the street surrounded by several police officers.
“I heard two pops and saw the direction of where people were looking. I went to the window and saw two dogs down. One not moving and the other wounded and moving only the head area. Six cop cars were already there so it is safe to assume that they may have shot the dogs. Cops have streets blocked off. The other dog’s movements have almost stopped. Dogs have no leashes nor do I see a visible owner or owners of the dogs.”
By the time we got to the scene (around 8 p.m.) the police were gone and the street was cleared.
April 16th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
i live across the street and went down there when i heard the shots and saw all the cops. the story among the rubberneckers was that two pit bulls had been loose, the cops were trying to bring them in or something, the dog(s) attacked, the cops shot the dogs. Again, just unsubstantiated rumor.
April 16th, 2013 at 9:30 pm
This is awful 🙁
April 16th, 2013 at 11:51 pm
Awful. Awful. Awful.
The blog post doesn’t say, but what breed of dogs were they? Chihuahua? Labradoodle? Pit Bull? Yorkshire Terrier? They cold be anything.
April 17th, 2013 at 9:44 am
I saw these dogs running north on 47th past Larchwood around 6:30, and there was a police car trailing them. The rubbernecker story makes sense to me.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:16 am
Why exactly is it necessary to include the picture of two dogs lying in a pool of blood? It doesn’t add anything to the story and is overly gruesome, in my opinion.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:31 am
These dogs were running through the neighborhood, but were not attacking the police. These were not wild dogs, they were someones pets. Multiple eye witnesses saw the officer approach and shoot both dogs- no attack involved. The young female dog that was shot laid there bleeding and whining for more than 30 minutes (at which time I left) waiting for animal control. The police called animal control multiple times and had been waiting for over 1 1/2 hours with no one responding prior to shooting the dogs. These were approachable dogs that could’ve been safely and easily snared if animal control had responded or if Philadelphia police carried snares. This was completely inhumane and did not need to happen.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:42 am
@adops10 That makes me so sick to hear. Is there anything we can do regarding the police that shot them? Since there were witnesses of no attacks… I feel like something can be done!
Any word on who these dogs belong to?
April 17th, 2013 at 11:01 am
I saw this incident from Larchwood & 48th.
While walking my own dogs, I was stopped and informed by a uniform officer that there were two loose pitbulls in the neighborhood (around 48th and Pine). I walked in the opposite direction and waited on the corner of 48th and Larchwood. While I was waiting for him, I saw the two loose pits run down Larchwood, sniff and attempt to play with another dog on a leash with his or her owner, and then turn left onto 48th street and head towards Spruce Street. I saw several police cars drive to the intersection of 48th and Pine and officers get out of their vehicles. One officer attempted to stop the pitbulls from turning back down 48th street. When the dogs ran past him, he turned, grabbed his gun, and shot both of them. From what I witnessed, these dogs appeared to be healthy and non-threatening towards people and other dogs. It appeared as though two pets got loose and were killed unnecessarily. Animal control was not present.
If you also saw this incident, please consider filing a compliant. The official compliant form can be found here: http://www.phillypolice.com/forms/official-complaint-form/.
April 17th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
what if those dogs were not stopped, turned a corner, attacked a child and tore him apart? would you also filing complaint for those police officer not doing their job? lose pits are not a joke. i am a dog owner myself. i feel bad for those dogs, its obviously not their fault. but how can one predict an unfamiliar dog’s behavior? police priority is public safety.
April 17th, 2013 at 2:48 pm
I see dogs of all breeds and sizes roaming the city on a regular basis, and I’ve picked up my fair share of strays without ID or collar, including a number of pit bull-type dogs. Just look at the number of “found dog” listings here on WPL to see how often this happens. If police procedure was to shoot all stray dogs because they *might* attack someone, even if they’re not being aggressive, I don’t know about you, but I would be seriously disturbed.
As for the owner, maybe they’re terrible negligent owners who let the dogs out to run loose, or maybe they had no idea their dogs got loose because their home was broken into, a contractor left the door open, the gate didn’t latch properly, etc. For all we know, the dogs could have been microchipped.
I sure hope the cops had a reason to shoot these dogs beyond their breed, but from all of the eye witness accounts recounted here and elsewhere, it doesn’t sound like it.
April 17th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
What if this was your dog? What if your dog accidentally got loose? Would you say, “oh well! I know he wasn’t aggressive, and it didn’t matter that you didn’t properly apprehend the dog, and shot it instead. That’s your job! You didn’t know!” I doubt it. That is not how this should have been handled, and it happens all too often. It’s not fair.
April 17th, 2013 at 4:00 pm
message for ‘someone else’:
are you serious??
April 17th, 2013 at 6:18 pm
since a cop can’t be sure of a dogs nature and mood, and since its not just a pitbull issue, are you saying that the cops should shoot any dog on the street thats not on a lead?
April 17th, 2013 at 9:02 pm
I’m sure if the dogs were going to harm someone they would have done it at some point in the hour and a half they were loose while the cops were trailing them. Dogs are just as predictable as any stranger that passes you on the street. Cops don’t go around profiling and shooting at anyone they deem “dangerous”. The only reason these dogs may have been shot was because of untrue stereotypes that “lose pits are not a joke”
April 17th, 2013 at 9:08 pm
Dogs are not people, and dogs are not predictable. Whether they should have been shot is another question, but a dog can turn on another dog, or a person, or any other animal, in an instant, and without warning.
April 17th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
This was unnecessary. The responsibility lies solely with the ‘owners’ who refused to leash and secure them.
April 17th, 2013 at 12:07 pm
It always seems unnecessary until a loose pit bull mauls a person or another animal. I don’t blame the cops.
April 17th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Yes, firing shots at dogs who haven’t done anything yet because animal control hasn’t shown up seems like a reasonable response. Why limit it to pit bulls? A Labrador retriever ripped my cheek open as a kid and my cousin was mauled by an Akita, so I guess we should just shoot all loose dogs before they attack.
April 17th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
This story makes me very sad. It sounds like he didn’t have to shoot them. What a waste, those poor dogs.
I wonder who their owners were?
April 17th, 2013 at 12:28 pm
I understand that police have to do what’s in the best interest of public safety but it does sound like this was handled very poorly. However, ultimately I agree that the bulk of responsibility lies with the owners. If it’s true that cops were waiting an hour and a half for animal control to show up — where were the owners? Were they unaware that their two fully grown dogs were running around off leash and unattended? It’s just a horrible shame these two dogs had to pay the price.
Also, full disclosure: I’ve had my dog attacked by a collared dog who was roaming off leash and it’s really, really scary. So maybe I am a bit biased towards neglectful dog owners.
April 17th, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Whenever a PPD officer discharges their weapon, an internal investigation is conducted. I strongly encourage anyone who witnessed this incident to consider providing a statement to our office, or directly to Internal Affairs.
I can be reached at 215-685-0891.
Kelvyn Anderson
Executive Director
Police Advisory Commission
kelvyn.anderson@phila.gov
April 17th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Almost everyday police officers bring stray dogs of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments into Animal Control without firing a gun. What was so different about these dogs? Nothing. What is so different about the officer unnecessarily using his gun to kill the dogs is the question.
April 17th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Agreed! Some cops are wonderful. Our last foster dog was brought into ACCT by cops! This should’ve been handled differently than it was. It’s such a shame
April 17th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
I assume all the people here who are posting EXACTLY how the cops should have reacted are all eye-witnesses. I don’t think anyone would jump to conclusions and demand action without having seen the circumstances first hand. No one would be so irresponsible as to tell others how to handle 2 strange pit bulls when they themselves have not seen the dogs. So, please be sure to Kelvyn Anderson, listed above, and give your accounts.
April 17th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
“So please be sure to contact…”
April 17th, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Shame. Despicable. Unacceptable.
April 17th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
What if I turned the corner and hurt a child (or ANYONE)? People are unpredictable too! Should I be shot because you think I look dangerous?
April 17th, 2013 at 5:19 pm
Meant as a reply to “someoneelse”
April 17th, 2013 at 6:48 pm
It certainly depends where your owner is.
April 17th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
How could the PPD let the poor animal suffer on the street for more than an hour? It should have been euthanized on the spot. This smacks of cruelty and callousness.
April 17th, 2013 at 7:08 pm
As someone who has followed and captured several loose dogs over the years – some lost and some stray, and one that is now my beloved pet, I can only say that I am utterly appalled by this incident. There are so many loose dogs on the streets, some abandoned and some lost. They need us to HELP THEM, which means at the very least for someone to call Animal Control to report sightings, and to share the information with neighbors. They are usually nervous, hungry, and tired and afraid to let people approach – even the friendliest of dogs. This is so unfair.
April 17th, 2013 at 7:16 pm
Kelvyn Anderson, concerned pet owner and Executive Director of the Police Advisory Commission is interested in talking to ANYONE who witnessed the events; these comments will be provided to internal affairs for their investigation (The department always conducts and investigation when an officer fires a weapon).
If you witnessed anything, PLEASE PLEASE contact him:
Kelvyn Anderson
kelvyn.anderson@phila.gov
Also, the official PPD complaint form can be found here: http://www.phillypolice.com/forms/official-complaint-form/.
April 17th, 2013 at 7:26 pm
here’s an interesting observation. Man shot dead on 52nd street gets 2 posts. Dogs shot gets 30.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:06 pm
The type of people who value these animals over human lives are the students living in their UC security zone. They don’t care about black on black crime past 48th street.
April 17th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
@I.M. Ici
Exactly what I was thinking. Even the new liquor store post got more comments. And I remember that stray squirrel post a few months back getting a lot of comments, too. Meanwhile no one cares about neighborhood shootings or that West Philly school survey.
Glad to that see my neighbors have their priorities in order! /sarcasm
April 17th, 2013 at 8:48 pm
This frightens me so much. If my dog were to leave our back yard due to a careless neighbor leaving the gate unlocked this could have happened to my “pit bull” type dog. The eye witnesses who have posted said the dogs did not attack and even seemed playful. I hope we get updates after the investigation.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:26 pm
That’s right Lynn. As a pet owner it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that if your dog is off your property it is ALWAYS on a leash.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Yes! Leash your dog for god’s sake!
April 18th, 2013 at 7:34 am
I do leash my dog when we leave our property. I am a responsible dog owner. I check my gate and have talked to my neighbor, who shares an entrance to MY back yard. He is stoned 50% of the time and leaves the gate unlocked, BY MISTAKE. Thank goodness I know to check it, or someone might shoot my dog if she wondered out of my gate as I pick up her waste.
It shouldn’t be shoot first – ask questions later for dog or person.
FYI Andy : I am not a student. I have lived in Cedar Park area for over a decade.
April 18th, 2013 at 7:40 am
If there is any evidence the the dogs were vicious then I wouldn’t argue the police did their job to protect the public, but all of the eyewitnesses say the dogs were running and even seemed playful. Assuming a tough looking dog is vicious is the SAME as racial profiling.
April 17th, 2013 at 9:24 pm
We had two loose PITS last year in west powelton village infront of my house and we call the police , I stayed with them for 5hours food water and police in his car . It was sunday so the animal control didnt show up . and the police man took them in his car to the shelter . the next day they found the owner . Until today they pass by my house every day happy with thier owner. SHOOTING THOSE DOGS REALLY BROKE MY HEART BIG TIME .
April 17th, 2013 at 10:13 pm
Exactly!
April 18th, 2013 at 9:36 am
While this is very sad and any time an officer fires a gun in residential neighborhood is cause for alarm, I do think many posters here are downplaying the danger of unleashed dogs — particularly two as large and powerful as these.
Dogs are wonderful. I love mine dearly. But it baffles me sometimes that people don’t realize how dangerous they can be. All dogs bite. Or will bite, anyway, under the right circumstances. Just as all scorpions sting, and all people will punch/kick/claw/etc. If you’ve never seen your dog display any form of aggression, then consider yourself blessed. But if you have — and make no mistake they all have it in them somewhere — you know how frightening it can be.
My dog looks like a sweetheart, and 95% of the time he his. But I’ve seen the other 5%, and I’ve worked very hard over the past 8 years or so to keep it at bay. Part of that work, is diligently keeping him away from other dogs. If the two dogs in this article had approached us on a walk, it would have been very ugly — and likely very bloody. And I would have been in the middle of it.
In the comments to the facebook posting of this article, one witness describes the dogs jumping up on a pregnant woman while her partner held their own dog aloft. This is a pretty terrifying scenario. You’re talking about 80-150 lbs of dog, with bodies like linebackers and jaws like hyenas* jumping up on a woman carrying a child. If my dog had somehow escaped my home and jumped up on a pregnant woman and was subsequently shot, I would be heartbroken. But I would understand.
I have no idea whether the shooting was justified. I wasn’t there. But in our efforts to examine this, let’s please remember that unleashed dogs can be very dangerous. All dogs can be dangerous. It’s our duty to not only love and care for them, but to protect them from themselves.
*Pit bulls may not be more vicious than other dogs. I don’t know. But they are certainly built to cause more damage.
April 18th, 2013 at 9:44 am
what these police did is despicable, and cowardly. i cant believe people let these police get away with this behavior. i also cant believe some of you here agree with the actions taken by the police. this is very disturbing.
yeah, dogs can bite. people can fight. if you have the potential to do something awful should that be grounds to destroy your life? to die? because you have the means to do something bad? i acknowledge that under some extreme circumstances this action could have been justified, but some dogs just roaming the hood do NOT deserve to be shot and killed by the cowardly philadelphia police department.
April 18th, 2013 at 11:05 am
I hoping the police will begin to employ this tactic in other situations where a legitimate danger exists- like cars speeding down residential streets. Maybe the police could just take them out- their tires and not the driver of course. (unless the cars are being driven by pit bulls in which case shooting them would be warranted. But seriously, less speeding cars on the road mean safer streets.
April 18th, 2013 at 11:37 am
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